How Do I Migrate from Exchange 2013 to 2019?

Summary: In this guide, we have discussed the steps to migrate Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019. You will find detailed instructions on setting up and configuring the new Exchange Server 2019 with steps to transfer components, such as virtual directories, certificates, mail flow, etc., from Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019. Further, we will use an EDB to PST converter software to move mailboxes from Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019 directly to reduce downtime and finish the Exchange migration with complete integrity and minimal efforts.

The major things to see when migrating from Exchange Server 2013 to 2019 are the requirements, limitations, and co-existence. For this free guide, we will assume that only one Exchange Server is installed.

Prerequisites for Exchange 2013 to 2019 Migration

If you are migrating from Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019, you need to ensure the following before getting started:

Important Note: With Exchange 2019, you don’t have any Unified Messaging (UM). Thus, if you have Lync or Skype for Business Server, you will lose the ability to save voicemail messages in your mailboxes, and an alternative needs to be found, like CX-E or Azure Voicemail on Office 365.

Steps to Migrate Exchange Server 2013 to 2019

Deploy Exchange Server 2019

Install Windows Server 2019 on a VM or Physical Machine

Start by installing Windows Server 2019 Standard or Datacenter on a Virtual or physical machine. Microsoft recommends installing Exchange 2019 on Windows Server 2019 Core, but the Desktop Experience feature is still supported. So, it’s your choice at this stage. You cannot install it on any other operating system.

If you install Management Tools on another machine, you need to install them on a Windows 10 64-bit edition. After installing and setting up Windows Server 2019, install the OS updates and following software.

Install Exchange 2019 Prerequisites

Install-WindowsFeature NET-Framework-45-Features, RSAT-ADDS, RPC-over-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-Clustering, RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface, RSAT-Clustering-Mgmt, RSAT-Clustering-PowerShell, Web-Mgmt-Console, WAS-Process-Model, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Basic-Auth, Web-Client-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, Web-Dir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression, Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging, Web-Http-Redirect, Web-Http-Tracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console, Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Console, Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext45, Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Static-Content, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-WMI, Windows-Identity-Foundation

Install Exchange Server 2019 using Setup Wizard

To install Exchange Server 2019, connect the Exchange Server 2019 media to the server machine and mount the ISO. Then open the Command Prompt window to navigate to the Setup.exe location using the cd (change directory) command.

Then run the below command in Command Prompt window to prepare the Schema and the AD.

Setup.exe /PrepareSchema /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms
Setup.exe /PrepareAD /OrganizationName:”Contoso” /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

Note : If you send diagnostic data to Microsft, use /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms_DiagnosticDataON, and if you do not need to send diagnostic data to Microsft, then use /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms_DiagnosticDataOFF.

Here you have prepared the Active Directory to be Exchange 2019 friendly and now you can start the installation. Before you start, make sure that no new updates are available for the prerequisites you’ve installed.

Setup Outlook Anywhere

Setup the Service Connection Point (SCP)

The next step is to set up the Service Connection Point (SCP), an attribute on Exchange Server stored in the AD schema that directs domain-joined client computers using Outlook to the server using auto-discover settings. By default, it will change to the new server. You need to stop the users from connecting to the new server for now due to issues with certificates as the default with the installation is a self-signed one. This can be changed by running the following PowerShell cmdlet:

Set-ClientAccessService –Identity ExchangeServer2019 –AutoDiscoverServiceInternalUri https://mail.mydomainname.com/Autodiscover/Autodiscover.xml

This will point the users to the current server.

Import the Certificates into Exchange 2019

Now you need to import the certificates into the new server. Again, you can use the PowerShell commands or Exchange Admin Center to import and export certificates from Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019.

Export and Import Certificates via EAC

To export and import certificates from Exchange 2013 to 2019, follow these steps:

Copy the exported certificate from the UNC path on Exchange 2013 Server to an external storage device and transfer it to a UNC folder path on Exchange 2019. Then open the Exchange Admin Center in Exchange 2019 and follow these steps to import the certificate:

Now assign the POP, IMAP, IIS, and SMTP services to the imported certificates by following these steps:

Export and Import Certificates via PowerShell Cmdlets

First, you need to identify the certificates to move by using the below PowerShell cmdlet:

Get-ExchangeCertificate | fl Thumbprint,NotAfter,Issuer,CertificateDomains,Services

This will give you a list of certificates, along with the thumbprint and the services they are used for so you know the certificates and on what services to assign them to. On the Exchange 2013 Server, use the following PowerShell cmdlet to export the certificate for the Exchange 2019 Server.

$CertPass = ConvertTo-SecureString "LetMeIn" -AsPlainText –Force
Export-ExchangeCertificate -Thumbprint C87C1CBA43733D177B2679BC825808C7BECC659B -FileName C:\temp\Exchange2013Certificate.pfx -Password $CertPass | Out-Null

Once done, keep a note of the password. In case you forget it, you can always redo the above and use a new password. Copy the file to the Exchange Server 2019 and run the below command in PowerShell:

$CertPass = ConvertTo-SecureString "LetMeIn" -AsPlainText –Force
Import-ExchangeCertificate -FileName C:\temp\Exchange2013Certificate.pfx -PrivateKeyExportable $true –
Password $CertPass | Enable-ExchangeCertificate –Services POP,IMAP,IIS,SMTP –DoNotRequireSsl

This will import the certificate and assign it to POP, IMAP, IIS, and SMTP services.

Configure Virtual Directories

The next step is to set the URLs for internal and external access using Outlook Anywhere. On Exchange Admin Center,

Now set and update the internal and external URLs of virtual directories for Outlook Anywhere, OWA, ECP, Web Services, ActiveSync, Offline Address Book, and MAPI. Again, you can use the CLI interface or Exchange Admin Center to configure the virtual directories.  

Set and Update Virtual Directories via EAC

The steps are as follows:

Set and Update Virtual Directories via PowerShell Cmdlets

On Exchange 2019, run the below command.

Get-OutlookAnywhere -Server srvexc2019 | Set-OutlookAnywhere -InternalHostname ex02.mydomain.com -InternalClientAuthenticationMethod Ntlm -InternalClientsRequireSsl $true -ExternalHostname ex02.mydomain.com -ExternalClientAuthenticationMethod Basic -ExternalClientsRequireSsl $true -IISAuthenticationMethods Negotiate,NTLM,Basic
Get-EcpVirtualDirectory -Server srvexc2019 | Set-EcpVirtualDirectory -InternalUrl https://ex02/mydomain.com/ecp -ExternalUrl https://ex02.mydomain.com/ecp
Get-OwaVirtualDirectory -Server srvexc2019 | Set-OwaVirtualDirectory -InternalUrl https://ex01.mydomain.com/owa -ExternalUrl https://ex02.mydomain.com/owa
Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -Server srvexc2019 | Set-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -InternalUrl https://ex02.mydomain.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx -ExternalUrl https://ex02.mydomain.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx
Get-ActiveSyncVirtualDirectory -Server srvexc2019 | Set-ActiveSyncVirtualDirectory -InternalUrl https://ex02.mydomain.com/Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync -ExternalUrl https://ex02.mydomain.com/Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync
Get-OabVirtualDirectory -Server srvexc2019 | Set-OabVirtualDirectory -InternalUrl https://ex01.mydomain.com/OAB -ExternalUrl https://ex02.mydomain.com/OAB
Get-MapiVirtualDirectory -Server srvexc2019 | Set-MapiVirtualDirectory -InternalUrl https://ex02.mydomain.com/mapi -ExternalUrl https://ex02.mydomain.com/mapi

Replace the URL in the command with your domain name (URL).

To ensure these changes are in effect, recycle the Application Pool for MSExchangeAutodiscoverAppPool. To do this,

Update DNS Records

Now that the URLs are changed, it’s time to point the DNS records to the new Exchange 2019 Server. For this, contact your network team to see that any ports open and forwarded with NAT to the current Exchange 2013 are replicated to also point to Exchange 2019.

All open ports to Exchange 2013 should be opened for Exchange 2019. Any forwarding from the outside to the inside should be changed to point to the Exchange 2019 Server instead. It’s now the time to point the SCP record, you set before, to point to the Exchange 2019 rather than 2013.

Now the users should be able to work by accessing Exchange 2019 as their Exchange Server while being redirected to the Exchange 2013 Server as the location of their mailbox. It’s time to go round and work on the multi-function devices to point to the new Exchange 2019 Server. From the server, set up the transport rules to allow the devices to pass through it.

You need to make sure that the URL being used internally is also changed and propagated. Then connect one Outlook and check that it’s connecting to the right Exchange Server by opening the Outlook Connection status.

Mailbox Move from Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019

The next step is to move the mailboxes from your current Exchange Server 2013 to Exchange Server 2019. This is done by creating a migration batch job. You can create the migration batch via Exchange Admin Center or Exchange Management Shell.

Create Mailbox Move Migration Batch via EAC

The steps are as follows:

Create Mailbox Migration Batch via Exchange Management Shell

The steps are as follows:

Get-Mailbox -Database MBX-DB-2013 | New-MoveRequest -TargetDatabase DB19 -BatchName “DB13toDB19”
Get-Mailbox -server ExchangeServer2013 -Arbitration |New-MoveRequest
Get-MoveRequest | Get-MoveRequestStatistics

The process is slow and requires you to export and import the mailboxes manually.

For faster mailbox move, download and install Stellar Converter for EDB. With this EDB to PST converter software, you can scan and migrate mailboxes from online or offline Exchange databases to PST. In addition, you may also directly export the mailboxes from your Exchange 2013 offline database (EDB) directly to Exchange 2019 or Office 365.

Unlike EMS or EAC, the software does not impact the server resources or performance and moves the mailboxes from one Exchange Server to another at up to 4x speed. You can download it for free to evaluate yourself.

Decommission Exchange Server 2013

Proper decommissioning of the Exchange Server is critical. Login to EAC and follow these steps:

Once all mailboxes are moved, you can go ahead and remove the mailboxes from the Exchange Server 2013 using EAC or EMS command (as given below).

Get-MailboxDatabase –Server ExchangeServer2013 | Remove-MailboxDatabase

Finally, uninstall Exchange 2013 from the current server from the Control Panel. Then shut down the Exchange 2013 Server.

This completes the decommissioning of the Exchange Server. At this stage, your Exchange Server migration is complete.

Conclusion

This is a comprehensive guide on how to migrate Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2019. From deploying Exchange Server 2019 to decommissioning Exchange 2013, this guide covers every step in detail to help IT and Exchange administrators migrate Exchange 2013 to 2019 without any hiccups.

However, if you face any issue, experience errors, or need help in migrating Exchange 2013 to 2019, you can reach us via the comments section below.

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