The organizations using GroupWise server often have to deal with various problems such as regular/abrupt crashing issues, instable functionalities, and other shortcomings. Such factors compel users to switch to a more reliable and stable platform, like Exchange Server. Exchange Server, provides ease of use & management features, hassle-free deployment facilities, and flexible costing plans, to let you smoothly maintain your email-messaging system.
Although, it requires smart planning and in-depth knowledge, to migrate mailboxes from Novell GroupWise to Exchange Server manually. You are expected to be technically-sound to ensure coexistence and data integrity during the migration process. However, before proceeding towards the task of GroupWise to Exchange migration, you need to keep certain things in mind, so to avoid any confusion during the process.
- Carry-out a pre-migration assessment in the beginning
- Make your Exchange mailboxes ready for migration
- Integrate GroupWise and Exchange mailboxes
- Build a migration baseline
- Execute a pilot migration
- Create data storage
- Move your data and keep a detailed track of migration progress
Once you have successfully gone through the above-mentioned migration factors then it is the time to bring move onto action. Implement the following migration steps to move GroupWise mailboxes in Exchange Server.
Setting Up a Migration Server
Run Exchange 2003 step-up program to install Exchange Migration Wizard on the server. The machine on which you are running Exchange Migration Wizard is often referred as migration server, which is useful in building a robust communication platform between GroupWise and Exchange 2003.
You may even install a number of migration servers to share and divide the load. It will help you to easily migrate hundreds of user mailboxes in lesser time.
Provisioning of Novell GroupWise mailbox users
In this step, Novell GroupWise users have to grant proxy access to GroupWise account to perform smooth migration. You can also execute Novell GroupWise Check (GWCheck) tool to make sure that database inconsistencies are eliminated during the migration process. Besides, the option to run GWCheck tool, you may have to perform some of the other tasks, such as discussed below:
- Remove the users that hold no longer existence on Novell GroupWise
- Clear all mail queues from old mails
- Execute Novell VREPAIR tool, fix any occurring problems on conventional Novell NetWare volumes
- Also, execute Novell Timesync tool, at the server console to match time and ensure network consistency
Data Migration from GroupWise to Exchange
Upon successfully installing Exchange Migration Wizard, it is the time to migrate users and mailboxes from GroupWise to Exchange. This wizard makes use of GroupWise Client API to reach GroupWise mailboxes. You can even tweak the options available on Exchange Migration Wizard to perform the migration according to your need. Here is what you can do:
- Personal Email Messages: Using this feature, user can select all or selected email messages (using Dated from field) to perform the GroupWise to Exchange migration.
- Information to create mailboxes: Upon selecting this feature, a new mailbox is created to migrate relevant information from Novell GroupWise to Exchange Server.
- Calendar Items: In this option, user can migrate notes, tasks, appointments, to the destination. Also, the wizard allows you to migrate all or selected items of the calendar, truly based on the user requirements.
Migrate Calendar Information: Exchange Migration Wizard also facilities the option to migrate calendar information just by creating SCHEDULE+ FREE BUSY public folder file to import the information of each user.
At some point, data integrity gets compromised in the above-discussed migration method. If you find this method a non-foolproof solution to securely convert your email messages, calendaring information, and folders to the desired destination, then choosing a third-party GroupWise to Exchange migration tool is the most reliable option available to the users.
Kernel for Novell GroupWise to Exchange is a powerful migration tool that lets you to migrate unlimited number of mailboxes from GroupWise to live Exchange Server. The software provides three convenient modes (default mode, login mode and command line mode) to move the data efficiently and effortlessly without consuming much time. It even facilitates the option to move remote/cache mailboxes, and user archives with utmost convenience.