Exch2003->Exch2010 Migration with BES 5.x
 

We are presently at Exchange Server 2003 (WS2003) and a new BES 5.x (WS2008R2). We are migrating all 2003 mailboxes to Exch2010 (WS2008R2) this weekend.

Has anyone had any issues with this? When we move the mailboxes, will BES 5.x stay intact and work or do we need to change any configurations, Mapi, etc?

Please advise.

Adam Wall
NOC Manager
Atlantic Tomorrow's Office
212-507-9420

Has anyone performed this migration following these steps? We are highly concerned about moving the BESAdmin mailbox first. We want to make sure that it will not cause the users with blackberries who still have their mailboxes on the Exchange 2003 server to stop working. We don't want to suddenly be forced to move everyone to the new server in a panic, or try to figure out if we can move the BESAdmin mailbox back and have it work again. We only have a single domain, single exchange organization. BES 5.0.2 is working fine with Exchange 2003 and now we have setup a new Exchange 2010 server and just want to move people over. Extended blackberry downtime or having to reactivate devices is not acceptable.

Can anyone provide some input about their experiences? Thanks for any help.

maybe you should make a new post with a poll asking about it instead of hijacking this one.

I'm asking a follow-up question based on the exact advice that you provided to the OP...a week after the last post in the thread no less. In fact, we are essentially seeking the same information about people's experiences with migrating across mail servers. How can that possibly be hijacking? Its practically a thread bump. Jeez...tough crowd. Thanks for your help though.

well bump away then

We actually created a new service account for the new server, but we're having some issues sending from a blackberry on exch2010 to 2003 mailboxes, even though I can send from that same account in OWA to a 2003 account with no problems. Not sure why the BlackBerry emails from 2010 to 2003 are getting bounce backs from the 2003 server, but mail flows in all other directions fine.

Follow the migration steps accordingly. Make sure that mailflow is working between your 2010 and 2003 servers. Don't move any of your BES users right off the hop. Instead move a low impact Exchange user (non BES user), or create an account for testing Exchange 2010-2003 mail flow.

Once mail is flowing correctly between versions, route incoming mail into the 2010 HT server first rather than the 2003 box. Test.

If you feel comfortable with your configuration follow the document as suggested EXACTLY. KB22601-How to migrate the BlackBerry Enterprise Server 5.0 from Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 or 2007 to Microsoft Exchange Server 2010

I went from Exchange 2007 to 2010, no downtime. But I followed the document exactly. And yes the BesAdmin account must be done first.

Side note, if your going to update Exchange 2010 to SP1 /SP1 RU1 prior to doing the migrations, task 6 of the document is no longer correct. "Increase the maximum number of connections to the Address Book service."
Follow the directions here to complete this step. Exchange 2010 SP1 and Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) | Elan Shudnow's Blog

Remember, take it one step at a time and TEST TEST TEST

We've followed the steps. Mailflow is working between 2003 and 2010...except you can't send from a 2010 blackberry to 2003. I can send from that same account through OWA from 2010 to 2003 with no problems.

You stated that you created a new BesAdmin account. Did you set the permissions for that account on the exchange boxes
KB02276-Assign permissions for a BlackBerry Enterprise Server service account

Yes. I went through that process on friday but am still having the problem referenced above.

On both the 2010 and 2003 server? Seems like a permission issue to me. Or, check this link out as well
Exchange 2010, Exchange 2003 Mail Flow issue

I'll look at that.

So after tracking these messages that our 2003 server is bouncing back if sent from the a blackberry on exch2010 in ESM...I get this....


http://uploader.ws/upload/201011/tracking.jpg
*red box is just removing my email address

It says it is delivering the message locally (i never get it) and then immediately it generates the NDR which I get on the blackberry.

What the heck? I even went as far as to add the ip of the new bes and exchange 2010 servers to the 2003 server's smtp relay restrictions thinking that would help...still nothing. I have no idea wtf is going on at this point.

Ok, well now where did I see mail from a Excahgne 2010 Blackberry to a 2003 was getting an NDR in this post. The NDR should tell you everything. What is it.

think I am getting somewhere now.

I just ran IEMStest.exe on the BES 5.0.2 server. I ran it for our test user on Exchange 2010 and it completed successfully except "EWS Calendar find request" failed.

I then ran it again for a user (me) that is still on 2003 that I cannot send to from the 2010 test account and it comes back with everything successful except "configuring user...failed." (initially it set no send as permission, so i ran the setsendaspermission tool for that account on the 4.1.7 BES and re-ran and just the configuring user failed.)

Thoughts? This makes me think it's more of a permissions issue on the BESAdmin account than an exchange disconnect. Then again, maybe i'm grasping at straws.

click the blue link in my signature and get a free support call, unless you used it already

Diagnostic information for administrators:
Generating server: 2003Exch.domain.com

#< #5.2.1> #SMTP#

Original message headers:
Received: from CAS1.domain.com ([CAS1 IP Address]) by 2003Exch.domain.com with
Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.4675); Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:14:00 -0400
Received: from MX1.domain.com ([ipv6address here]) by CAS1.domain.com ([::1]) with mapi id 14.01.0255.000; Tue, 2 Nov 2010
11:14:00 -0400
Content-Type: application/ms-tnef; name="winmail.dat"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary
From: "Test, Acct" <testacct@domain.com> (exch2010 acct setup on BB)
To: (still on Exch2003)
Subject: Test
Thread-Topic: Test
Thread-Index: Act6oIYFCauu1/6nRO+Uy3oSgYt9QQ==
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:13:59 -0400
Message-ID: <790F78466EDA2345A5F81140194F2B5F8FC5@MX1.domain.c om>
Accept-Language: en-US
Content-Language: en-US
X-MS-Has-Attach: yes
X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: <790F78466EDA2345A5F81140194F2B5F8FC5@MX1.domain.c om>
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Originating-IP: [BES5.0.2 IP address]
Return-Path:
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 02 Nov 2010 15:14:00.0936 (UTC) FILETIME=[942A7E80:01CB7AA0

we have an open case with t-support. Originally they sent me a link to run the handheldcleanup tool....which didn't work. I'm about to call them back with more info.

This really makes absolutely no sense. RIM is saying it's a microsoft issue, but it isn't, because I can send between 2010 and 2003 with no problems in all directions when logged in to 2010 OWA. The only place the problem is and the bounce back is generated is when sending from a BlackBerry device associated to a 2010 mail account to 2003. I'm at wit's end and RIM hasn't been much help.

Update on our blackberry issue with not being able to send from Exch2010 to 2003...

Apparently it was only one information store having the problem. Everything works fine except for one mailbox store. We moved my account today to a new store and mail flow is 100% functional. Moving all of the mailboxes in this store isn't really an option, but more of a last resort. Aside going back through the permissions (that look to be correct as it is), any other ideas? Other stores in the same storage group are completely fine and recieve/send mail from 2010 blackberry devices with no problems.

Doesn't really make sense, but at least we now know its an issue specific to a single mailbox store.