[gjigelco]

I have searched quite a bit for an answer to this, but I can't seem to find anyone in the exact same situation as I am, and therefore I haven't been able to get a definitive answer.

Currently, we are running BES 4.1.6 against a single Exchange 2003 SP2 server in our domain. Management wants to eventually get rid of Blackberries and give users the option to use either an Android phone or an iPhone via ActiveSync, although there is no established time table on this. Lately, I have been looking into upgrading to Exchange 2010 for a variety of reasons, including its additional features when using ActiveSync. I am well aware that I would have to move to BES 5.0 in order for the BES server to work with Exchange 2010, however I have a few questions.

The first option I am considering is setting up both Exchange servers in coexistence, and when I move a users mailbox from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010, deleting them from BES and issuing them an Android or iPhone instead.

1. If I pursue this (above) option, will BES break for all users the second I introduce Exchange 2010 into the environment and make it the SMTP server, or will all continue to work as long as the Blackberry users mailbox is on the Exchange 2003 server?

The second option I am considering is upgrading our BES to v5.0 first, then introducing Exchange 2010 and moving users over, maintaining their Blackberries for the time being and eventually moving them to different phones.

2. If I pursue this (above) option, how do I go about upgrading my BES 4.1 license to 5.0? Do I have to purchase it as a product, or purchase support?
3. If I do upgrade to BES 5.0, will I have to pay to upgrade my CALs also, or are the CALs version agnostic?
4. If I did this, would I move the BESAdmin user first and immediately update my MAPI/CDO package before moving any more mailboxes from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010?
5. Would there be anything that wouldn't work for my Blackberry users during the time that both Exchange 2003 and Exchange 2010 were in coexistence, regardless of which server their mailbox was on?

Sorry for so many questions, but I want to fully understand my options before deciding how to go forward. Thanks for any help that anyone can provide.

[knottyrope]

Originally Posted by gjigelco

I have searched quite a bit for an answer to this, but I can't seem to find anyone in the exact same situation as I am, and therefore I haven't been able to get a definitive answer.

Currently, we are running BES 4.1.6 against a single Exchange 2003 SP2 server in our domain. Management wants to eventually get rid of Blackberries and give users the option to use either an Android phone or an iPhone via ActiveSync, although there is no established time table on this. Lately, I have been looking into upgrading to Exchange 2010 for a variety of reasons, including its additional features when using ActiveSync. I am well aware that I would have to move to BES 5.0 in order for the BES server to work with Exchange 2010, however I have a few questions.

The first option I am considering is setting up both Exchange servers in coexistence, and when I move a users mailbox from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010, deleting them from BES and issuing them an Android or iPhone instead.

1. If I pursue this (above) option, will BES break for all users the second I introduce Exchange 2010 into the environment and make it the SMTP server, or will all continue to work as long as the Blackberry users mailbox is on the Exchange 2003 server? If on 2003 you will be ok for those users on 2003

The second option I am considering is upgrading our BES to v5.0 first, then introducing Exchange 2010 and moving users over, maintaining their Blackberries for the time being and eventually moving them to different phones.

2. If I pursue this (above) option, how do I go about upgrading my BES 4.1 license to 5.0? Do I have to purchase it as a product, or purchase support?
you can purchase it or get T support to get it

3. If I do upgrade to BES 5.0, will I have to pay to upgrade my CALs also, or are the CALs version agnostic? Agnostic unless you have some free ones of SBS ones installed.
4. If I did this, would I move the BESAdmin user first and immediately update my MAPI/CDO package before moving any more mailboxes from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010? Yes
5. Would there be anything that wouldn't work for my Blackberry users during the time that both Exchange 2003 and Exchange 2010 were in coexistence, regardless of which server their mailbox was on? it can work but there might be issues that can be worked out after install

Sorry for so many questions, but I want to fully understand my options before deciding how to go forward. Thanks for any help that anyone can provide.

ok.

[gjigelco]

So even once the Hub Transport role and the SMTP connector are installed on Exchange 2010 and all incoming and outgoing mail is actually flowing through 2010, the Blackberries will still be OK to do everything they could before (syncing calendar, contacts, email, tasks, notes) as long as the user's mailbox is on Exchange 2003 still even though the BES will still be at version 4.1.6?

[knottyrope]

Exchange 2010 will send info to the 2003 server if the mail box resides there based on AD.

So really you are not changing the 2003 exchange server from doing what is normal

[gjigelco]

Originally Posted by knottyrope

Exchange 2010 will send info to the 2003 server if the mail box resides there based on AD.

So really you are not changing the 2003 exchange server from doing what is normal

Is this because BES uses a MAPI call for outgoing messages and then lets Exchange handle how to route it? Just trying to fully understand how the magic happens.

[knottyrope]

pretty much BES works like outlook and AD tells where to go for the info

it is not just an exchange thing.

[gjigelco]

Thanks for the help guys, I was able to get a new BESX server running 5.0.3 going last night and I am in the process of moving users over using Blackberry Enterprise Transporter. I plan to eventually shutdown the old BES server, and then go forward with Exchange 2010 migration since my BES will be 2010 compatible.

[smoothadmin]

Originally Posted by gjigelco

I have searched quite a bit for an answer to this, but I can't seem to find anyone in the exact same situation as I am, and therefore I haven't been able to get a definitive answer.

Currently, we are running BES 4.1.6 against a single Exchange 2003 SP2 server in our domain. Management wants to eventually get rid of Blackberries and give users the option to use either an Android phone or an iPhone via ActiveSync, although there is no established time table on this. Lately, I have been looking into upgrading to Exchange 2010 for a variety of reasons, including its additional features when using ActiveSync. I am well aware that I would have to move to BES 5.0 in order for the BES server to work with Exchange 2010, however I have a few questions.

The first option I am considering is setting up both Exchange servers in coexistence, and when I move a users mailbox from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010, deleting them from BES and issuing them an Android or iPhone instead.

1. If I pursue this (above) option, will BES break for all users the second I introduce Exchange 2010 into the environment and make it the SMTP server, or will all continue to work as long as the Blackberry users mailbox is on the Exchange 2003 server?

The second option I am considering is upgrading our BES to v5.0 first, then introducing Exchange 2010 and moving users over, maintaining their Blackberries for the time being and eventually moving them to different phones.

2. If I pursue this (above) option, how do I go about upgrading my BES 4.1 license to 5.0? Do I have to purchase it as a product, or purchase support?
3. If I do upgrade to BES 5.0, will I have to pay to upgrade my CALs also, or are the CALs version agnostic?
4. If I did this, would I move the BESAdmin user first and immediately update my MAPI/CDO package before moving any more mailboxes from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010?
5. Would there be anything that wouldn't work for my Blackberry users during the time that both Exchange 2003 and Exchange 2010 were in coexistence, regardless of which server their mailbox was on?

Sorry for so many questions, but I want to fully understand my options before deciding how to go forward. Thanks for any help that anyone can provide.

If you use the default policy profile on your BES server and don't modify the 475 policies then its safe to say you can probably download BES Express 5.0 and install it connecting it to your Exchange 2010, then simply move the users from BES 4.1.x to 5.0

A.

[gjigelco]

Just to report back, I got all 50 of the users moved over, and except for one user whose contacts were erased from the device (a known issue after doing some searches), everything went pretty smooth.

Now that the old BES 4.1.6 has no users on it, can I just shut the server down or is there something special I need to do to decomission it? Note that the two servers are running on two seperate Blackberry domains, so the old server is the only BES server in its BB domain.

Thanks to everyone, especially knottyrope for helping me out during this migration.

On a side note, BES 5.0 is a memory hog compared to BES 4.1. Just saying.

[knottyrope]

your welcome

turn off old BES and wait for a few hours. if all is ok then uninstall BES or flatten the box.