[CanadianCrack]

Hi guys,

Our email administrator is upgrading our exchange environment from 2000 to 2007.
I have searched and found the info I need to upgrade my BES to the new exchange.
Thank you to everyone for the knowlege provided on this forum - wow!
It's invaluable!

I do have a specific question that I would appreciate your comments/recommendations on.

My Scenario:

Installation of Exchange 2007 environment to replace Exchange 2000.
All new hardware.

Current Setup:

Exchange 2000
BES 4.1.4
80 users
MSDE database


Our email administrator upgrading our Exchange is not very knowledgable
and I will be surprised if the Exchange upgrade goes smoothly.
Having said that, I would prefer my BES to stay as is,
have it working in the new 2007 exchange invironment,
and after the dust has settled from the exchange upgrade,
do a knife-edge to new hardware, server 2003 and BES 4.1.5

My Question

Can the BES stay on a Server 2000 box and work with Exchange 2007?
Or, do I need to upgrade to server 2003 now?

Thanks!

[hdawg]

Originally Posted by CanadianCrack

My Question

Can the BES stay on a Server 2000 box and work with Exchange 2007?
Or, do I need to upgrade to server 2003 now?

It can stay at 2000; but it wouldn't be my preferred method.

KB13302 - System requirements for installing the BlackBerry Enterprise Server in a Microsoft Exchange 2007 environment

You'll need to update the CDO/MAPI components on the BES to be the Exchange 2003 SP2 ones ... however that will still leave your CDO / MAPI components below the version on Exchange, but as documented by RIM in that KB article it is an option. The best would be to get it on Windows Server 2003 and install the CDO/MAPI components meant to be used with Exchange 2007 ... otherwise you may see some calendaring issues; I hope otherwise for you sake though.

[CanadianCrack]

Hi hdawg

Overnight I thought about the wisdom of leaving it at 2000......
and decided it wasn't a such a great idea.
This morning I started building a 2003 box and will be installing BES 4.1.5.
Your right....there would probably be calendaring issues with server 2000.

Thanks for you input!

[hdawg]

... glad to hear you reconsidered.

[mitchelrl]

Why wouldn't you just run everything off of exchange 2007? The profiles/permissions should be moved with besadmin from 2000 to 2007 and the only thing you're going to have to change is the mapi address of the exchange server.

Exchange 2007 is solid.

[hdawg]

Originally Posted by mitchelrl

Why wouldn't you just run everything off of exchange 2007? The profiles/permissions should be moved with besadmin from 2000 to 2007 and the only thing you're going to have to change is the mapi address of the exchange server.

Exchange 2007 is solid.

As in move the BES so that it is on the Exchange server? ... therefore doing 2 migrations at once instead of doing them separately?