1 BESforExch server; Users on Exch2000 & Exch2003 servers

[cormac_hogan]

Hi All,

We have BES for Exchange on a standalone server with user mailboxes on an Exchange2000 server. We will also have an Exchange 2003 server with a phased transition of mailboxes from 2000 to 2003.

Any advice, ideas, tips or past experiences with concurrently having BES users with mailboxes on Exchange2000 and BES users with mailboxes on Exchange2003.

Regards and thanks in advance,

Cormac

[GaryCutri]

Hi,

All you need to keep in mind is that the cdo.dll files between Exchange 2000 and 2003 are different so you will have calendar two-way sync issues temporarily. Prior to moving any users to Exchange 2003 ensure you set the required BESadmin Delegate Control and server level permissions on your 2003 server. Once all your users have been moved to 2003 just stop the BlackBerry service and perform the following tasks:

1. Logon as an Administrator and uninstall the old version of Exchange System Manager (I assume you have the Exchange 2000 version installed?)
2. Install the latest Exchange Service Packs over System Manager (e.g. SP2 and Exchange DST patches etc)
3. Restart the BES
4. Logon as your BlackBerry service account (e.g. BESadmin) and go to "START > Programs > BlackBerry Enterprise Server > Edit MAPI Profile" and ensure it can still resolve your BlackBerry MAPI client.
5. Go to "START > Programs > BlackBerry Enterprise Server > BlackBerry Server Configuration > BlackBerry Server Tab > Edit MAPI Profile” and ensure it can still resolve your BlackBerry MAPI client.

Thanks,

Gary

[cormac_hogan]

Thanks for the quick reply

[cormac_hogan]

So would it be fair to say, if I don't want user to experience calendar sync issues and if the exchange 2000 & 2003 users will coexist for a period of time (possibly 4-6 weeks), that I will have to have a separate 'BES for Exch' for my Exch2003 mailboxes as their are transitioned from Exch2000?

Regards and thanks,

Cormac

[GaryCutri]

Originally Posted by cormac_hogan

So would it be fair to say, if I don't want user to experience calendar sync issues and if the exchange 2000 & 2003 users will coexist for a period of time (possibly 4-6 weeks), that I will have to have a separate 'BES for Exch' for my Exch2003 mailboxes as their are transitioned from Exch2000?

Regards and thanks,

Cormac

If you need to run two BES servers side by side let me know and I can assist in arranging a temporary SRP ID so you can run a second server. If you run a second server you will have to remove users from the old BES and wipe the device before activating them on the new server.

[cormac_hogan]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for the offer of assistance. Taking all things into account, it's going to be a lot easier migrating all the BlackBerry users over on weekend, in place on one server. Than a phased migration with the need to wipe and reinitialise BlackBerry devices.

So one server, one mass migration is the way forward for me

Regards,

Cormac