What happens to BES during Exchange 2003 to 2007 coexistence upgrade

[aburn]

Hello,

I am currently running Exchange 2003 Enterprise SP2 on one server and running BES 4.1.6.26 on another server. The BES server has Microsoft Exchange 2003 System Tools with Service Pack 2" installed on it. I am installing exchange 2007 w/ SP1 on a new server and will be running the two exchange servers in coexistence mode for a few weeks while I migrate all of the mailboxes over and test exchange 2007.

Do you know if the BES server will still communicate with mailboxes stored on the exchange 2003 and 2007 server via the automatic connectors that are created when the coexistence installation is performed?

If not, this is what I was planning on doing:
1. Install exchange 2007 in coexistence mode (w/ public folders & offline address book enabled)
2. Migrate the besadmin mailbox to the exchange 2007 server
3. Apply the permissions via the cmdlet:
* get-mailboxserver SERVER| add-exchangeadministrator besadmin -role ViewOnlyAdmin
* get-mailboxserver SERVER| add-adpermission -user besadmin -accessrights GenericRead, GenericWrite -extendedrights Send-As, Receive-As, ms-Exch-Store-Admin
* Apply the send as permission
4. Migrate the rest of the mailboxes over
5. Change the exchange 2007 receive connector and create an exchange 2007 send connector
6. Uninstall exchange 2003.

If I do this, after Step 3, will BES still be able to communicate with the mailboxes that reside on the exchange 2003 server?

Has anyone already performed an exchange 2003 to 2007 coexistance upgrade that can offer any advice?

I noticed in one post, it was mentioned:
1. Stop all BlackBerry Enterprise Server services.
2. Move the BlackBerry Enterprise Server service account. The default name for this account is BESAdmin.
3. After migrating the Microsoft Exchange Server, verify the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 permissions for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
4. Set the required permissions for the BlackBerry Enterprise Server in Microsoft Exchange 2007.
5. Restart the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Important: Restarting the BlackBerry Enterprise Server will delay email message delivery to BlackBerry smartphones.

Thanks in advance.

[GaryCutri]

Hi,

I have performed many 03 to 07 migrations and I can confirm that it is a very simple process. So all you need to do is:

1. Add BESadmin as a View-Only Admin and set the Send As, Receive As and Store Admin permissions on Exchange 2007

2. Start Migrating user to Exchange 2007

3. Once the user Migration has been completed stop all the BlackBerry Services and move the BES admin account to Exchange 2007

4. Uninstall Exchange System Manager 2003 from the BES (must be done using an account that has full Exchange permissions).

5. Install “Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects 1.2.1” onto the BES and reboot the server

6. After the server restart logon using BESadmin and go to "Start > Programs > BlackBerry Enterprise Server > Edit MAPI Profile" and ensure you can resolve the BESadmin account on the 07 server.

7. Now go too "Start > Programs > BlackBerry Enterprise Server > BlackBerry Server Configuration > BlackBerry Server Tab > Edit MAPI Profile" and ensure you can resolve the BESadmin account on the 07 server.


Thanks,

Gary

[aburn]

Thanks Gary.

I am going to migrate users from exchange 2003 to exchange 2007 over a period of a week, during this period I need to keep the BES working with the users accounts. Will BES still be able to communicate with the mailboxes during this time (ie: if half are on the exchange 2003 server and half are on the exchange 2007 server?

[GaryCutri]

Originally Posted by aburn

Thanks Gary.

I am going to migrate users from exchange 2003 to exchange 2007 over a period of a week, during this period I need to keep the BES working with the users accounts. Will BES still be able to communicate with the mailboxes during this time (ie: if half are on the exchange 2003 server and half are on the exchange 2007 server?

As long as your Exchange Servers are in the same Exchange domain the BES can see both server and it will be fine. For the 1 week that you are migrating the Exchange 2007 users will have issues syncing calendar appointments from the device back to Outlook. Once you remove System manager and install the "Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects 1.2.1" this will correct this issue (This updates BES to run the required cdo.dll for Exchange 2007).

[Fixxxer]

Gary i was following your below instructions, i got to step 4 and ran into problems, i cant uninstall exchange system manager from the BES.

I also get a typical microsoft, "cant uninstall due to unknown error".

Have you come across this issue in the past?

[GaryCutri]

Originally Posted by Fixxxer

Gary i was following your below instructions, i got to step 4 and ran into problems, i cant uninstall exchange system manager from the BES.

I also get a typical microsoft, "cant uninstall due to unknown error".

Have you come across this issue in the past?

Your only option when System Manager becomes corrupt is to try and repair/reinstall it and then try uninstalling it again. As you are aware you MUST use an account that is a Full Exchange Administrator to uninstall the software.

[Fixxxer]

Thanks Gary your were right a full reinstall of the 2003 system tools allowed me to then uninstall it, and continue the below steps, i have now finished my 2003 to 2007 migration.

[smcdermott]

Originally Posted by GaryCutri

As long as your Exchange Servers are in the same Exchange domain the BES can see both server and it will be fine. For the 1 week that you are migrating the Exchange 2007 users will have issues syncing calendar appointments from the device back to Outlook. Once you remove System manager and install the "Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects 1.2.1" this will correct this issue (This updates BES to run the required cdo.dll for Exchange 2007).

Hi Gary,

If you install the new CDO objects first, I assume that it can communicate with the old Exch2003 servers and thus eliminate the PIM synch issue?

Simon

[GaryCutri]

Originally Posted by smcdermott

Hi Gary,

If you install the new CDO objects first, I assume that it can communicate with the old Exch2003 servers and thus eliminate the PIM synch issue?

Simon

If you install the new CDO first it will have the opposite issue and not syncing with Exchange 2003 (Only calendar object from the device back to Exchange).

[portiz60]

Hi Gary, i have a question about the step 1, I added the blackberry admin the view only admin permission, but I tried to set the send as and receive as permissions using the code "get-mailboxserver MYEXCH2K7Server | add-adpermission -user besadmin -accessrights GenericRead, GenericWrite -extendedrights Send-As, Receive-As, ms-Exch-Store-Admin" and I receive the following answer:

WARNING: The apropiate ACE is already present in the object
"CN=MYEXCH2K7SERVER,CN=Servers,CN=Exchange Administrative Group
(FYDIBOHF23SPDLT),CN=Administrative Groups,CN=Seglo,CN=Microsoft
Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=seglo,DC= com,DC=mx" from the account
"Mydomain\besadmin".

Identity User Deny Inherited Rights
-------- ---- ---- --------- ------
MYEXCH2K7SERVER MyDomain\besadmin False False Send-As
MYEXCH2K7SERVER MyDomain\besadmin False False Receive-As
MYEXCH2K7SERVER MyDomain\besadmin False False ms-Exch-Store-Admin
MYEXCH2K7SERVER MyDomain\besadmin False False ReadProperty
MYEXCH2K7SERVER MyDomain\besadmin False False ListObject, Generi...
MYEXCH2K7SERVER MyDomain\besadmin False False Self, WriteProperty
MYEXCH2K7SERVER MyDomain\besadmin False False ReadControl

I don't know if this is correct or if I need to do something additional