Both MS Exchange and Lotus Notes are messaging platforms used across several organizations. The choice of a particular messaging platform depends upon the requirement of the organization. However, an organization using Lotus Notes can migrate to MS Exchange.
Though, the process of migration is not as simple as it looks, but, there are various tools and wizards that can be used to carry out the migration process.
An organization running on MS Exchange Server 5.5, Exchange 2000 Server, and Exchange Server 2003 can make use of the Exchange migration wizard (MAILMIG.EXE) to migrate user mailboxes from one organization using Exchange to another organization using Exchange-based computers.
The migration wizard is a free utility from Microsoft and is integrated into the Microsoft Exchange Transporter Suite. It allows you to migrate data from foreign mail clients like Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise 4.x, Novell GroupWise 5.x,
Internet Mail (IMAP4), and more. In case of an Intra-organizational migration from Exchange Server 5.5 or Exchange 2000 to Exchange 2003, you can make use of the Move Mailbox wizard.
With the advancement in the version of Exchange server, there are more upgrades, which are supported for the Migration wizard tool. For example, you can easily migrate from Exchange 5.5 and 2000 to Exchange 2003 with the Migration Wizard.
You can perform either an Intra-organizational migration or an Inter-organizational migration. In case of an Intra-organizational migration, user mailboxes are migrated from one Exchange server to another Exchange server in the same organization. In case of an Inter-organizational migration, user mailboxes are migrated from one Exchange server to another Exchange server among different organization.
You can launch the Migration Wizard by following the below mentioned steps.
1. Click Start
2. Follow the path ‘Microsoft Exchange->Deployment->Migration Wizard
The Migration wizard option proves to be very useful in case of migrating huge data from an older system to a newer one. In organizations, where data frequently move from one platform to another, this wizard provides an efficient way to migrate. It avoids the need for manually carrying out any migration, which proves out to be very risky at most of the times. Some of the key benefits of using Migration wizard include the following.
1. While converting files from Lotus Notes to a PST format for Outlook, the Migration wizard embeds the document links as well. With the help of the Migration wizard, such links can be used as RTF or OLE attachments and URL shortcuts in Outlook.
2. You can use the Migration wizard to migrate the group scheduling and other functions like Calendar and To-do list from Lotus Notes to Outlook.
3. Email comprise of most part of the user data. There are many emails, which are embedded with attachments. The Exchange Migration wizard allows a seamless conversion of any kind of email.
Steps to Migrate form Lotus Notes to MS Exchange
You can initiate the process of migration using the Migration wizard by following the below mentioned steps.
1. Open the Migration wizard tool. This can be done by following the Microsoft Exchange->Deployment->Migration Wizard path.
2. In the Exchange Server Migration wizard choose ‘Migrate from Lotus Notes’.
3. Click Next.
4. Use the Exchange Merge Mailbox Utility (Exmerge) to export the Exchange database to PST file.
Note: You can either migrate through a single step or using multiple steps.
5. In case you choose a single step procedure, you need to choose the Extract and Import (One Step Procedure) option from the Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Merge Wizard dialog box. This option directly merge the mailbox data with a the PST file and export it to a different server
6. In case of a two-step procedure, you need to select the Extract or Import (Two Step Procedure) option from the Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Merge Wizard dialog box. This procedure first extracts the Exchange Mailbox data. Once done, it either merges it with the PST or with another Exchange version.
In this way you can migrate from Lotus Notes to MS Exchange. However, such migration from an inbuilt tool is not always successful and has some limitations associated with them as well.
1. You can only run the Migration wizard tool using MS Exchange Server 2000 or 2003.
2. Only the admin has the right to run the Exchange migration wizard.
3. In case you are migrating from Lotus Notes, the Migration wizard would not support the mailbox size of more than 1 GB.
4. The Migration wizard tool would also not support more than 1500 emails in a single Notes mailbox.
5. There are various challenges faced during migration, which the Migration wizard fails to handle. Some of them include handling of encrypted messages or custom applications.
Note: Because of the incapability of the tool to handle encrypted messages, the encrypted messages get lost. Whereas, the custom applications are not migrated successfully every time.
6. Microsoft has set a limitation for the Migration Wizard tool for number of messages. With the mailbox having a capacity of 1 GB, the tool supports around 16000 messages to be migrated from Lotus Notes to Outlook. According to Microsoft, from any given folder, the API can get 16,128 email items with a mailbox size of 1 GB.
Amanda
About the Author:
Amanda is a passionate blogger. She loves to write various technology related articles that can help the readers in their day to day life. Her main focus is to research about various Email recovery and conversion methods such as Exchange recovery, Notes to Exchange migration, Lotus Notes recovery and NSF to PST conversion etc.
Though, the process of migration is not as simple as it looks, but, there are various tools and wizards that can be used to carry out the migration process.
An organization running on MS Exchange Server 5.5, Exchange 2000 Server, and Exchange Server 2003 can make use of the Exchange migration wizard (MAILMIG.EXE) to migrate user mailboxes from one organization using Exchange to another organization using Exchange-based computers.
The migration wizard is a free utility from Microsoft and is integrated into the Microsoft Exchange Transporter Suite. It allows you to migrate data from foreign mail clients like Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise 4.x, Novell GroupWise 5.x,
Internet Mail (IMAP4), and more. In case of an Intra-organizational migration from Exchange Server 5.5 or Exchange 2000 to Exchange 2003, you can make use of the Move Mailbox wizard.
With the advancement in the version of Exchange server, there are more upgrades, which are supported for the Migration wizard tool. For example, you can easily migrate from Exchange 5.5 and 2000 to Exchange 2003 with the Migration Wizard.
When to Use Migration Wizard Option
You can perform either an Intra-organizational migration or an Inter-organizational migration. In case of an Intra-organizational migration, user mailboxes are migrated from one Exchange server to another Exchange server in the same organization. In case of an Inter-organizational migration, user mailboxes are migrated from one Exchange server to another Exchange server among different organization.
You can launch the Migration Wizard by following the below mentioned steps.
1. Click Start
2. Follow the path ‘Microsoft Exchange->Deployment->Migration Wizard
Benefits of Migration Wizard
The Migration wizard option proves to be very useful in case of migrating huge data from an older system to a newer one. In organizations, where data frequently move from one platform to another, this wizard provides an efficient way to migrate. It avoids the need for manually carrying out any migration, which proves out to be very risky at most of the times. Some of the key benefits of using Migration wizard include the following.
1. While converting files from Lotus Notes to a PST format for Outlook, the Migration wizard embeds the document links as well. With the help of the Migration wizard, such links can be used as RTF or OLE attachments and URL shortcuts in Outlook.
2. You can use the Migration wizard to migrate the group scheduling and other functions like Calendar and To-do list from Lotus Notes to Outlook.
3. Email comprise of most part of the user data. There are many emails, which are embedded with attachments. The Exchange Migration wizard allows a seamless conversion of any kind of email.
Steps to Migrate form Lotus Notes to MS Exchange
You can initiate the process of migration using the Migration wizard by following the below mentioned steps.
1. Open the Migration wizard tool. This can be done by following the Microsoft Exchange->Deployment->Migration Wizard path.
2. In the Exchange Server Migration wizard choose ‘Migrate from Lotus Notes’.
3. Click Next.
4. Use the Exchange Merge Mailbox Utility (Exmerge) to export the Exchange database to PST file.
Note: You can either migrate through a single step or using multiple steps.
5. In case you choose a single step procedure, you need to choose the Extract and Import (One Step Procedure) option from the Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Merge Wizard dialog box. This option directly merge the mailbox data with a the PST file and export it to a different server
6. In case of a two-step procedure, you need to select the Extract or Import (Two Step Procedure) option from the Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Merge Wizard dialog box. This procedure first extracts the Exchange Mailbox data. Once done, it either merges it with the PST or with another Exchange version.
In this way you can migrate from Lotus Notes to MS Exchange. However, such migration from an inbuilt tool is not always successful and has some limitations associated with them as well.
Limitations of Migration Wizard Tool
1. You can only run the Migration wizard tool using MS Exchange Server 2000 or 2003.
2. Only the admin has the right to run the Exchange migration wizard.
3. In case you are migrating from Lotus Notes, the Migration wizard would not support the mailbox size of more than 1 GB.
4. The Migration wizard tool would also not support more than 1500 emails in a single Notes mailbox.
5. There are various challenges faced during migration, which the Migration wizard fails to handle. Some of them include handling of encrypted messages or custom applications.
Note: Because of the incapability of the tool to handle encrypted messages, the encrypted messages get lost. Whereas, the custom applications are not migrated successfully every time.
6. Microsoft has set a limitation for the Migration Wizard tool for number of messages. With the mailbox having a capacity of 1 GB, the tool supports around 16000 messages to be migrated from Lotus Notes to Outlook. According to Microsoft, from any given folder, the API can get 16,128 email items with a mailbox size of 1 GB.
AmandaAbout the Author:
Amanda is a passionate blogger. She loves to write various technology related articles that can help the readers in their day to day life. Her main focus is to research about various Email recovery and conversion methods such as Exchange recovery, Notes to Exchange migration, Lotus Notes recovery and NSF to PST conversion etc.
