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Upgrade from Exchange Server 2007 to 2010 Version

Upgrading to Exchange Server 2010 is like installing Exchange Server 2010 from scratch in the first place. New hardware is purchased, software requirements are met, and Exchange Server roles are installed. Then, work begins on the transition from 2007 to 2010.

A typical 2007 to 2010 upgrade process includes the following steps:

  1. If SP2 has not been installed on Exchange Server 2007 yet, it will be installed first.
  2. Exchange Server 2010 roles are installed on new hardware. In this setup, the order of Client Access, Central Transport, Unified Communications, Mailbox is followed.
  3. Exchange services and connection types domain (such as https://posta.companyname.com) are defined on the new Client Access server. For old client servers, a legacy address is determined and used (for example kalit.firmaadi.com).
  4. Roles are adjusted so that Internet domains are directed to the new Client Access server and SMTP traffic to the new Central Transport server.
  5. All email accounts from 2007 are migrated to the Mailbox server in 2010.
  6. Old servers are removed from the environment.

In the first step, SP2 must be installed on the roles in the following order:

  • Client Access role
  • Unified Messaging role
  • Central Transport role
  • End Transport role
  • Mailbox role

SP2 installation to the Mailbox servers in the cluster structure cannot be done from the interface, it must be done via the command line. Installation is applied first to servers in passive role. Later, the servers in the passive position are turned into the active servers of the cluster. Then SP2 is installed on other servers.

If Forefront Security for Exchange Server is running on the server, all services must be turned off before installing SP2.

In the second step, Exchange Server 2010 will be installed. For this, it is necessary to complete the Planning phase as if you were installing from scratch. All software and hardware requirements must be met. Then the installation steps can be followed.

Incoming calls will continue to be forwarded to email accounts on 2007 when the Unified Communications role is set up in the second step. However, in order to use all the features of Unified Communications, email accounts must be migrated to 2010 Mailbox servers.

With the change in the third step, Exchange Server 2007 and 2010 environments are provided to work together. After this step, both the legacy address and the original address will work together. At the same time, the autodiscover address will continue to work on new servers. As a result;

  • Mail.companyname.com: Defined on new server (InternalURL, ExternalURL)
  • Autodiscover.companyname.com: Redirected to new server.
  • Kalit.firmaname.com: Redirected to the old server.

If ISA/TMG is used, changes must be made to the AutoDiscover, OWA, and OutlookAnywhere publishing rules.

In this step, it is necessary to obtain a new certificate covering all three addresses.

With the fourth step, the traffic is now taken from the 2007 environment. Both client connections and SMTP traffic will be through the new servers. Offline Address Book can now also be distributed over new servers. After this step, the only dependency on the 2007 environment is email accounts.

When client connections (HTTP/HTTPS) are made over new servers, proxying will be activated. Because the users’ accounts are still on the 2007 Mailbox server. The 2010 Client Access server fulfills the requests. Redirects to the 2007 Client Access server. It also provides a login to the 2007 Mailbox server.

In the fifth step, the process is completed by moving the e-mail accounts to Exchange Server 2010 Mailbox servers. User migration from Exchange Server 2007 to 2010 is done online. Users are almost unaffected. Only a message box is displayed and told to close and open Outlook. Migration can be initiated from EMC or EMS.

After the e-mail accounts are migrated, the 2007 environment can be kept open for a short time. The 2007 roles should be removed from the system after the situation has been observed for a while.

In the sixth step, the 2007 servers are removed one by one from the environment. This is done via “Add/Remove Programs”. Before uninstalling, it should be ensured that there are no connections left on the server using the “Performance Monitor”.

Ned Sahin

Blogger for 20 years. Former Microsoft Engineer. Author of six books. I love creating helpful content and sharing with the world. Reach me out for any questions or feedback.

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