The best way to start using Exchange??

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jon Telep
  • Start date Start date
J

Jon Telep

Hi,

OK, here's my dilemma. For the past 4 years I've been
managing a Linux mail server running POP to all of my
internal staff. Most of them have been using one version
of Outlook or another as their client so they have
enormous PST files now. My company has decided that it
wants to start using an "outsourced" Exchange solution in
an effort to allow more collaboration in certain areas.
I now need to figure out how they can use their new e-
mail account with the Exchange server while not losing
their current PST file. What I've found is that when I
install the Outlook 2003 client on a workstation that it
wants to upgrade the current version (OK no biggie).
Once that's done, it then asks me about the user and how
they're going to connect, I give it all the information
about the new Exchange server and let it do it's thing.
It creates the account and then, whenever Outlook is
started on that workstation, the profile comes up and
asks the user if they would like to use their "locally"
stored PST file or to login with the Exchange server. We
tell it to login and all is well, so far. Now comes the
problem: So the user has this enormous PST file that
they would like to, somehow, incorporate into the this
new Exchange account, the only problem is that the
Exchange server accounts all have 50MB limits on them.
I've tried Exporting the PST from the POP account and
then Importing into the Exchange account at which point
it then takes overnight for the Exchange server to figure
out that the PST trying to be Imported is too big, then
it complains and there starts a whole other problem...

My question is: What's the best way for the user to have
access to all of the mail they've been using as well as
the Exchange mail without having duplicate calendars,
folders, etc. Is there an easier way to bring the old
mail in the PST file into the new account "view" without
confusing the heck out of the end user?

Please help!!
 
First thing - how will they be connecting? Make sure the provider *requires*
a secure connection (i.e., doesn't allow Outlook to connect to the Exchange
server without VPN or RPC over HTTPS or somesuch). Before Blaster came
around, most of the hosted Exchange companies I talked to said that security
was "optional" and they wouldn't be blocking RPC ports into their network
from the Internet - which is Not OK. Your data is sitting on a shared
server, and if that server/network is compromised, it's not going to be
pretty.

So - if they're connecting directly to the mailbox, they can import the
contents (all or partial) of their PST files into their mailboxes using file
| import/export - you can filter based on date, size, etc. If this isn't
working well, they can open the local PST file in the mail profile and copy
in whatever they like. This is likely going to be slow, too.

Re the mailbox quotas - 50MB is pretty small. I'd look into increasing the
quota, or have users upload only a small subset of their data into their
mailboxes. You won't be able to share anything that isn't in the mailbox or
a public folder.

Re PST files - they can still use them for their old stuff and for archive,
locally, but they have limitations (as you know). See
http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq_appxf.htm.

How big is this company/network? Outsourcing Exchange might not be the best
thing for them if it's more than a handful of users. Have you looked into
putting Exchange on your network? A painful one-time cost for
software/hardware, but once you get it up and running, it isn't too
difficult to maintain if you know what you're doing :-)
 
They connect via the Internet to the Exchange server but,
from what I understand, the company is very large, well
funded and pretty secure, so that shouldn't be an issue.
When the export was done, it was basically from the top
level "Mailbox" and all the sub-folders (i.e. Calendar,
Contacts, Inbox, Deleted Items, Drafts, etc). When the
import is then performed, they want to bring everything
that was exported back over so that it will "look" just
like it did when they were still using Outlook from the POP
server. I understand the fact that you now have the
"Mailbox" which is basically the view from what's currently
on the server, so how can they import all of the old mail
into some other "folder" that resides locally and maintain
the view (or at least something like it)? What I've done
for a couple (still trying to figure the best way to do
this) is run the import, let the Exchange server complain
about the mailbox being closed because the limit got
exceeded during the import and then click "File" -->
"Archive", choose "Archive this folder and all
subfolders:", choose the currently overloaded and closed
Exchange Inbox, "Archive items older than:" today's date,
"Include items with 'Do not AutoArchive' checked", leave
the default location for the "Archive File" and then click
"OK".

This then creates a new local folder called "Archive
Folders" and allows access to everything they had prior to
using the Exchange server for e-mail. I'm then planning on
creating rules that will move everything into the Archive
folders instead of the Mailbox (because of the size
limitation) as mail is sent and received. So basically
save all "Sent Items" in the "Archive Folders" instead of
the Mailbox Sent Items folder, the same for all the other
folders. That way the only thing that's on the server is
there only long enough for it to be brought down to the
client (unless the user explicitly says "keep this on the
server", for viewing at home or something) that way I don't
have to worry about the size limitation unless the users
start getting gigantic attachments or something.

I don't know, does this sound like a good plan or would you
recommend something else?

Like I said, I tried simply opening their old PST while
logged into the Exchange server but then it started
creating duplicate items and got very confusing very
quickly (not something end-users like) so I thought this
would be a better approach.

Tell me what you think.

Thanks,

Jon
 
Inline -

Jon said:
They connect via the Internet to the Exchange server but,
from what I understand, the company is very large, well
funded and pretty secure, so that shouldn't be an issue.
Click to expand...

I'd check into this to be absolutely sure if it were me. As I said, I looked
into this pretty heavily a while ago (pre-Blaster) and was astonished that
most of the hosting companies were just leaving big holes poked in their
firewalls to let anyone connect.
When the export was done, it was basically from the top
level "Mailbox" and all the sub-folders (i.e. Calendar,
Contacts, Inbox, Deleted Items, Drafts, etc). When the
import is then performed, they want to bring everything
that was exported back over so that it will "look" just
like it did when they were still using Outlook from the POP
server.
Click to expand...

If they have their mailbox open, they'll see their usual folders and any
custom folders they created, and all the items therein - providing there was
enough room in the mailbox to import everything.

I understand the fact that you now have the
"Mailbox" which is basically the view from what's currently
on the server, so how can they import all of the old mail
into some other "folder" that resides locally and maintain
the view (or at least something like it)?
Click to expand...

That would be a PST file :-)

What I've done
for a couple (still trying to figure the best way to do
this) is run the import, let the Exchange server complain
about the mailbox being closed because the limit got
exceeded during the import and then click "File" -->
"Archive", choose "Archive this folder and all
subfolders:", choose the currently overloaded and closed
Exchange Inbox, "Archive items older than:" today's date,
"Include items with 'Do not AutoArchive' checked", leave
the default location for the "Archive File" and then click
"OK".

This then creates a new local folder called "Archive
Folders" and allows access to everything they had prior to
using the Exchange server for e-mail. I'm then planning on
creating rules that will move everything into the Archive
folders instead of the Mailbox (because of the size
limitation) as mail is sent and received. So basically
save all "Sent Items" in the "Archive Folders" instead of
the Mailbox Sent Items folder, the same for all the other
folders. That way the only thing that's on the server is
there only long enough for it to be brought down to the
client (unless the user explicitly says "keep this on the
server", for viewing at home or something) that way I don't
have to worry about the size limitation unless the users
start getting gigantic attachments or something.

I don't know, does this sound like a good plan or would you
recommend something else?
Click to expand...

But what's the real advantage of using Exchange, then, if you aren't going
to keep most of your stuff in the mailbox but in a PST instead?
Like I said, I tried simply opening their old PST while
logged into the Exchange server but then it started
creating duplicate items and got very confusing very
quickly (not something end-users like) so I thought this
would be a better approach.
Click to expand...

Opening a PST file while having the mailbox folder open will indeed show
them the contents of both. That's another reason it might be better to move
items from PST to mailbox while having both open....no dupes.
Tell me what you think.
Click to expand...

I prefer hosting Exchange in-house....you have a lot more control over the
configuration and management. If it's just a small number of users, and you
don't currently have a domain model in place, etc., external hosting may
make sense for you...
 
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