Migrate Exchange 2013 to Office 365 Step-by-Step

Last updated on May 18th, 2023 at 11:19 am

Nowadays, many organizations are planning to move from Exchange Server 2013 to Office 365. Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based software that provides various services. These services include Hosted exchange server, Skype for Business Server, and SharePoint. Microsoft Office 365 also provides a facility for automatic updates. Migrating from Exchange 2013 to Office 365 needs proper planning and execution. Now, start discussing the various methods to migrate exchange 2013 to Office 365.

Note: Exchange Server 2013 reached its end of life on April 11, 2023. This means that Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, bug fixes, security updates, or any other updates for the software after this date. Organizations still using Exchange Server 2013 after this date will be at risk for security vulnerabilities, compatibility issues, and other potential problems.

To avoid these risks, organizations should consider upgrading to a newer version of Exchange or migrating to Office 365. This will ensure that they have access to the latest features, security updates, and support from Microsoft. Organizations that do not upgrade or migrate may also face compliance issues, as using software that is no longer supported can lead to non-compliance with regulations and standards.

Overall, it is important for organizations using Exchange Server 2013 to plan and execute an upgrade or migration before the end-of-life date to ensure continued security, compliance, and support from Microsoft.

Download a trial version of Shoviv Exchnage Migration Tool to know in a better way.

 
Note: This Software Supports all Editions of MS Exchange Like 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, etc.

Table of Content

Methods to Migrate Exchange 2013 to Office 365 Mailbox

Cutover migration.
Hybrid migration.
Staged migration.
IMAP migration.
Shoviv Exchange Migration – Easy and Professional Tool.

Now, we will discuss the migration methods sequentially and Migrate Exchange mailboxes to Microsoft 365.

Cutover Migration from Exchange Server 2013 to Office 365

This manual method allows the migration of fewer than 2000 mailboxes. Small organizations follow the Cutover migration. After exceeding the limit, it takes much time and makes the processing slow. Hence, it fails to migrate into Office 365.

Create a Migration batch online
In Exchange Admin Center, Navigate Recipient > Migration. Define migration endpoint, pick Outlook everywhere.
From the drag-down menu, select Migrate to Exchange Online.
Activate mailboxes and finalize the migration batch.
Complete office 365 setup and Cut-over DNS.
Change the Active directory and update DNS records.
Create a new outlook profile, Import data, and settings.
Re-configure mobile devices.

Exchange Server 2013 to Microsoft 365: Hybrid Migration Step by Step

Hybrid migration maintains both online premises and online mailboxes. In this method, there is no need to create a new mailbox and import information. The users can transfer the existing mailbox between the exchange server and exchange online. It is considered a smooth process, but if the user skips any of the steps, it fails. The approach mentioned above is very time-consuming.

Before performing the Migration, you need to ensure your Exchange server 2013 is updated with the latest patch. You also need to set up directory synchronization using Azure Active directory connect.

Step1: Verify Yourself and Your Domain in Microsoft 365
Step2: Start the Migration Process.
Step3: Sync Your Directories to Create Users.
Step4: Assign Microsoft 365 Licenses to Your Users.
Step5: Start Migrating User Data.

Staged migration

Another manual method, Staged migration, allows the migration of numerous mailboxes, i.e., greater than 2000. It maintains both online premises and online mailboxes. It is one of the most suited options for both medium and large-size organizations. A Staged migration only works with exchange 2003 and exchange 2007. If you have an Exchange Server 2003 or 2007, then Staged migration is the optimum solution. The Staged migration takes several days to complete the task. It depends upon the volume of content and the mailbox number.

IMAP migration

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) fails to migrate anything other than email and message. IMAP migration is a long and slow process compared to other methods mentioned in this article. It can only migrate emails that are up to 35 MB in size and 500,000 items per mailbox. The IMAP method is preferable to migrate from the non-exchange server platform to Office 365. The only drawback of this method is, it can only migrate inbox items or email folders. It fails to migrate contacts, calendars, etc.

Why Professionals Avoid Manual Exchange to O365 Migration:

Manual migrations have some limitations. This article outlines some common issues with manual Migration to office 365 from the Exchange server.

Migration of many mailboxes to Office 365 may take a long time because you have to migrate the mailboxes in stages and over a while. For example, if you need to migrate 5,000 mailboxes, you will have to migrate 300 per day until you have completed the Migration. Exchange Online has a retention policy named “Default MRM Policy” to resettle items in the user’s mailbox. This retention policy is created when Exchange Online is enabled for your organization. Items older than 30 days are moved to the user’s archive mailbox employing MRS Proxy. Items older than 25 days are transferred to the user’s archive mailbox through MRS Web Access.

In the cut-over Migration, the maximum limit to migrate is 2000 mailboxes. However, the recommended limit is only 150 mailboxes.
Some emails might be lost until the DNS record is entirely changed.
Hybrid mailbox migration consists of complex steps and additional administrative efforts.
As a part of the migration method, Staged Migration can be considered a slow process as it needs to be done in stages. The initial Migration of mailboxes from the On-Premises Exchange Server is not processed immediately. Because Office 365 will first process the data being migrated and then forward it to the On-Premises server for the following processing stage.
IMAP Migration is only effective for mailbox not suitable for attachments and other mailbox items.

Migrate from Exchange 2013 to Office 365 With Exchange Migration:

The Shoviv Exchange Migration Tool is the best option for migrating Exchange 2013 to Microsoft Office 365. It is a fast and easy-to-use automated tool. This tool allows users either to migrate single or multiple mailboxes into Office 365. The Shoviv Exchange Migration Tool successfully results in exporting the mailbox as well as its content. This automated Software is highly recommendable as it supports all versions of the exchange server. During the exporting process, one can also use the filter option to filter items as per need.

Steps to Migrate Exchange 2013 to Office 365: The Migration Process

Download the Shoviv Exchange Migration tool.
Add Exchange 2013 mailboxes as a Source.
Select user Mailboxes and view the content.
Choose Export Type as “Export in Microsoft 365”
Lastly, click on Export & migration process will start.

Are you still confused about the working process following the detailed working of the Shoviv Exchange Migration?

Detailed Working Process for Migrating Exchange 2013 mailboxes to Microsoft 365:

Firstly, Download and install the Exchange Migration software on your System. Open the Software.
Secondly, Click on add source button from the menu bar.
Select “Exchange server mailboxes.” Then, fill in the required information (Domain name, User name, and password). You can also select Outlook Profile if the Software cannot configure the given user with Outlook. Click on the Next.
Now, the mailboxes selection page will open. Select the mailboxes from the mailbox list. Some of the mailboxes might be missing from the list. In that case, add the mailboxes by entering the user’s email and choosing a CSV file. Then, click on the finish button.
Users can easily view the content list by selecting the mailbox.
Now, click on the desired mailbox. Then, select the Office 365 mailboxes option from the ribbon bar.
Select the folders from the folder list. Check/uncheck for the subfolders. Also, you can select the particular mailboxes of your choice. There is also a custom folder selection option to choose the specific mailbox or folders. Then, click on Next.
Now, you have two options to fetch Mailboxes from Target. One is using Outlook Profile, and another is by providing Office 365 credentials. Select the “Fetch All Mailboxes from Office 365” option. In this, you have to enter the user email, password. And grant full access rights of all mailboxes to a given user. If you want to choose the already configured Outlook profile, check/uncheck for the below option. Click on the Next button. Wait for fetching mailboxes through Office 365 credentials.
After this, another step is to start mapping the source mailbox to the target mailbox. With the map mailbox option, you can set the source mailbox the target mailbox. On the right side, there is also an option to validate the target. It checks whether the Software is capable of connecting to the target mailbox. After mapping, click on the next button to continue the process.
Apply the filter option on the process message class or process item date range. In the process message class, you can set the filter option by including/excluding the select message class. Also, there is another option to set the process item date criteria. Where you have to select the date range in between “From” to “To.” Then, check/uncheck the below option to exclude duplicate items and click on the Next button.
Lastly, here, the process gets completed successfully. In the end, one can also save the report. Then, click on the finish button.

By going through the above process, you can understand the Shoviv Exchange Migration. It is the best professional way to migrate Exchange 2013 to Office 365.

Reasons for Migrating Exchange 2013 to Office 365

Migrating from Exchange 2013 to Office 365 can provide numerous benefits to organizations, some of them are following:

Cost Savings: With Exchange 2013, organizations need to purchase and maintain their own hardware and software, which can be costly. Moving to Office 365 eliminates the need for on-premises hardware and software, resulting in cost savings for organizations.
Improved Collaboration: Office 365 provides a range of collaboration tools such as Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint that make it easier for employees to work together on documents and projects. This can improve productivity and efficiency in the workplace.
Scalability: As organizations grow, their IT infrastructure needs to grow as well. With Exchange 2013, organizations may need to invest in additional hardware and software to accommodate growth. With Office 365, scaling up is much easier, as organizations can simply purchase additional licenses as needed.
Enhanced Security: Office 365 provides advanced security features such as multi-factor authentication, data encryption, and data loss prevention to help protect sensitive data. Exchange 2013 may not provide the same level of security, and organizations may need to invest in additional security solutions to achieve the same level of protection.
Remote Access: With Exchange 2013, employees may need to use a VPN to access their email from outside the office. With Office 365, email and other applications can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easier for employees to work remotely.

Common Pain Points with Exchange 2013: How Migrating to Office 365 Can Help

Some specific scenarios where users may experience pain points with Exchange 2013 and could benefit from migrating to Office 365 include:

Aging Infrastructure: If an organization’s Exchange 2013 infrastructure is old and outdated, it may become difficult and costly to maintain. Migrating to Office 365 can provide a more modern and scalable solution without the need for significant hardware upgrades.
Limited Storage: Exchange 2013 has a finite amount of storage space, which can become a pain point for organizations that need to store large amounts of email and other data. Office 365 provides much more storage space, making it easier for organizations to manage their data.
Compliance Requirements: Some organizations may have compliance requirements that are difficult to meet with Exchange 2013. For example, if an organization needs to store data in a specific geographic location, it may be difficult to achieve with Exchange 2013. Office 365 provides options for meeting compliance requirements, such as storing data in specific regions.
Mobile Device Management: With Exchange 2013, managing mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets can be a challenge. Office 365 provides better mobile device management capabilities, making it easier for organizations to manage and secure mobile devices.

Conclusion

Office 365 offers a wide variety of features to manage your email, calendar, contacts, and documents anywhere. You can access these services from almost any device, whether a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.The office 365 Migration Toolkit from Shoviv is a paid tool that allows you to migrate data from Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 to Office 365 without paying for expensive third-party services.

The main drawback of using Office 365 requires a monthly subscription fee, but it’s worth it. With this tool, you can quickly move emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, notes, journals, and other items from your old Exchange server to Office 365.

Shoviv offers a free trial version where you can test out our software and see if it’s right for you. Once you decide that it is, you can go for a plan that suits your budget.

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Stuart

Stuart Clark is working as a technical content writer at Shoviv Software for the last 3 years. In his free time, he loves to write about new technology and read fiction books, his favorite book is "It ends with us" by Coolen Hoover.

How to Migrate Exchange 2013 to Office 365