A re Yo u Re a d y f o r E x c h a n g e 2 0 1 6 ?

Your hosts…• Paul Robichaux• CTO, ENow Software• Microsoft Exchange MVP since 2002

• Justin Harris• Program Manager at BinaryTree• Microsoft Certified Systems Master (R.I.P.)• Microsoft Exchange MVP since 2014

WHAT’S NEW?

What’s New

Architecture• Only two server roles• Faster failovers• IP-less DAGs• MAPI/HTTP by default• ActiveSync v16• Improved search• Office 365 integration

End-user features• Modern Attachments• In-place hold for public

folders• Improved OWA experience

What Isn’t Included• Office 365 Groups• Office 365 Clutter• Changes to public folders• Changes to Unified Messaging• Support for mixed DAGs• All DAGs must be all-2013 or all-2016

Prerequisites• AD

• Windows 2008 or later DFL/FFL• Windows

• Server 2012 or 2012 R2• Windows Server 2016 support is coming but no date’s announced

• Add-ons• .NET Framework 4.5.2• UCMA 4.0

• Exchange• Exchange 2010 SP1 UR11 or later• Exchange 2013 CU10 or later

• Clients• Outlook 2010 SP2 or later• Outlook for Mac 2011 or later

Understanding the servicing model• Exchange 2016 is the same code that runs in Office 365• There’s a lot of stuff that doesn’t execute on-prem but is still

there• There are also other services/servers in 365 that you don’t

have

• There are no more service packs• Every update is fully cumulative• Applying is a CU is a build-to-build upgrade• N-1 rule still applies• New CUs arrive every 3-4 months

SHOULD YOU MIGRATE?

Migration options• You can• Stay on the version of Exchange you’re currently on• Move to Exchange 2016• Move to Office 365, either hybrid or full cloud

• Calculating what you should do is complex

Migration options: keep your legacy• Staying on your legacy on-prem version• Limited lifespan (e.g. Exchange 2007 EOLs next year)• Low additional hardware costs (except for maintenance/repair)• No requirement for new training / personnel• No new features• Mature, stable environment

• Defers the issue, doesn’t solve it• Might still make sense if you predict a move to O365 in the

future, but not quite yet

Migration options: Exchange 2016• Ensures full supportability and timely updates• Best scalability, performance• Benefits from ongoing lessons learned in the service

and on-prem• Possible new hardware required• Will likely require additional training• New features• “New” is relative, of course: what you get depends on where

you are now

Migration options: Exchange 2013• What about moving to 2013?

• All the drawbacks, few of the advantages• Still need training and knowledge• May need new hardware (definitely will if you want to leverage

native data protection)

WHAT DO LEGACY ADMINS NEED TO KNOW?

The most important thing…• Exchange 2016 architecture is nearly identical to

Exchange 2013

• What that means…• Use the Exchange 2013 storage calculator for sizing• Use the Exchange 2013 Jetstress tool for storage validation• Follow the Exchange 2013 Preferred Architecture where it

makes sense• Be aware of the OOS server role and decide whether you want

it

Coexistence• Exchange 2013 and Exchange 2016 can both route

traffic to older versions• Install 2016 and it will proxy to older mailbox servers

• Exchange 2013 can route traffic to Exchange 2016• Allows you to gradually add 2016 servers and trust 2013 to

• Slightly different steps required for these two methods• Microsoft documentation explains them both well• Big difference: when do you move mail and client flow to

2016?

Major differences from 2007 / 2010 -> 2016• DAGs: reseeding, content indexing, multiple databases per

disk• Only 2 server roles (3 if you count Edge)• Transport changes (including anti-malware, Safety Net,

shadow redundancy)• Load balancing• Mobile device management• End user experience

• Supported Outlook versions• Much better OWA experience• Exchange Admin Center

• Public folder databases

MIGRATION BEST PRACTICES

Delegates• Cross-forest migrations• Think about how the business is structured• Avoid disrupting end-users day-to-day • Group delegates into same migration batches• If not then delegation will break

Understand what you have!• Storage• Backup• LOB applications• DNS• Active Directory

Public folders• Place to collaborate• Have become a file repository• Most contain a lot of stale information• Permissions• Changes in architecture (legacy vs modern)• Client requirements

Pre-migration planning• “Measure twice, cut once” very much applies to

migration• Knowing whether there are lurking problems before

migration starts is extremely useful• Users with mismatched UPN/primary SMTP• Delegates / boss-admin relationships• Version of Outlook currently in use• Mobile device statistical data

Intra- and post-migration monitoring• It’s critical to know what’s happening during and after

your migration• Migration tools tell you what’s happening with the

migration operations themselves• What about…• Are backups being done?• Were there any uncommanded database moves or failovers?• Are your hybrid ADFS/dirsync servers working?• Is Office 365 up?• Are all your service endpoints (Autodiscover, MAPI/HTTP, etc)

accesible?

ENow Management System• Mailscape 365 combines monitoring and reporting for

the on-premises, hybrid, and cloud-based components of your Office 365 deployment• Mailscape monitors and reports on all your on-premises

Exchange 2007/2010/2013/2016 servers and components• We do Lync/Skype, SharePoint, and AD too!

• http://www.enowsoftware.com for more details

QUESTIONS?