I was asked a great question via the comments on my blog, which was:
“Can BPOS accept journal data that has been exported from an existing Exchange system?”
With some help from the great people in the Worldwide BPOS teams at Microsoft I have an answer…and that answer is YES 🙂 It is possible to import already journaled data into Exchange Online, meaning you can easily move from Exchange Onsite to Exchange Online.
How to do it:
- There are a few caveats to this process:Data must be in .PST format only. Alternative file format types such as MIME, EML, MSG, or Lotus Notes are not accepted.
- You must submit historical data files on an external hard drive or USB memory stick.
This one is a little bit odd-I assume the reason you can’t transfer the data online is due to the sheer volume of data that may well be in question and so “sneakernetting” it would be quicker; but couldn’t DVD’s be used? I suppose that an External HD would mean the data could all be read in without any human intervention along the way, while a bunch of DVD’s would require someone to insert/eject them? (Feel free to add your thoughts).
You need to create a “mapping” file which for Exchange 2000, 2003 & 2007 can be done via:
1.Start a command prompt. (Click Start, click Run, type Cmd, and then click OK.)
2. At the command prompt, type or copy and paste the following and press enter:
C:\> csvde -l “mail,legacyExchangeDN” -r “(objectClass=user)” -f customer_name-map-file.csv
For Exchange 5.5:
1. Open the Microsoft® Exchange Server 5.5 administrative program and choose the option for a tools-directory export.
Historical Data File Format and Submission Procedures Microsoft Exchange Server
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2. There will be an option to choose mailboxes, custom recipients, and distribution lists (select all).
3. Select the export file option and choose a destination for the file you are about to create. The file that is exported will be in a CSV format.
Please remember to include this file with your historical data. The file should be named: customer_name-map-file.csv
Once you have all that it’s loaded onto your External drive/USB stick, you need to package it up and physically mail it off to Microsoft with the following details:
Bulk Data Services Group
Attn: Betti Johnson (Ticket Number)
Alias: bettijo
3720 159th Ave NE
Redmond, WA 98052
Ph. 1 (425) 703-3237
I am checking to see if there is a separate address for EMEA (and indeed other regions) and also how much this service costs, as the pdf datasheet hints at a charge. *Update* I’ve just been told that the charge is $50 per GB (one time fee) for the import and that you must send the data to the US.
The datasheet can be found here.
Cloudy with a chance of Licensing 