Bring up the new server as a member of the existing site/org. Move the
mailboxes via Exchange Admin/ADUC when the users are not in (e.g. over the
weekend). Come Monday when the users return (and both servers are still up)
Outlook clients will repoint to the new server w/out you doing anything.
Now during this one or two week wait state to make sure there is no
problems, go to
http://support.microsoft.com and do an advanced search on
how to remove the first exchange server of a site. These articles will help
you move public folders and key system folders from the old to the new
server (assuming this will apply to your configuration). Once PFs and
system folders are moved, down the old server and see if you get any
complaints. If you do, bring the old one back up and correct whatever was
missed and then power down the old box. After a set time has passed (e.g. a
couple of weeks) with no complaints, the box can be flattened/rebuilt,
surveyed, .etc.
/neo
ps - there are other ways to forklift users, the question is how much time
do you have to complete this task and what type of configuration are we
dealing with. (Exchange 5.5 vs. Exchange 2000/2003. Method above is the
safest for all platforms.)
pss - users must stay logged out of their mailboxes during the mailbox move.
if anything logs onto the mailbox during the move, the move fails.
