Ev 8 and Exchange 2003 Migration - best way to do it

[Francesco_BB]

Hi, I have to migrate my Exchange and EV environment to latest versions. I am entitled to basic support (I am going to tell you later in the post why i have specified that)

I have Exchange 2003 and Ev 8 (DBs on sql 2000) with win server 2003 :) (smile means me at looking question mark on your head while reading this). Seventy mailboxes and archives.

I know that I have to do it by steps (already done lot of readings on compatibility matrixes and upgrade guides). My idea is to migrate to Exchange 2013 - EV 11 - Win server 2012 R2 :) (smile means "oh yes good plan at words").

Something like: migrate DB at sql 2008 x64 on win2008R2, migrate EV to 9, migrate EV to 10, migrate DB to SQL 2014, migrate to EV 11 (Last version that supports Exchange 2003 Archiving). Then go with Exchange: 2010 and then 2013.

I have a problem.

It is for a week that EV gives me an error on the archive task for some message (2 or 3 for every run) on which I am not able to find a suitable kb.

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Enterprise Vault
Event Category: Archive Task
Event ID: 2273
Date:  10/02/2016
Time:  2.52.35
User:  N/A
Computer: **********
Description:
An error occurred whilst processing the "PP:Saveset Message for Mailbox /o=******/ou=Primo gruppo amministrativo/cn=Recipients/cn=Info, Message titled: *********" message from the queue

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://evevent.symantec.com/rosetta/showevent.asp

I cannot open a call for this problem because EV 8 is out of support. This is the reason why I have specified above the support that i am entitled to: I cannot use it.

The question: Do you think I can go with the migration anyway and eventually open a case when I will be on EV 9 (supported)?

A question about the migration process: what do you think about my migration plan?  Do you think is there another way, simpler, to obtain my goal? Consider that I am looking for a smooth process and prudent, with a coexistence of Exchange versions for the time of the mailbox moves.


I hope you can advice me on theese questions.
Regards

Francesco

[AndrewB]

only 70 archives? are you journaling or only mailbox archiving?

[Francesco_BB]

Only 70. Not journaling archive because of a bad usage of the Exchange journaling mailbox, used like as any other mailbox in the boss client. So I just archive mailboxes.

[Francesco_BB]

More Archive Task errors:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Enterprise Vault
Event Category: Archive Task
Event ID: 2850
Date:  11/02/2016
Time:  2.56.49
User:  N/A
Computer: ************
Description:
Whilst post processing a message an error occurred in CArchivingAgent::PostProcessArchivedItem() whilst calling CExchangeShortcutAccessor::BuildFromSessionAndLocation().
 
Error returned from BuildFromSessionAndLocation(): 0x80040109

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://evevent.symantec.com/rosetta/showevent.asp

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: Enterprise Vault
Event Category: Archive Task
Event ID: 3288
Date:  11/02/2016
Time:  5.59.24
User:  N/A
Computer: ***************
Description:
A problem has occurred while archiving a message.
The archived item was not found or is no longer archive pending.  
 
Task: Exchange Mailbox Archiving Task for ***************
Message Title: FW: OVER DUE PAYMENT
Users mailbox dn: /o=********/ou=Primo gruppo amministrativo/cn=Recipients/cn=**********
Internal reference: CArchivingAgent::ProcessItemInternal

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://evevent.symantec.com/rosetta/showevent.asp

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: Enterprise Vault
Event Category: Archive Task
Event ID: 2270
Date:  11/02/2016
Time:  5.59.24
User:  N/A
Computer: ***************
Description:
A queued operation exceeded the retry count and has been discarded

m_pIBackgroundArchivingAgent->ProcessItemEx(Priority = "false",
  ExchangeSystem = "***************",
  m_pILocation,
  (ULONG)EntryIdSize = 70,
  EntryId,
  VaultId = "12B09F850A4D06D43A355758583D124031110000evsite",
  ArchiveId = "1365F00C62E02EB4D848761E563D539C51110000evsite",
  RetentionCategory = "16107FCCD6E41674A8074CB8F19CF84631b10000evsite",
  UserMailboxDn = "/o=*********/ou=Primo gruppo amministrativo/cn=Recipients/cn=*******",
  MessageTitle = "FW: OVER DUE PAYMENT",
  nRetryCount = 3,
  NULL,
  CallerSID,
  isAReArchive = 0, ArchiveTransId = "306D75B8078D678DD75CEEFBB3D36811", IndexedPropertiesSet = "");

HRESULT: 0xC0040904

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://evevent.symantec.com/rosetta/showevent.asp

[AndrewB]

i rarely ever would recommend this but i also rarely ever see EV 8 and Exchange 2003 on SQL 2000 and Win2003 with only 70 archives and no journaling... so... i think your best bet is to either export your 70 archives to PSTs or back into Exchange (both of which are done from the same Export Archive wizard in the EV console) and start fresh with EV 11 or 12 on your favorite latest supported OS and SQL configured to archive from a nice fresh Exchange 2013. the upgrade path you have to go to is just not worth all the effort and risk imho.

[Francesco_BB]

I thank you for your advice.. But I cannot do it for my environment. It's for 7 years that I'm archiving. Moreover I have two months as Exchange archive policy. So:

- Store back to Exchange database all the archived data it is not doable. I do not have all that free space on my Exchange

- By doing PSTs my users will not further be able to retrieve archived data. Furthermore PSTs wuold be enormous files. 

So I think I have to find an upgrade way to reach my goal.

Why are you so worried about a step by step upgrade approach? My only concern is about the archive task errors, posted above, that is giving me since 3 weeks.

Thank you,
Francesco B.

[AndrewB]

how much data does the vault store usage report say you have?

[Francesco_BB]

Is it possibile a path like:

1) Setup an Exchange 2010 (it is not possible, that I know, to go directly to 2013) that coexists with Exchange 2003

2) Setup an EV 11 or 12 with SQL 2014 that archives only the new Exchange.

3a) Move a mailbox, one by one, from old Exchange to the new.

3b) Export to PST the archive of the moved mailbox and import it in the new EV server.

In this way I would avoid to have to follow every step fo the migration way. Is this a better solution to you? What Veritas would suggest to do?

[Francesco_BB]

Total number of Vault Stores	: 1
Total number of Active Archives	: 181
Total number of items	: 5.044.461
Total size of items	: 682.095 MB
Average size of items	: 138 KB

Number of archives are greater than 181because of layoffs and new hires. Active archives are 70-80.

[AndrewB]

i like that idea much more and think it will result in a better outcome from an EV perspective. you said the mailboxes only have 2 months of items in them but just in case you're using shortcuts, be sure to add a step in your plan to remove them from the old mailbox because they will no longer work in the new environment. you can recreate shortcuts when you import the PST.

[Francesco_BB]

Ok, I will try this way. To be more clear, I have 2 moths of mesages in Exchange mailboxes, all other items are in the EV vaultstore with shortcuts in the mailboxes.

Just a question: if from an EV perspective this is a better migration path, why does EV documentation not tell to go this way instead of telling to migrate step by step?

Thank you Andrew,
Francesco

[AndrewB]

there's plenty of documentation that say not to be on systems that are 15+ years old, end of life, and unsupported, so i dont think this is a matter of following documentation or not.

in the real world, there are infinite number of variables that the manufacturer can't account for. building a new EV 12 and starting fresh is what i would recommend to anyone in your situation (i.e. EV 8, SQL 2000, Windows 2003) in the year 2016. the only difference is that you dont need migration tools because you only have 70 archives to deal with.