MS Exchange Gurus (HELP!)

[KGB]

Thanks in advance for any help offered.

Here's the setup: Two locations both running NT4 Server with MS Exchange 5.5. They are part of the same domain but neither is a primary or secondary domain controller (just satellites on the WAN). Each location has IP addresses such as 192.168.60.XX (for location "A") and 192.168.80.XX (for location "B"). Here's my problem: I have several Exchange mailboxes I need to move from location "B" to location "A". When I go into MS Exchange and use the "move mailbox" function, none of the other servers on the WAN are able to be selected (only the local one is available).

Here's my options: If someone knows where in MS Exchange these mailboxes are located, I can burn a CD and physically move them.
If someone can instruct me how to make the connections in Exchange to enable the "move mailbox" function to work (greatly desired)


Although I am very PC savvy, I do not have much experience using MS Exchange. I am also not responsible for designing or implementing the WAN so if some fundamental changes have to be made (such as off-site on the domain controllers), I might be SOL.

Again, thanks in advance.

 

[Garion]

Mailboxes are all kept in a few massive databases on the server - You can't easily extract data from one mailbox.

Are your Exchange servers in the same Site and are connected using the Site Connector?

- G

 

[me19562]

The better way for u is making a PST' s of those emails accounts, because seems as the Exchange server r configured in different sites

 

[KGB]

Garion,

Thanks for your response.
I have my two sites connected through "site connector" as you questioned but I still cannot select another server to move them to.
Please don't tell me that these mailboxes <desperation> are buried in a deep database

me,

How do you make .pst's out of the X-change?

 

[me19562]

u do the pst with Outlook, u have to go to File->Import and Export->Export to a file->Select Personal Folder File(.pst)->Select the Folders(include the subfolders)
and specify the path where u want the file

 

[Garion]

As I recall, if you have two servers in two sites it's difficult to move files between them. Servers within a site, no problem. It's been a while since I've worked on Exchange, so I forget the details.

Import and export is definitley the best way to go - Should be pretty easy to copy the files around. Those instructions should work just fine.

One last hint, something that few people know with Exchange. An Exchange account is tied to an NT domain account and that's the only person that can get to that Exchange account. The little known fact is that if you login to the domain as Administrator you can connect to ANY mailbox. This means you could create a mail profile with a users' mailbox, login to the domain as administrator, open exchange and get access to their messages. I tell you this so that it's easier to export messages, not as a way to pry. Not that I think you would, of course, but it's a very powerful thing to know how to do and easy to abuse.

- G

 

[KGB]

Thanks guys.

I followed the advice me19562 gave and exported everything and burned CD's. What a chore!

Thanks again guys. This is what makes AT such a great place.

 

[bozo1]

Wish I would have seen this post earlier so I could have helped you.

You can't use the 'move mailbox' function if the servers are in different sites.

You -can- use the EXMerge utility which basically automates the process of exporting the old mailbox to a .pst, creating the new mailbox, importing the .pst and then nuking the old one.

If you go to support.microsoft.com and do a search on exmerge you'll find info on how to use it. I think it's in the resource kit but is also available for download somewhere.

 

[KGB]

Bozo,

Thanks for the tip.
I am researching your suggestion right now (very interesting by the way).

Research=knowledge knowledge=power