Hello everyone,
I'm hoping to get some input on an upgrade project that I'm working on. Here is the existing setup:
- Enterprise Vault 9
- ~100 Exchange 2010 mailboxes being archived (right around 400GB of data).
- Running on server 2008 r2
- Local install of SQL server express 2005 for the backend
We have both EV 10 and EV 11 licenses available. We also have a new VM that we want to move the install to that is in a different physical location. In the end we’d like to be running on version 11, with a separate SQL server 2012 backend, on a fresh install of server 2008 R2.
I was planning to split the migration into two parts by upgrading from 9 to 10 with the migration assistant to move the archive server over to the new, permanent location. Then upgrading to version 10 in place after the dust settles. However, I can’t seem to confirm that I can move the SQL server location at the same time that I migrate from 9 to 10. I need to move the SQL backend to the new SQL server when I migrate because the existing server is using SQL server express which is not compatible with version 10. I’ve checked the compatibility chart, and the existing EV 9 is not supported with a SQL 2012 backend which is what my SQL server is running, otherwise I would migrate to the new SQL server first and move forward as planned.
I’ve considered doing a separate, clean install of version 11 on the new server, running both servers for a while, and just exporting / importing .pst files into the server (I realize this will be a slow process, but with only 100 users I don’t think this is a deal breaker). But I’d really like to do the move over a weekend and be done with it, and I can’t seem to find any documentation on how Exchange will react with two different servers checking for archives (I planned on setting up a new provision policy which will only archive those that have been migrated).
If anyone has any advice on how I should move forward I’d really appreciate it.
-Matt