Import Office 365 to On-Premises Exchange Server – Successfully Migrated!

Recently, I got a challenge to move Office 365 to on-premises Exchange Server 2016 of a small business. That business hub was not having any on-premises infrastructure. They only has Windows server that is hosted in public cloud running with Active Directory and file services with fee LOB applications. All of the collaboration was with MS Office 365.

Now, the challenge was getting higher for me to import Office 365 mailbox to on-premises Exchange Server. In the following segment, I have outline the solution as well as obstacles that I faced in this cloud to on-premises server migration.

The Heavy User Profile

All the experts in Exchange Server space remember the main challenges in sizing the servers. As they know, where to put light and heavy mail users with proper balance. Even, users do not fit in the pre-defined boxes, also not change their habits or making the sizing problematic.

When I met the actual users and begin my investigation over their usage on Exchange and Outlook. I found it something more challenging. As this business is of Travel Company that makes travel plan for various people. Mainly challenges that I realised was:

Challenge 1:

The very first challenge was the actual size of mailboxes with lavish limits on Office 365 account. They had accumulated quite mass of emails from last 8 years. After cleaning and archiving to share the Outlook PST files of old stuff. Still, there was 10 GB with 8 GB rest that is not huge but still a pain point for download speeds.

Challenge 2:

The second challenge was, they were going have an addition to new email domains. Along with the need to main point of existing domain from MS Office 365 to on-premises server. So, I had to simply add a new email domains to the DNS.

Challenge 3:

The third challenge was, they did not have any particular mailbox. But they were having huge user mailboxes, which they shared with other users. Along with this, they were having huge collection of signatures who picked from the manual at the time of sending emails. It particularly depends on the address on which they are sending.

The Plan for Data Migration from Office 365 to On-Premises Exchange Server

Planning is the most important factor, mainly for the organization that is dependent on email. The plan that I made after understanding all the main things:

• To set up user mailboxes on on-premises Exchange Server for each and every user.
• For the shared mailboxes for all single users in additional email domains. So that they can simply pick “send from” when creating a new email.
• Create forwarding rules from Office 365 to MS Exchange Server so that no any email is lost.
• Test every step first with test account in MS Office 365 and test mailbox on-premises.

This was the actual plan that I made. But I found that it will consume a lot of time. Then, one of my team mate suggested me to use BitRecover Email Backup Wizard. As, it is a direct solution to migrate from MS Office 365 to on-premises Exchange Server. I found it sounds interesting, as the task was high and time was less.

So, we contacted to support@bitrecover.com and shared all my issue with them. Then, they assisted us throughout the process of data migration from OWA to on-premises Exchange Server. Even, guided me in various other technical things related to the same.

The Migration

We purchased BitRecover Office 365 to On-Premises Exchange Server migrator.  As the migration from O365 to on-premises server was large in size. But we used their free demo before purchasing the software as a way to test the process of migration from cloud to server.

• Download and install Office 365 to On-Premises Exchange Server Importer on your machine.

• From the list of email source choose Office 365 option.

• Enter the credentials of your Office 365 account on the software to import 0365 to On-premises Exchange Server.

• If you are an Admin of Office 365 account then, check an option of “I am Admin” in a way to backup all user. Click on Login button to move further.

• The software will start analysing all the folders of Office 365 mailbox.

• The software will preview all the folders on the left side of software. Just check the desired folder to migrate to on-premises Exchange Server.

• From the list of file saving options, choose Exchange Server to migrate Office 365 data.

• If you want to store your exported data in default folder. Then, an option “Save Messages in Default Folders” an option.

• Enter your credentials of your MS Exchange Server to save Office 365 in on-premises Exchange Server.

• If you need to perform selective data conversion then, software gives filter options. For this, check “Use Advance Settings for Selective Backup” an option >> click on the Backup button to begin procedure to backup Office 365 emails in on-premises Exchange Server.

• Once the procedure is completed, the application will give completion message on screen.

Finally! By using this application I easily migrated data from Office 365 to on-premises Exchange Server easily. By migrating the data, all I easily completed my whole project. I am really Thankful for helping me out in this migration project. Even, in my other projects of data migration I used BitRecover Software as well.