Step-by-step guide for migrating Exchange Server 2013 to 2016 – Part 1

4 min read| Updated On - August 24, 2022

Last Updated on August 24, 2022 by Akhilesh Shivhare

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This guide will take you through the steps you need to take in order to migrate from Exchange Server 2013 to version 2016.

To read other parts in this series, go to:

Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2016 Migration (Part 2)
Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2016 Migration (Part 3)
Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2016 Migration (Part 4)
Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2016 Migration (Part 5)
Exchange 2013 to Exchange 2016 Migration (Part 6)

Our setup is a single 2013 Exchange Server. We will first install Exchange Server 2016 and then migrate data from Exchange 2013 to 2016.

1. Preparing the environment

Before starting the migration, you need to prepare the environment and ensure that it meets the system requirements. Then read the release notes to make sure you won’t have any post-migration issues. Ascertain the important parameters of the Exchange server appropriately so that there is sufficient RAM, CPU and storage space available for the server to perform correctly. Exchange Server 2016 should be the same size as the Exchange 2013 multirole server, but it requires additional resources.

The next step is to find out whether your clients are supported by the Exchange Server 2016. If they are not in the list of supported clients, upgrade them. Install a supported OS; this can be Windows Server 2012 Standard/Datacenter or Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard/Datacenter. In our case, we used Windows Server 2012. After installation, join the server to the domain. After the environment has been prepared, the next task is to install Exchange Server 2016.

2. Installing Prerequisites and Exchange Server 2016

Before carrying out the Exchange Server 2016 installation, ensure that the user in charge has the appropriate permissions to do it. Before starting, ensure that the following pre-requisites have been installed:

2.1 Pre-requisites

1. Install .Net 4.5.2
2. Install the Windows Management Framework 4.0
3. Install the Unified Messaging Communications Managed API 4.0 Runtime
4. Install the required Windows features. Run the following PowerShell command to install the required Windows feature.

Install-WindowsFeature AS-HTTP-Activation, Desktop-Experience, NET-Framework-45-Features, RPC-over-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-Clustering, RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface, RSAT-Clustering-Mgmt, RSAT-Clustering-PowerShell, Web-Mgmt-Console, WAS-Process-Model, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Basic-Auth, Web-Client-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, Web-Dir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression, Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging, Web-Http-Redirect, Web-Http-Tracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console, Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Console, Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext45, Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Static-Content, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-WMI, Windows-Identity-Foundation,RSAT-ADDS

2.2 Installing the Exchange Server 2016

After the environment is ready and the prerequisites have been installed. We can now install Exchange Server 2016. Follow the below steps:

Figure 1: Check for Updates

1. Download and extract the Exchange Server 2016 setup file. After the file has been extracted, run the Exchange Setup (Setup.exe) to begin installing the Exchange Server. Select the first option and click Next.

2. The Setup will look for updates, and if found will install it. Click Next to proceed. The Setup will copy the required files and initialize the installation. The Introduction page will appear, click Next to proceed.

3. In the next step, the License Agreement page opens up, accept the license. Click Next to proceed.

4. Then, select Recommended Settings and click Next to proceed.

Figure 2: Select Server Role

5. On clicking next, select the server role page will appear. Select the ‘Mailbox Role’ and click Next to proceed.

Figure 3: Specify Installation Space and Location

6. Specify the location where software will be installed. It can be installed at the default location, or a different location can be specified using the browse button.

7. In the next step you will have to select whether you want the Malware Protection Settings. By default, the settings are enabled but you can choose to disable it.

8. The Setup will do a readiness check of the system and will configure pre-requisites. Installation will continue and finally a window will popup reporting a successful installation.

3. Setup the Service Connection Point

The Service Connection Point (SCP) is an Exchange Server object’s attribute in Active Directory, which guides domain-joined Outlook clients to a URL to get auto-discover settings. This attribute is, by default, the FQDN of the server. The SCP should be configured to refer to the Exchange Server 2013 endpoint.

Conclusion

This is the first blog in a series which will give you an in-depth breakdown of all the steps involved in migrating from Exchange Server 2013 to Exchange Server 2016. In this part, we made sure our environment met the prerequisites for Exchange Server 2016, prepared the environment for installation, installed the Exchange Server 2016 and configured the SCP. The next blog (part 2) will discuss installing the correct SSL certificate on Exchange 2016.

Philip Robinson

Phil joined Lepide in 2016 after spending most of his career in B2B marketing roles for global organizations. Over the years, Phil has strived to create a brand that is consistent, fun and in keeping with what it’s like to do business with Lepide. Phil leads a large team of marketing professionals that share a common goal; to make Lepide a dominant force in the industry.