How to migrate emails?
You should start by answering a few questions:
– What type of system will you migrate from and to (ex: POP, IMAP, Gmail, Exchange)?
– Besides email, do you need to also migrate contacts, appointments, or tasks?
– How many mailboxes do you need to migrate, and how large are they?
– Do you know all email addresses, credentials, and server endpoints?
For example, to migrate from IMAP, you should know the server name (ex: imap.company.com) and port number (ex: 143 or 993). You also need to know what each protocol supports. For example, IMAP migrations can only migrate emails but not contacts, appointments or tasks. However, Exchange migrations support the whole range of items.
Now, do you need a simple or Enterprise migration solution?
You’re more likely to require an Enterprise migration solution if you:
– Need to migrate more than 10 mailboxes
– Need a way to perform administrative logins to mailboxes
– Need to migrate from or to Exchange or Google Apps
– Need to migrate contacts, appointments, or tasks
– Need to understand which items failed to migrate and why
– Need a way to perform multi-pass (delta) migrations
– Need a way to monitor migrations and get reports / statistics
– Need advanced options such as folder or date filtering
– Are ready to pay to ensure a faster or more reliable migration
– Want product support beyond a self-help user forum
Once you’re ready for your migration, you need to select a migration method:
1. Use a cloud-based migration solution
2. Use PST import / export using Outlook
3. Use open source command line tools
4. Use a paid on-premise migration solution
One option is to use a cloud-based migration solution. While good connectivity to the Internet is a must, these solutions require no installation and typically only require a small per-mailbox fee. Cloud-based migration solutions such a MigrationWiz include enterprise features found in most on-premise solutions. Due to their simplicity, they can also be used by individuals looking to migrate a single mailbox.
One advantage of PST import / exports is that they are entirely free and can migrate almost everything. One major issue however is that all emails become unrepliable after import. This happens because Outlook stores recipient information using IDs which become meaningless after migration. Another issue is that PST imports are labor-intensive, slow, and so not adequate for most enterprise migrations.
Another option is to use do-it yourself scripts or tools. Some tools do a reasonable job of migrating content between IMAP accounts but no other protocol is supported. Keep in mind that these tools assume you’re familiar with command-line utilities and the Linux shell. Also this makes sense only if you have a small amount of data to migrate and can dedicate computers to run migrations.
For enterprise-ready migration solutions, you may want to consider an on-premise migration solution. Several companies offer tools which can help you migrate entire sets of mailboxes in a semi-automatic manner. These tools can handle complex migration scenarios but must be downloaded and installed on local computers. They often require the purchase of an expensive base license in addition to per-mailbox fees.
