Local profiles + Outlook data - AD/Exchange import??

[Jaz]

Could someone please refer me to step-by-step instructions on moving
Local Profiles and Outlook data into Exchange 2003?

I have a small group of XP users that I need to move into a new Active
Directory domain, and import their Outlook data + IMAP mail from a BSD
server to Exchange 2003.

I've built the AD domain; added user accounts and configured mail
routing between Exchange, Postfix+Courier, and the outside world; and
have DNS zones, VPN access, etc. all working.

Next I need to:
1 - move each Windows Box into AD, (okay, this one is easy)
2 - move their login profile into AD, so that their Desktop +
application-data is preserved,
3 - import Outlook data (calendar, contacts, etc., and local mail)
into Exchange,
4 - move their IMAP-based mail stores into Exchange.

My past experience moving local profiles into AD didn't go well --
everybody had some unique thing that messed the profile copy process
up at a different point. Maybe the "do this before that" issue trips
me up. I also don't know of any sure-fire way to get all Outlook local
mail and calendar/contact data in to Exch.

After researching for weeks I'm swimming in snippits -- Can anyone
please point me to some rock-solid howto's?

Thanks in advance!
[please excuse the burp when replying]

 

[Tom Felts]

A number of questions here, not all to do with exchange.

Have you seen the User State Migration Tool? It is downloadable from the
Office site. You can script it to 'back up' whatever you wsh from a
profile, and then after the user logs into the domain, 'restore' that data.
It might help.

RE: Outlook data. Is it stored localy on the machines in PST's? If so, you
could use exmerge (also available as a download from MS) to push it into the
mailboxes.

What mail client do they use for IMAP? Outlook has some import tools that
may be of help...

 

[Ben Winzenz [Exchange MVP]]

1. You got this covered.
2. Have the user log in to the machine using their AD account (which will
create the profile), then log out and log in as an Administrator (not the
new account, not the old account) then from the System Properties (logged on
as an Admin), Advanced Tab, User Profiles settings, Copy the old profile to
the new AD profile. This should achieve retaining all the settings you are
looking for. Of course, I would test this first with a few users to make
sure it is transferring what you want. I've never had a problem doing this
though.
3. Since IMAP4 doesn't provide Calendar/Contacts functionality, the
information should be stored in a local PST file. If it resides in a local
PST file, then you can simply use Outlook's Import/Export functionality once
you have the profile set up for the Exchange server. As an alternative, if
you want to bulk import all these PST files, then look at using Exmerge.
4. Exchange 2003 has a migration wizard built-in that helps you migrate
from (among other things) an IMAP4 server. You ought to check this out and
see if it will achieve what you want.