A migration endpoint is like a bridge between the local Exchange Server and Microsoft 365. This allows the two systems to work together and facilitates migration of data from the local server to the cloud. It contains all the necessary information, such as:
- Server Address, like mail.mycompany.com.
- Port number used to access the system.
- Authentication credentials of the admin and service account.
- Connection limits parameters.
- Migration type such as IMAP, Exchange Remote Move, Google Workspace, or other.
With a migration endpoint, you will be able to establish a secure, encrypted connection between the two systems. This will enable you to create migration batches based on the connectivity of the migration endpoint for the scheduled seeding of data. A migration batch is dependent on migration endpoints.
In this article, we will be discussing how to create and delete migration endpoints in Microsoft 365, along with the configuration needed, possible limitations and challenges, and to overcome them.
Stepwise Process to Create Migration Endpoints in Microsoft 365
Before moving to create migration endpoints, you must ensure the below checklist:
- Confirm that the user creating and managing the endpoints has the right roles and permissions. These include Global Administrator, Exchange Online Admin, and Migration Administrator.
- Ensure that the source Exchange Server is fully-updated and available, and the MRS Proxy service is enabled. You can test the connectivity by using the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer (MRCA).
- Verify that there are no other migration endpoints to avoid duplication.
- Ensure that the local user in the Exchange Server has the proper permissions.
- Test and validate using the Test-MigrationServerAvailability PowerShell command in the Exchange Management Shell (EMS).
After fulfilling the above prerequisites, you can open the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) in Microsoft 365. After successful login, follow the below steps:
Step 1 – Open the Migration Section
On the navigation page of the Exchange Admin Center, click on Migration.
Step 2 – Choose Migration Path and Type
- Click on the + (Add) button and proceed with the wizard.
- Choose the migration path, which will be Migration to Exchange Online.
- Choose the migration type from the following options:
- Google Workspace (Gmail) migration
Step 3 – Create the Migration Endpoint
Depending on the migration type you choose, you will be asked to either select a migration endpoint or create a new one. Click on Create a new migration endpoint. Here, you need to enter the migration endpoint information, depending on your choice of migration. From the Exchange Server point of view, you need to enter the MRS Proxy Server, credentials, Exchange Server, and email address.
Step 4 – Validate the Endpoint Connection
Next, test the connectivity to the source server. If this fails, you can re-check the connectivity to the server, along with the firewall/network settings.
Step 5 – Complete the Process
Now, you can save the endpoint (if successful) and schedule the migration batch.
Process to Delete Migration Endpoints
You may need to delete a migration endpoint if it is incorrect or its source has been changed. To delete a migration endpoint,
- Open the Exchange Admin Center and click on Migration.
- On top of the Migration page, click on Endpoints. Here, you will see a list of all the endpoints which were created.
Select the endpoint you want to delete and click on the Delete button. Confirm your action.
Common Challenges/Issues while Creating Migration Endpoints
Some of the issues and challenges you might encounter while creating the migration endpoints are listed below.
1. Incorrect Server Address or Port
You may encounter issue when creating a Migration Endpoint, if the server address or port is incorrect. Therefore, it is important to always check the connectivity before endpoint creation.
You should also check with the network team if there are any network restrictions and all the traffic outside the infrastructure towards Microsoft 365 is allowed.
2. Authentication Failure
The authentication will fail, if the user name or password is incorrect, or the user doesn’t have enough rights on the source server. You should always confirm that the right permissions are assigned and use the Test-MigrationServerAvailability command to verify the access of the user.
3. MRS Proxy Issues
You should ensure that the MRS Proxy service is enabled on the local Exchange Server. You should also confirm this by going to the local Exchange Admin Center (EAC) > Servers > Virtual Directories > EWS. Here, check that the Enable MRS Proxy is enabled. In addition, ensure that the service can be reached from outside using the Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer (MRCA).
An Alternative Solution for Data Migration
There are a number of issues that may occur when setting up the endpoint and migration batches. You should also consider the teething problems that may occur. To avoid such issues, you can use specialized Exchange migration tools for the migration of data. Stellar Migrator for Exchange is one tool that can drastically reduce the migration complexities and simplify the process.
With this tool, you can easily migrate user mailboxes, user archives, shared mailboxes, and public folders from local Exchange Server to Microsoft 365 with real-time reporting and progress update. It offers features such as matching of mailboxes from source to destination, parallel migration, incremental migration of data, and priority-based migration. This tool can also be used for,
- Exchange Server to Exchange Server migration
- Microsoft 365 to Exchange Server migration
- Microsoft 365 to Microsoft 365 migration
Conclusion
In this guide, we have discussed what migration endpoints are and how to create/delete the migration endpoints. We have also seen how migration endpoints are the backbone for migrating data to Microsoft 365, and the challenges you might encounter while creating the endpoints. We have also mentioned a third-party Exchange migration tool – Stellar Migrator for Exchange that can help in seamless migration of data from local Exchange Server to Microsoft 365.
