Migrating & Supporting Faculty and Staff Members Using Exchange

1. Migrating & Supporting Faculty and Staff Members Using Exchange

2. Reasons For Migrating • To conform with Task Force recommendation • To improve user experience – especially when using the Web to access email • Seamless integration with Blackberry devices • Ability to have Mail, Contacts and Calendar synchronized between Outlook desktop client and Web access • To get out of the email business

3. Numbers/Stats • AHS started migrating users to Connect in February • There are currently 136 user mailboxes for AHS and eventually all faculty and staff will be migrated – about 175 in total • Most AHS Exchange users running Outlook 2007 as their email client • Psychology will have about 80 Exchange users and all but 3 have been moved • Using mainly Outlook as the email client with 4 on Entourage, 2 on Thunderbird and 1 on MacMail • ENV has 142 users on Exchange and has completed migration • Email clients include Outlook, OWA, Entourage, Thunderbird and MacMail

4. How We Deployed • Most AHS users were using Outlook 2003/2007 with POP or IMAP connections to Healthy (Sendmail) • Each user was asked to clean up their email before migration • Deletion of any un-needed email • Emptying or archiving Sent and Deleted Items • Archiving old and less frequently referenced email • The goal was not to migrate anything larger than 2GB of email to Connect • Most migrations were in the 500MB – 1.5GB range

5. How We Deployed • .forward created on user’s Sendmail account • Change email field in WatIAM profile to point to Connect • For POP users, a new profile created and their .pst file imported • Importing the .pst keeps any existing folder structure intact and contains all Email, Calendar items, Contacts and Tasks, etc. • For IMAP users, a new account set up in their existing profile and email dragged-and-dropped • .pst also imported if it contains Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, etc. • Once migration complete, the old POP or IMAP profile can be deleted

6. How We Deployed • Migrations done on a one-on-one basis with the user present which allows an opportunity for some user training • Also used small group training sessions (AHS) • Psychology used small group training – with a scripted move of the group’s email overnight (using Giles’ script) • For AHS the training sessions were particularly focused on using Outlook Calendar as they were intent on adopting it immediately • Documentation outlining common tasks was distributed • “Outlook Tip Of The Week” emails were also sent around to remind users on how to accomplish certain tasks (AHS)

7. Extras • With each migration, a number of “extras” are set up • Disable auto-archiving • Add uwldap as an address book • Set permission level for Default in Calendar to Reviewer • Add SPAM rule – every item tagged as ****SPAM**** is sent to the Junk E-Mail folder • Activate signature if the user had one prior to migration • Re-order list of address books so Contacts appears first if desired by the user • Install Windows Search (Psychology) • Educate users on MailservicesSpamAssassin settings • Rescue (and rename) Outlook.NK2 file if they insist on having it

8. Outlook Calendar • 2 AHS Research groups using Outlook Calendar for scheduling • Everyone can see almost everyone else’s calendars because of assigning the Reviewer permission to Default • This mimics the way Bookit works • If Calendar entries are marked as private, the details are not viewable • An Outlook Form can be created to make appointments private by default • Can also assign Reviewer or other permissions on an individual basis – some Faculty have done this • Those same Faculty tend to be the ones that request Delegates be set up to manage their Outlook Calendar

9. Outlook Calendar • Delegates are granted the Editor permission allowing them create, modify, and edit all Calendar items • Delegates also receive and manage meeting requests • Group schedules are a great way to quickly view the free/busy times of others – Actions/View Group Schedules

10. Outlook Web Access • User reviews have been positive • Look and feel the same as desktop client • Create folders, drag-and-drop, right-click email features all act like the desktop client • Continuity – no need to learn a new interface • Users can always see all their email, contacts, etc. • Most features available in the desktop client are available in OWA • Must use IE to get the premium version of OWA • Otherwise you get the “light” version of OWA • Browser integration will be addressed in Exchange 2010 and OWA premium will work with other browsers

11. Admin Tools • Virtual machines joined to the Connect domain – AHS has 2 and ENV has 1 • Exchange 2007 management console installed • Granted the Recipient Administrators role for our respective storage groups • Gives us the ability to create, edit and delete our own user mailboxes • Eases IST’s burden – rather than sending an RT for everything, we can manage most of our own needs • We can also control our own user mailbox quotas

12. Issues And Solutions • .ost files can get large, but so were .pst’s – there is no need to back up .ost’s • Junk E-Mail false positives – this has been greatly reduced by IST’s implementation of rules similar to Mailservices • Some List sites seem to have problems delivering to users – even if whitelisted • Personal BBs not being able to utilize BES – Mail Contact can be created with the BIS address and email forwarded • Archived email files and where to store them • Accounts need to be created at least 4hrs before migration • Have had issues where accounts were created but not used and mail is sent unknowingly

13. Issues And Solutions • Slow process migrating 1 user at a time – but it’s a good time to provide training and improve user’s experience • .ost indexing issue (Psych) – delete .ost file • Misspelled entries in Watiam • Email address not changed in Watiam • Not all users are comfortable with the Default Reviewer permission – permissions can be assigned on per-user basis • Opening a shared calendar in OWA is clunky – you must add user@connect.uwaterloo.ca/?cmd=contents&f=calendar where “user” is the userid of the calendar you want to open • Can then be saved as a Favourite • OWA Calendar features will be improved in Exchange 2010

14. Issues And Solutions • Thunderbird POP users with mailboxes containing folders within folders – issue with crashing during migration (ENV) • Solution was to use a product called Aid4Mail http://www.aid4mail.com • Works on a variety of email clients including Thunderbird, Netscape Mail and Eudora

15. Benefits/Overall Experience • Overall experience has been very positive • BES – UW BB’s put on the BES plan become a true extension of an Outlook mailbox with real-time synchronization • User not managing 2 mailboxes as when email is just forwarded • RDP to office computers for email reduced • Continuity from Outlook desktop client to OWA • Out of Office to set vacation/away messages is easier and more intuitive • Shared Mailboxes for generic email accounts • Ability to recover deleted items • Outlook Anywhere for laptop users • IST Support has been excellent and very responsive – Tim, Trevor and Giles to be commended

16. Resources • http://ist.uwaterloo.ca/cs/exchange/ • Using Outlook 2007 with Exchange Server:  http://ahsco.uwaterloo.ca/faq/mesoutlook2007.html • Tips for Outlook 2007 with Exchange Server:  http://ahsco.uwaterloo.ca/faq/mesoutlook2007tips.html