1. Exchange online “The migration-ing…” DoIT – Division of IT
CCS – Collaborative Computing Solutions
v.1 – Marc DeBonis (Director)
– Spring DCSS

2. Collaboration Computing Solutions - The Services
What does CCS do?
VME – Virtual Machine Environment
Linux and Windows
Standard, HIPAA, CUI
VT Active Directory
Hokies, ADFS
Office 365 and now service owner for G-Suite
Including VT
Exchange Online
Application development
ADadmin, workflow apps, etc.
Cloud brokerage
AWS, Azure
Other duties as assigned…

3. Collaborative Computing Solutions - The People
Lucky number 13!

4. Moving on…

5. Onwards to Exchange Online
Had four town hall meetings. In-person and Webex. ~50 participants.
PPT presentations online at
Webex to be available later
Readiness guide available at

6. Upgrade upgrade upgrade
1) Upgrade desktop clients
Upgrade Windows and Mac desktop client users to latest supported Microsoft Office platform - Office 2016
For individual users, use the ProPlus version they can download from Office 365 portal (aka
For managed users (or labs) use the Volume Licensed (VL) version from
2) Update mobile OSes
Have users of mobile devices upgrade to latest version of the mobile OS version (iOS and Android)
3) Upgrade to the Outlook mobile app
Have users install, configure and use the Outlook mobile app instead of native and calendaring apps
The app can also simultaneously support other solutions (like Gmail) and can integrate multiple calendars together!

7. Ensure ensure ensure
4) Ensure Outlook desktop clients have turned on cached mode
5) Ensure department users and resources are in the same OU
Verify that all departmental users and resources (such as Exchange PACE accounts) are identified and moved to the correct Hokies OU
Avoid issues of users and resource being separated between on premise and in- cloud!
Protip: Use ADadmin in OU admin role to verify where your users reside. Use ADUC to find those resources!
6) Ensure you know what type of Exchange mailboxes your users have/will have
Verifying mailbox type for users
From Full Exchange mailbox -> Exchange Online mailbox
From Calendar-only mailbox -> Exchange Online mailbox w/ forward
Protip: Use ADadmin in OU admin role to verify what type of mailboxes users have

8. Verify verify verify
7) Verify you filled out OU migration timing survey
Ensure that departmental OU admins have submitted survey input as to when they want users mailboxes (and resource mailboxes) to move
We have sent out a survey link to all OU admins so they can state preference. Choose one for each OU (May 1-8, May 16-31, June 1-30).
8) Verify any necessary changes to your IP security framework
For departments using managed firewall, group policy, IPSEC, RLAN or office network security appliances, verify systems will be able to connect to the Office cloud environment
Use to test from restricted systems
9) Verify that users have been licensed for the Office 365 core services (and ProPlus)
Protip: Use ADadmin in OU admin role to verify what licenses your user’s have.
ProProtip: If you are a OU admin, submit a SN ticket to CCS and we can tell you who in your OU doesn’t have core yet!

9. Stop stop stop 10) Stop users using POP/IMAP to Exchange
Identify your POP/IMAP users accessing on premise Exchange and get them to change access methods
VT Exchange Online WILL NOT support these access methods
Insecure communications (TLS 1.0)
Cannot be 2 factored
Missing out on all the additional features of newer protocols
Easier for spammers to use as a spamming vector
11) Stop using and remove sign-in info
Have users discontinue logging into Outlook and mobile apps with the UPN, instead use
Good places to hunt for cached login is Windows Credential Manager/Mac Keychain
12) Stop having people rely on backups from the Exchange system
Explain to users that data in Exchange Online is NOT backed up.
It is replicated 4x across datacenters
Deleted data will be available for 30 days (client restorable)

10. Not tonight but soon…

11. The secret (or not so secret) 13th!
13) For your Faculty and Staff, strongly suggest…
If they don’t already, have them create a Exchange calendar-only account now!
Once it is migrated, it will be a full Exchange Online mailbox with a forward
Having an Exchange Online mailbox is crucial to using Microsoft groups
Even if you don’t receive any there!
Microsoft is pushing Groups as “foundational” to the future of O365 SaaS and it lives on top of Exchange Online
Protip: You can create a calendar-only account for them via the OU admin role in ADadmin!

12. As the master says…

13. Timing
May – June 2017 S M T W F 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
April​
CCS and ITEE building out additional documentation, scripts and workflow​
Departmental IT working to ready users​
May​
University Migration Start Date: 5/1​
Completes within 2-3 months

14. #greatsuccess

15. One more thing!

16. Exchange online “The migration-ing…” DoIT – Division of IT
CCS – Collaborative Computing Solutions
v.1 – Marc DeBonis (Director)
– Spring DCSS