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Scenario:

I am doing this Pro Bono for a small Organization. I am not an Exchange Professional or an Admin but have a long tech background. I could spend weeks & days to learn Exchange but I'd rather just seek "quick wisdom" and guidance on this matter.

  • Archive the Existing (older) data in those Exchange Database/ Mailboxes
  • Flush out the Existing Email Data from Exchange
  • Stop/ Disable the Exchange Role - Ensure the slimmest/ trimmest version of it on C Drive.
  • Have a usable Archive of some format/ type that could easily be used in the future, if ever needed.

PS: Essentially, when you decommission a service/ server but find a way to archive its data..

Platform History:

SBS 2008 & Exchange here for E-mail (ran for 2 years) and next last 2-3 years it was replaced by Google Apps Mail and whoever did it, did not bother to do any Server cleanup.

There are instances of SBS 2003, 2000 and lot of old stuff running the hope is to completely clean house and archive, virtualize etc. all the old stuff. Some may still stay due to unique requirements.

Previously the machine was the SBS & DC, but now its a DC that would get replaced.

I am trimming down the C drive and will eventually do a P2V of it to make a virtual DC, extract some more data & apps, until we get time to build a new DC.

What I'm asking: Trim, Migrate/ Export & Archive - EXCHANGE Stuff

Given the large sizes of these D, E, F partitions and the Exchange Data on it, I'd like to find ways to export these DBs/ Files/ Emails into an Archive of sorts, if it is ever needed in the future.

Some people said they do not need the older emails, but given how storage is cheap I'd like to avoid deleting them. I'd like to find ways to:

  • Trim these sources of data down; if at all possible
  • Export/ Migrate them into easily accessible archives in the future. .. whether these be PSTs, OSTs or other forms
    • I am open to ideas here.
  • Move to external HDD for any future need
  • Eliminate & Nuke the D, E, F drives before P2V of C drive.

The following partitions & names, also shown in Drive Map Screenshot:

  • D - Exchange DB
  • E - Exchange Logs
  • F - Exchange Backup

(Click for Sharper Full Res image - Will upload elsewhere if needed)

NonProfitProBonoAdmin
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  • this might have been done as part of the migration to Google, was there just exchange one day and google the next? - likely the mailboxes are already in the required format for archiving, how far back do the google mailboxes go? – Sum1sAdmin May 24 '16 at 09:52
  • `whoever did it, did not bother to do any Server cleanup` - You say that as if you think that's a standard thing to do, which it isn't. What kind of "clean up" are you referring to? Why would you bother "slimming" down the server if you're going to replace it? Why would you bother converting it? Why don't you just export the mailboxes to PST files and be done with it? – joeqwerty May 24 '16 at 13:26
  • @joeqwerty - I volunteer time to help orgs in Asia. If I had time & there was a way, I'd show you mess techs leave here. Ugliest server ever; files, setups, service packs, temp copies & backups of backups and of random folders, made all over and never cleaned up. There's an instance of SBS 2003 also to be P2Ved. WHY? Lot of old stuff that is not going to be on rebuild, but org might need; recent example: Tax notice from Govt.of 10 year old item.This is why.. total chaotic, zero documentation & things all over the place. PS: I will consider exporting MBoxes to PST, if thats the only options – NonProfitProBonoAdmin May 25 '16 at 09:51
  • @Sum1sAdmin - Read my comment to JoeQ, you'll notice the chaos. Everything's unorganized, undocumented, disconnected; there's DOS Apps, SBS2000, SBS2003 running old stuff. Root folder crammed w DBF files, random setup/ SP files, folders upon folders copied N no of times by some incompetent tech for TEMPORARY use, but never cleaned out. I've spent time with these morons few years back & this time vowed to clean house as a Favor. Even companies like HP & Dell outsource to such guys. Plus, WORK ETHIC is crappy. You'll laugh or cry if you see this. PS: 2/3 years each (marked bold in Question) – NonProfitProBonoAdmin May 25 '16 at 10:05

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