Performing a Staged Exchange Migration To Office 365 (Exchange Online) – (Part 4)

If you would like to read the other parts in this article series please go to:

Introduction

In part 3 of this multi-part articles series revolving around staged Exchange migrations to Office 365 or more precisely Exchange Online, we created a CSV file containing the batch of users we wish to migrate from Exchange on-premise to Exchange Online. We then moved on and I took you through the steps and post-steps that are required when migrating users to Exchange Online.

In this part 4, we will continue where we left off in part 3. First we will verify the migrated users can log on to their mailbox using Outlook Web App (OWA). We will then install the Office 365 Desktop application so that the client computer is updated and configured appropriately to work with Office 365.

Let’s get going…

Assign License to Migrated Users

So the first thing we want to do for the Exchange users we migrated to Exchange online back in part 3 is to assign an Exchange Online license to each of them. To do so, log on to the Office 365 portal using the global administrator account as shown in Figure 1.

Logging in to the Office 365 Portal
Figure 1:
Logging in to the Office 365 Portal

When logging on to the Office 365 portal, you will see a warning that says one or more users need an assigned license in order to retain an Exchange Online mailbox. In order to see which Office 365 users that had their mailbox migrated but hasn’t been activate, we can create a view that only list these respective users.

Click “New View

Warning about unlicensed migrated users
Figure 2:
Warning about unlicensed migrated users

Name the new view and then tick “Users with Exchange mailboxes or archives and no licenses”. Click “Save”.

Creating a new user view
Figure 3:
Creating a new user view

Now select the new view in the drop-down menu (Figure 4).

Selecting the new user view
Figure 4: Selecting the new user view

We now see the 6 users we migrated back in part 3 of this articles series. Tick all of them and click “Edit”.


Figure 5:
List of unlicensed migrated users

Now tick “Exchange Online” and click “Next”.


Figure 6:
Assigning an Exchange Online license to the migrated users

Click “Activate”.


Figure 7:
Send results in email page

We have now been taken to the “Results” page, where we can click “Finish”.


Figure 8:
Results page

The migrated users have now been assigned an Exchange Online license.

Verifying Migrated Users can Access their Exchange Online Mailbox

With the migrated users activated, let’s verify they can access their Exchange Online mailbox using Outlook Web App (OWA). To do so, open a browser and enter the direct URL used to access OWA (in this case: “mail.office365.com/onpremise.dk/owa”) or logon to the Office 365 Portal followed by clicking “Outlook”.


Figure 9:
Logging into Office 365 Portal with a migrated user account

No matter whether you entered the URL for the Office 365 portal or OWA, you will now be asked to change the password for the Office 365 user as can be seen in Figure 10. Do so and click “Submit”.


Figure 10:
Updating the password for the migrated user

We’re taken back to the login page and here we need to provide the new password.


Figure 11:
Logging into the Office 365 Portal with the new password

We are now taken to the Office 365 Portal as it looks for a user with an Exchange Online license. Click “Outlook” in the top of the page.


Figure 12:
Clicking on the Outlook link in the Office 365 Portal

The OWA language page where you can choose the language for OWA and the time zone appears. After you have selected the relevant language and time zone, click “OK”.


Figure 13: Specifying language and time zone for Outlook Web App (OWA)

The mailbox is now opened in OWA and you can see the email content that was migrated from the on-premise Exchange 2007 mailbox.


Figure 14:
Migrated user’s mailbox opened via OWA

This verifies the user has been successfully activated and can access his Exchange Online mailbox.

Installing Office 365 Desktop Apps

After a migrated user has signed into the Office 365 portal, she should set up her computer to work ideally with Office 365. This is done by running the desktop application that can be downloaded from the Office 365 portal.

The desktop app installs important updates as well as the Microsoft Online Services Sign-In Assistant (MOS SIA) which provides the end user with sign-in capabilities to Office 365. Amongst other things, it installs client components that make it possible to use Outlook and Lync to authenticate against Office 365. It also improves the sign-in experience by making it possible for users not to re-enter their username and passwords.

To install the desktop application, the user must click “Set up now” after logging on to the Office 365 portal.


Figure 15:
Clicking “Set up now” in Office 365 Portal

On the appearing page, click “Set up” under step 2 in the bottom of the page.


Figure 16: Launching the setup wizard for the Office 365 Desktop Application

You will most likely get a application security warning. Click “Run”.


Figure 17: Application security warning

The Office 365 desktop app will now be downloaded.


Figure 18: Downloading the Office 365 Desktop Application setup files

The user now has to specify his credentials and then click “Sign in”.


Figure 19: Specifying the migrated user’s Office 365 credentials

The desktop app setup wizard now checks the system configuration, which can take a minute or two.


Figure 20: Office 365 Desktop Application checking the system configuration

Now click “Continue” in order for the desktop application to install important updates.


Figure 21: Selecting the applications that should be updated

Accept the license agreement.


Figure 22: Office 365 Desktop Application License agreement

The installation and configuration process will now take place and when completed, the user needs to restart his computer.


Figure 23: Computer updated and configured and restart required

After the restart the desktop app setup wizard will launch and complete the configuration as shown in Figure 24.


Figure 24: Computer updated and configured successfully

The computer has now been prepared for Office 365.

This concludes part 4 of this article series revolving around how you perform a staged Exchange migration from an Exchange on-premise environment to Exchange Online. Don’t worry though, part 5 will be published sooner than you think.

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