Testing Your Plan

Once it is complete, you should test your plan to validate your strategy, find any missing steps, and familiarize your team with the product and the procedures. To test your plan, use the following guidelines:

• Move the test team first. Make sure they can use the old and new systems at the same time.
• Find out how fast directories synchronize in your site.
• Determine the throughput of data from the Migration Wizard and gateways.
• Test whether public folder applications can replace some system applications.
• The test team should consist of administrators and users working from Microsoft Outlook computers, because administrators will be maintaining Microsoft Exchange Server. They should understand how migration affects the day-to-day use of e-mail and how messages are routed both inside and outside the organization. During testing, administrators should set policies on new features, such as public folders, rules, scheduling, and security.

Testing Directory Maintenance

During testing, address the following questions about maintaining the directory:

• What directory maintenance is required during multi-phase migration?
• What is the best way to migrate or update distribution lists?
• How can existing addresses known to users in foreign systems be preserved?
• How can backboning through Microsoft Exchange Server reduce directory maintenance?