Migrating Groups

You should migrate groups before you migrate users. If directory synchronization is configured correctly, the distribution lists are automatically updated as mailboxes replace custom recipients.

You can use the MS Mail (AppleTalk) Network Administrator program to create a list of groups, which you import to Microsoft Exchange Server and use to create Microsoft Exchange Server distribution lists.

   To migrate groups

1. Make sure that you have defined custom recipients for all users in Microsoft Exchange Server.
2. Use the MS Mail (AppleTalk) Network Administrator program to create a list of all global groups and their members.

Global group list for Dublin,
1/7/96  10:08,

All,Dublin :
Assembly Team,Dublin
Sales,Dublin

Assembly Team,Dublin :
Chris Bauknecht
Eva Corets
Joe Howard

Sales,Dublin :
Paul Canniff
Reed Koch
Roger Harui

3. Use the Directory Export command in the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator program to export a list of custom recipients to a file with the following header:

Obj-Class,Directory Name,Target-Address

Obj-Class	Directory Name	Target-Address
Remote	ChrisBauknecht	MSA:Chris Bauknecht@dublin
Remote	EvaCorets	MSA:Eva Corets@dublin
Remote	JoeHoward	MSA:Joe Howard@dublin
Remote	PaulCanniff	MSA:Paul Canniff@dublin
Remote	ReedKoch	MSA:Reed Koch@dublin
Remote	RogerHarui	MSA:Roger Harui@dublin

4. Modify the exported list so that the target addresses have the same format as the group list names. You can do this with a macro that removes the MSA and replaces the at sign (@) with a comma.

Obj-Class	Directory Name	Target-Address
Remote	ChrisBauknecht	Chris Bauknecht,Dublin
Remote	EvaCorets	Eva Corets,Dublin
Remote	JoeHoward	Joe Howard,Dublin
Remote	PaulCanniff	Paul Canniff,Dublin
Remote	ReedKoch	Reed Koch,Dublin
Remote	RogerHarui	Roger Harui,Dublin




5. In the group list, replace all mailbox names with the directory or common names from the custom recipient export list.

All,Dublin :
Assembly Team,Dublin
Sales,Dublin

Assembly Team,Dublin :
ChrisBauknecht
EvaCorets
JoeHoward

Sales,Dublin :
PaulCanniff
ReedKoch
RogerHarui

6. Convert the group list to directory import format. You need to create unique directory names for each distribution list by following these steps:

· Add header line of #$#

· Replace all PARAGRAPHPARAGRAPH with ###

· Replace all SPACE:PARAGRAPH with #,#

· Replace all PARAGRAPHS with %

· Replace all COMMAS with a SPACE

· Replace all ### with PARAGRAPHDL,,

· Between all ,, insert the common-name of the distribution list

· Replace #$# with OBJ-CLASS,COMMON-NAME,DISPLAY-NAME,MEMBERS

Obj-Class	Common-Name	Display-Name	Members
dl	ZZAll	All Dublin	Assembly Team Dublin%Sales Dublin
dl	zAssemTeam	Assembly Team Dublin	ChrisBauknecht%Eva Corets%JoeHoward
dl	zSales	Sales Dublin	PaulCanniff%ReedKoch%RogerHarui

7. (Optional) If you have groups that are members of other groups (nested groups), the display names for those nested groups are still in the members list. For the nested groups in the members field of all distribution lists, replace the display names with the directory names.

In this example, the All Dublin group has two nested groups. In the members field, the display names of these groups are replaced with the common names of the new distribution lists.

Obj-Class	Common-Name	Display-Name	Members
dl	ZZAll	All Dublin	zAssemTeam%zSales
dl	zAssemTeam	Assembly Team Dublin	ChrisBauknecht%Eva Corets%JoeHoward
dl	zSales	Sales Dublin	PaulCanniff%ReedKoch %RogerHarui

8. Sort the distribution lists by display name. You can remove the server name appended to each display name as long as the display name remains unique.

Obj-Class	Common-Name	Display-Name	Members
dl	ZZZAll	All	zAssemTeam%zSales
dl	zAssemTeam	Assembly Team	ChrisBauknecht%Eva Corets%JoeHoward
dl	zSales	Sales	PaulCanniff%ReedKoch %RogerHarui



9. Use the Directory Import command in the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator program to import the file.
10. Delete all groups in MS Mail after directory synchronization.

During migration, it may be necessary to update the groups as custom recipients are deleted and replaced with mailboxes. This depends on how you configure directory synchronization and how you use Recipients containers.