Multiphased Migration

The most important part of a multiphased migration is coexistence. You need to define a strategy that allows your host system and Microsoft Exchange Server to exchange e-mail and directories.

Choosing an Approach to Multiphase Migration

The following sections describe some optional methods for a multiphase migration from IBM PROFS to Microsoft Exchange Server.

Client Providers for IBM PROFS   Using a PROFS MAPI client provider for Microsoft Outlook is an alternative to multiphased migration. Using Attachmate's ZIP! Office Client Connection product, Microsoft Outlook can be used to connect to the IBM PROFS system, Microsoft Exchange Server, or both systems.

User-managed Migration   With some programming, you can make a multiphased migration user-managed and user-driven. For example, the mailboxes for all users can be created on a Microsoft Exchange Server computer but remain hidden. When users access their new mailboxes and no longer need the IBM PROFS system, they can send a special custom form that is preaddressed to a mailbox. When the message is received, a program creates an account file with the sender's host account information and runs the source extractor. After the source extractor is finished, the files are copied to a network share, and the Migration Wizard is started in batch mode. It imports the data into the empty mailbox and records that this user has been migrated.

Scheduling Application Coexistence

The Microsoft Mail Free/Busy Connector for Microsoft Exchange Server can be configured to send free/busy information to PROFS if you have connected the systems with the Attachmate Zip! Office Gateway for MS Mail. For more information, see Microsoft Exchange Server Operations.

Connecting IBM PROFS to Microsoft Exchange Server

One way to connect the two systems during a multiphase migration is to use a gateway such as Control Data Systems Rialto PROFS/OV Connector for Microsoft Exchange Server or SMTP. If you use SMTP or the MS Mail gateway for PROFS, you must determine a directory synchronization system separately.

Keeping Directories Up-to-Date

In a multiphased migration, directories between the two systems must be exchanged and kept up-to-date. The following are options for synchronizing the directories:

• Create a foreign system directory requestor for the Microsoft Mail directory synchronization process. Use Microsoft Exchange Server as the directory synchronization server.
• Use the source extractor to create migration files with PROFS custom recipients and import them with the Migration Wizard. Use the Directory Export command to export Microsoft Exchange Server recipients to a file, modify the format, and import the file into the host system.
• Use a third-party directory synchronization product that works with PROFS and either Microsoft Mail or Microsoft Exchange Server.

Retaining Existing External Addresses

Most gateways for PROFS have a way to convert external addresses to PROFS 8x8 formatted addresses. If you want to maintain your existing external addresses, you need to extract this information from the gateway's lookup table or duplicate the algorithm it uses. This information can then be used as primary or secondary e-mail addresses for the appropriate Microsoft Exchange Server custom recipients and mailboxes. For more information on importing these addresses, see Chapter 3.