Know How to Migrate from Lotus Domino to Exchange 2013 & 2010

IBM Domino

IBM Domino is a platform for hosting business applications, wherein, Domino is the server and Notes is the client. This collaborative client-server software platform provides functions such as email, calendar, contacts, file sharing, instant messaging and much more. IBM Domino, which is a business application and a messaging server, can be used to access any IBM Domino application such as discussion forums and document libraries. The storage mechanism in IBM Domino is in the Notes Storage Facility (.nsf) file format.

Exchange Server

Exchange Server is a mail server developed by Microsoft and runs on the Windows OS. This uses the proprietary protocol called MAPI and supports POP3, IMAP and other types. Exchange Online is an email, calendar and contacts solution hosted by Microsoft and delivered as a cloud service. Microsoft Exchange can be used as on-premises software as well as a hosted service with Exchange Online.

Quick Tip: You can try SysTools Mail Migration Wizard to migrate Lotus Notes to Exchange. The tool is very efficient, you can also try its demo version before purchasing the software.

Manual Method to migrate domino to exchange 2013 Using IMAP Connector

The shifting or migration from Lotus Domino Server to Exchange 2010 can be done using IMAP connector. This manual method is suggested when one has to shift the business to Microsoft Exchange Server.

Step #1: To Take Backup of Domino NSF Files

The first step in the manual migration process is to take the backup of all.nsf files from the users’ mailbox in the Domino server. This necessary step mitigates the loss of data or any problem that may arise between the migration procedures from Domino to Exchange. Since there is no direct method for the migration process, the indirect manual method is not completely secure or correct.

Step #2: To Create New Mailbox for Each User

Once the task of taking backup of the.nsf files is completed, then a new mailbox for each user, which has an existing profile in Notes desktop email client, has to be created.

Step #3: To Turn on the IMAP TCP/IP Port for Every User

In the process to migrate Lotus Server to Exchange Server, the IMAP TCP/IP port of each user has to be enabled. The following procedure is done by these steps given below:

• 1. Open the Domino Admin in the Lotus Notes application

• 2. Next, click on the Configuration tab

• 3. In the server wherein the IMAP services are to be executed, open the Server Document

• 4. Click on Ports -> Internet Ports -> Mail tab

• 5. In the Mail tab, enable the default port IMAP TCP/IP Port. The enabling of the Mail (IMAP) column is done by changing the ‘TCP/IP port value status’ to Enabled.

• 6. Click on the Save button and close it

Step #4: To Synchronize Using the IMAP Connector

The IMAP Connector can be used to sync the emails in the Outlook account from the IBM Notes email application. After the above four steps, migration from Lotus Domino Server to Exchange 2010 becomes easy & simple.

Boundaries Confining the above Manual Method

The migration using the IMAP Connector has some drawbacks that are-

• 1. The manual method using the IMAP Connector can migrate only 1GB file size

• 2. The conversion is restricted from NSF to Office supported format only

• 3. If the Domino server is behind the firewall and proxy server, then connecting with the internet becomes difficult

• 4. Technical expertise is undoubtedly needed to perform the skilled conversion procedure

• 5. The task requires time and effort and also sometimes, loss of data is expected

With these points in mind, it is then preferred that the user have some other alternative means of migration of the Domino to Exchange and here the third-party tool comes into the picture.

Go towards the Expertise!

The Mail Migration Wizard is an efficient third-party tool which exports the Domino Server mailbox to live Exchange server. Live Domino Server and working Exchange Server environment is required for the conversion and batch migration. Mailbox mapping option is available to save the data to the Exchange server from Domino Server.

To Summarize It All!

This blog deals with the migration from Lotus Domino to Exchange Server. The manual method to do so is outlined but it has its own pitfalls which are also enlisted here. Thus the use of an automated tool is recommended for the user which makes the migration process easy and convenient.

I am Software Engineer by Profession and Tech Blogger by passion. I love to write about technologies and solve user query on different forums.