Unified Messaging Guide for Cisco Unity Connection Release 14

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Book Title

Unified Messaging Guide for Cisco Unity Connection Release 14

Chapter Title

Moving and Restoring Exchange Mailboxes

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Updated:
March 31, 2021

Chapter: Moving and Restoring Exchange Mailboxes

Moving and Restoring Exchange Mailboxes

Moving and Restoring Exchange Mailboxes

Overview

The mailboxes for unified messaging users in Cisco Unity Connection can be moved from one Exchange server to another. You may want to move the mailboxes from one Exchange server to another due to any reason. Consider an instance in which after adding the latest supported version of Exchange server to the existing Exchange environment of your organization, you want to move the user mailboxes to the latest version.

To move the user mailboxes from one version of Exchange to another, you need to update some specific settings for the Unity Connection users. This enables Unity Connection to automatically detect the migration of user mailboxes automatically. If Unity Connection fails to detect the migration of mailboxes, you need to manually replace the existing mailboxes of unified messaging users with new mailboxes on the migrated Exchange server.

Updating User Settings After Moving Exchange Mailboxes

As covered in the “Configuring Unified Messaging” chapter, the administrators can create one or more unified messaging services with Exchange. Following are the two settings that identify how Unity Connection manually updates user settings after the Exchange mailboxes are moved:

  • Unity Connection searches for Exchange servers: If you select to allow Unity Connection to search for Exchange servers, Unity Connection automatically detects when you move mailboxes to another version of Exchange and automatically updates Unity Connection user settings.

  • Unity Connection selects a specific Exchange server: If you select a specific Exchange server, either Unity Connection detects mailbox move from one Exchange server to another or it fails to detect. The administrator needs to manually replace the old unified messaging account with a new unified messaging account to access the specific Exchange server.


    Note

Table 5-1 lists the scenarios when Unity Connection can and cannot automatically detect mailbox moves between Exchange servers.

Table 1. When Unity Connection Detect Mailbox Moves Between Exchange servers

If you select a specific

Unity Connection can automatically detect mailbox moves between the following Exchange versions

2010 and 2010

2010 and 2013

2013 and 2013

Exchange 2010 server

Yes

No

No

Exchange 2013 server

Yes

Yes

Yes

Moving Exchange Mailboxes to a New Exchange Server

In an organization, you can add an Exchange server by moving the Exchange mailboxes to the new server. If the Exchange mailboxes are associated with Unity Connection users who are configured for single inbox, you must grant the permissions that Unity Connection requires before you move the mailboxes. Otherwise, Unity Connection users cannot access their voicemails from the new location. This is true regardless of whether you allow Unity Connection to search for Exchange servers or you configure Unity Connection to communicate with a specific Exchange server.

For information on granting the necessary permissions depending on the Exchange server, see the Configuring Unified Messaging in Active Directory, page 2-5 section.


Note

To access a new Exchange server, either you need to create a new unified messaging services account or grant necessary permissions to the existing unified messaging services account.

Replacing Unity Connection Unified Messaging Accounts After Moving Exchange Mailboxes

Following are the steps the administrators must do when Unity Connection cannot detect Exchange mailbox moves and cannot automatically update the location of the Exchange mailbox for a Unity Connection user:

  1. Manually create a new unified messaging account that accesses the new mailbox location.

  2. Delete the unified messaging account that accessed the old mailbox location.


    Caution
    Unity Connection does not synchronize voicemails with the corresponding Exchange mailboxes during the time you move the Exchange mailboxes and update Unity Connection settings for the affected users.

Do the following procedure to replace Unity Connection unified messaging accounts after moving exchange mailboxes:

Procedure

Step 1

Review the Updating User Settings After Moving Exchange Mailboxes, page 5-1 to determine whether Unity Connection can automatically detect mailbox moves for your Exchange configuration.

Step 2

Do either of the following steps:

  • If Unity Connection can detect mailbox moves, skip the rest of this procedure.

  • If Unity Connection cannot detect mailbox moves, continue with Step 3.

Step 3

If you moved the Exchange mailbox to an Exchange server for which there is currently no unified messaging service in Unity Connection, create the service. For more information, see the Creating a Unified Messaging Service to Access Mail Server, page 2-27 section.

Step 4

Create a new unified messaging account for the user and select a unified messaging service that accesses the new Exchange server to which the mailbox was moved. For more information, see the Unified Messaging Account for Users, page 2-30 section.

Step 5

Delete the unified messaging account that accessed the old Exchange server from where the mailbox was moved:

  1. In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Users and select Users.

  2. On the Search Users page, select the alias of a user.

  3. On the Edit User Basics page, from the Edit menu, select Unified Messaging Accounts.

  4. On the Unified Messaging Accounts page, check the check box to the left of the unified messaging account that you want to delete. Select Delete Selected.

Step 6

Repeat Step 3 through Step 5 for the other users whose Exchange mailboxes you moved.

Restoring Exchange Mailboxes

Restoring exchange mailboxes in Unity Connection requires you to take the backup of the current unified messaging accounts of the users. The following section shows how to restore unified messaging capabilities for individual users or multiple users. The most important aspect while restoring is to disable single inbox to stop the synchronization between Exchange and Unity Connection.

Task List for Restoring Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes

  1. Disable single inbox for selected users or for a unified messaging service. See the Disabling Single Inbox for Unity Connection, page 5-5 section.

  2. Restore Exchange mailboxes. For more information, see the applicable Microsoft documentation.

  3. Re-enable single inbox selecting the applicable option:

Disabling Single Inbox Before Restoring Exchange Mailboxes

You must disable single inbox for the Unity Connection users whose Exchange mailboxes and other unified messaging service capabilities are being restored. If single inbox is not disabled, Unity Connection is unable to synchronize voicemails received from the time the backup initiates till the restore completes.

Behavior of Synchronization Cache when Single Inbox is Disabled

Unity Connection maintains a synchronization cache that tracks the voicemails already forwarded to Exchange. When you disable single inbox, the synchronization cache is automatically cleared.

Do the following steps to understand the behaviour of synchronization cache when single inbox is disabled:

  1. You take the backup of the Exchange server.

  2. A new voicemail arrives.

  3. Unity Connection synchronizes the voicemail with the Exchange mailbox associated with the Unity Connection user.

  4. Unity Connection updates the synchronization cache for the user to indicate that the message has been synchronized with Exchange.

  5. A hard disk in the Exchange server fails.

  6. You disable single inbox for the Unity Connection user whose Exchange mailbox was on the failed hard disk.

  7. Unity Connection clears the synchronization cache for that user.

  8. You replace the hard disk and restore Exchange from the backup that you made in step1.

  9. You re-enable single inbox for the user.

  10. Unity Connection performs a periodic comparison of the synchronization cache with the voicemails currently in Exchange.

  11. Because the cache is empty, Unity Connection concludes that voicemails that are in the Unity Connection mailbox but not in the Exchange mailbox have not yet been synchronized with Exchange.

  12. Unity Connection resynchronizes the Unity Connection mailbox with the Exchange mailbox and rebuilds the synchronization cache.

Behavior of Synchronization Cache when Single Inbox is Enabled

If you restore Exchange mailboxes without disabling single inbox for the Unity Connection users, Unity Connection deletes all voicemails received after the backup from which you are restoring. Do the following steps to understand the behaviour of synchronization cache with single inbox:

  1. You can take the backup of the Exchange server.

  2. A new voicemail arrives.

  3. Unity Connection synchronizes the voicemail with the Exchange mailbox associated with the Unity Connection user.

  4. Unity Connection updates the synchronization cache for the user to indicate that the message has been synchronized with Exchange.

  5. A hard disk in the Exchange server fails.

  6. You replace the hard disk and restore Exchange from the backup that you made in 1.

  7. Unity Connection performs a periodic comparison of the synchronization cache with the voicemails currently in Exchange. The voicemail that arrived in 2. is not in the Exchange mailbox for the associated Unity Connection user.

  8. Unity Connection concludes that the voicemail has already been synchronized with Exchange and does not resynchronize the message into the Exchange mailbox.

Disabling Single Inbox for Unity Connection

The first step in restoring Exchange mailboxes is to disable single inbox. Depending on the number of Exchange servers that you are restoring or the effect of restore on Unity Connection functionality, you can disable single inbox in either of the following ways:

Restoring Exchange Mailboxes for a Small Number of Users

If you are restoring Exchange mailboxes for a small number of users, you can disable single inbox on individual user accounts using Unity Connection\\ Administration. See the Disable Single Inbox for Individual Users, page 5-6.

Restoring Exchange Mailboxes for All the Unified Messaging Users or When Unity Connection Functionality is Not a Concern

You can disable the single inbox functionality of all unified messaging users in either of the following conditions:

  • While you are restoring mailboxes for all of the users associated with a unified messaging service.

  • While you are restoring mailboxes for selected users associated with a unified messaging service during non-business hours when interrupting single inbox functionality has less impact on users.

There are two ways to disable single inbox for a unified messaging service:

  • Disable only single inbox for a unified messaging service: If you disable only single inbox, the Unity Connection conversation continues to play the options for the other unified messaging features. If a user selects one of these features while Exchange is unavailable, the Unity Connection conversation announces that access to messages is unavailable at this time.

  • Disable the entire unified messaging service: If the unified messaging service has other unified messaging features enabled, such as text-to-speech or contact integration, and you disable the service, Unity Connection conversation stops playing the options for those features until the unified messaging service is re-enabled, which could be confusing for users.

For more information, see the “Disable Single Inbox for All Users” procedure on page 5-6.

Restoring Exchange Mailboxes for Some Users Associated with a Unified Messaging Service When Unity Connection Functionality is a Concern

When you are restoring Exchange mailboxes for a large number of users associated with a unified messaging service, you can use the Bulk Administration Tool to disable single inbox for individual users, if both the following conditions are true:

  • The unified messaging service also includes users whose mailboxes you are not restoring.

  • You are restoring the mailboxes during business hours, when you want to minimize the impact on users whose mailboxes you are not restoring.

Disable Single Inbox for Individual Users

Procedure

Step 1

In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Users and select Users. On the Search Users page, select the alias of the user account that you want to modify.

Step 2

On the Edit Users page, in the Edit menu, select Unified Messaging Accounts. Select the unified messaging account that enables single inbox for the user.

Step 3

Uncheck the Synchronize Unity Connection and Exchange Mailboxes (Single Inbox) check box.

Step 4

Select Save.

Step 5

Repeat Step 1 through Step 4 for the remaining users.

Disable Single Inbox for All Users

To disable the entire unified messaging service, uncheck the Enabled check box.

Procedure

Step 1

In Unity Connection Administration, expand Unified Messaging and select Unified Messaging Services.

Step 2

On the Search Unified Messaging Services page, select the alias of the unified messaging service that you want to modify.

Step 3

To disable single inbox for the users associated with this unified messaging service, uncheck the Synchronize Connection and Exchange Mailboxes (Single Inbox) check box.

To disable the entire unified messaging service, uncheck the Enabled check box.

Step 4

Select Save.

Step 5

Repeat Step 1 through Step 4 for other unified messaging services for which you want to disable single inbox.

Disable Single Inbox for a Large Numbers of Selected Users Using the Bulk Administration Tool

Procedure

Step 1

In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Tools and select Bulk Administration Tool.

Step 2

Under Select Operation, select Export.

Step 3

Under Select Object Type, select Unified Messaging Accounts.

Step 4

Specify a filename for the CSV file to which unified messaging accounts are exported.

Step 5

Select Submit.

Step 6

Follow the onscreen prompts to save the CSV file.

Step 7

Open the CSV file.

Step 8

For the users for whom you want to disable the single inbox feature, change the value of enableMbxSynch to 0.

Step 9

In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, select Tools > Bulk Administration Tool.

Step 10

Under Select Operation, select Update.

Step 11

Under Select Object Type, select Unified Messaging Accounts.

Step 12

Specify the name of the CSV file that you updated in Step 8.

Step 13

Select Submit.

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