Migrate from exchange 2013 to Microsoft 365 (Hybrid mode)

Question

Hi Everyone,

We're going to migrate from on-prem Exchange 2013 to Microsoft 365.

my question is if we setup hybrid mode with an Exchange server 2019, do we have access to emails in case of any issue with Microsoft 365 environment? Or if Microsoft platform is down, we don't have access to emails even via Hybrid server.

Please advised.

Answer 1

Hi, @Amir-G

When you set up hybrid mode, it allows seamless integration between your on-premises Exchange environment and Microsoft 365.

However, if Microsoft 365 fails, your access to email will depend on the location of the mailbox.

1.If the mailboxes are still on-premises, you can access them through Exchange Server 2019 on-premises. This means that users can continue to send and receive emails within the organisation.

2.If mailboxes have been migrated to Microsoft 365, even if you have a hybrid setup, you won't be able to access those emails during a Microsoft 365 outage.

The hybrid setup is primarily designed to simplify the migration process and provide features such as GAL, free/busy calendar sharing, and secure mail routing.

To ensure continuity, you may want to consider a backup strategy for your email data.

In addition, in the event of a crash, Microsoft quickly identifies and isolates the problem to prevent it from spreading further. The engineering team then immediately begins investigating and fixing the issue to ensure that service is restored as quickly as possible. Microsoft also provides customers with the latest status updates and solutions through its Service Health Dashboard and other communication channels.

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Answer 2

Hi @Amir-G , I agree with the above advise given by Xintao. Other than that, I would like you to test your disaster recovery plans to ensure that, in case of a Microsoft 365 outage, you know how to handle it and minimize any downtime.

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