Lotus Notes to Exchange Migration with Office 2007
Exchange: Frequently Asked Questions
You can help us make this website more relevant. Questions can be sent to oduemailmigration@odu.edu and answers will be provided within these pages so that your questions (and the answers) can benefit others.
General Questions
Who is migrating to MS Exchange 2007?
All ODU Faculty and staff e-mail are migrating to MS Exchange 2007 while student e-mail will be outsourced.
When will this happen?
In the summer of 2008 continuing through the fall of this year. Migration will be done by department similar to past Lotus Notes upgrade.
What are Exchange, Outlook, and OWA (Outlook Web Access)?
Exchange is the server software that provides the e-mail and calendaring functions. Outlook is the desktop mail client. Outlook Web Access (OWA) is the web browser e-mail client. OWA is compatible with Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari.
Is ODU providing training for MS Office 2007 which includes Outlook 2007?
Training for MS Office 2007 will be offered first, followed by Outlook training prior to the departments being migrated to Microsoft Exchange. Type of training is yet to be determined.
Is there a standard e-mail client that the University will support for faculty and staff?
The standard e-mail client on campus will be Outlook 2007. It will be installed on user's desktop. Outlook Web Access (OWA) is the standard client for Internet access.
When I'm migrated to the new E-mail system, will I lose any of my messages?
No. Your existing e-mail messages will be migrated to Microsoft Exchange.
Will this change affect any ODU online services that I normally use like Blackboard or LEOonline?
The Exchange migration will not affect the way you access other ODU online services
E-mail Questions
Will my personal address book work with Outlook Contacts?
Your personal address book on Lotus Notes is stored on a separate file. You will need to synchronize your personal addressbook with your Contacts so this information is pushed to your mail file on the server.
If we don't want to move to MS Exchange this year, can we still keep Lotus Notes?
No. Migration from Lotus Notes e-mail system to Microsoft Exchange is mandatory.
Our department has several shared email databases. How can we access them from MS Exchange?
All shared email databases will be migrated to Exchange. Once they are migrated, you will be able to access them using Outlook or Outlook Web Access.
I use LINUX, how will I be able to access my e-mail?
Outlook Web Access is compatible with Firefox. The functionality of the interface is complete, but it will not look as good, nor will you be able to drag and drop e-mails. You can also setup an IMAP client such as Thunderbird or Evolution to access your e-mails, but IMAP will only let you view the first 30 days worth of e-mails in your account. You will still be able to send and receive e-mails normally with any IMAP client.
I have a Mac, how will I be able to access my e-mail?
Mac users will have a variety of avenues to access their e-mail under Microsoft Exchange. The most supported method is to use Microsoft Entourage, which is a re-branded Outlook client for Macs. Another option is to use an IMAP client such as Mac Mail or Mozilla Thunderbird; however as with all IMAP clients in the new system, you will only be able to view the first 30 days of your e-mail. You will still be able to send and receive e-mails normally with any IMAP client. You can also use Safari or Firefox to access Outlook Web Access, which will give you functional e-mail access to the new system.
Will the new F/S Exchange infrastructure support Exchange ActiveSync for Windows Mobile devices?
Yes.
Will Spam Trap still be available/will it have the same interface as it does now?
SpamTrap will continue as is. Though it integrates with email, SpamTrap is a separate system and is not being replaced.
Will our Lotus addresses be transferred to the new platform?
Your address will remain the same.
How about the hundreds of folders I have in Lotus Notes? Are they going to be migrated as well?
Yes. Any folders which you have in Lotus Notes will be recreated in Outlook.
What about IMAP clients? What if I use Thunderbird or Mac Mail to access my mail? Will this still be supported?
Yes, but to a limited degree. The new email archiving system that we are implementing does not fully support IMAP clients. In your IMAP client, you will only be able to view the first 30 days of your email. To view any older messages, you will need to user either Outlook Web Access or Outlook 2007.
Can I use any web browser to access OWA (Outlook Web Access)?
Internet Explorer 7 (IE) is the OCCS recommended browser for OWA access. OWA is accessible with other web browsers such as Firefox or Opera, but you will have limited functionality (i.e. No drop-and-drag capability) and the layout may look a little different. IE users will be using OWA with full functionality, and Firefox users will be directed to a "light" version of OWA.
What about my archive databases? How can I access them from MS Outlook 2007?
All Lotus Notes email archives will need to be imported into the new email system. Your Technical Support Staff will help you upload copies of your e-mail archive to a designated directory on the netware server. After the archives have been imported, the messages that they contain will be viewable in Outlook 2007 or in Outlook Web Access as part of your mailbox.
Calendar Questions
Will my Lotus Notes calendar work with MS Exchange 2007? How about my old Lotus Notes calendar entries? Will they show up in Outlook?
Along with your e-mail messages, all calendar entries will also be migrated.
Our department has several calendars. Will I be able to access them from Outlook?
Yes.
We have conference rooms that are listed in the Resource Reservation database in Lotus Notes. Will they also be migrated to Microsoft Exchange?
Yes.
Outlook 2007
Are there any additional Demos that I can watch for Office 2007 or Outlook?
Yes. Microsoft has a good selection of demos that can help you get up to speed with Outlook and Office 2007:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/CH100740861033.aspx
I am already familiar with Outlook 2003, but I have never used Outlook 2007. Do you have any information about the differences?
Yes. Here is an interactive command reference guide that shows you where to find Outlook 2003 commands in Outlook 2007:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA102221621033.aspx
I am already familiar with Office 2003, but I hear that Office 2007 is much different. Where will I be able to find the commands that I need?
This page has an array of command reference guides for Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Access, and Outlook. The interactive guides on this page can show you how to use the new "Ribbons" that Office 2007 uses:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/getstarted/FX101938921033.aspx
Do you have any additional training resources for Office 2007?
Microsoft has a wide array of online courses and for the Office 2007 products which you can find here:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/FX100565001033.aspx