Moving mailboxes between the on-premises and Exchange Online can be a difficult task. There are usually two different ways to do this: using the New-MigrationBatch cmdlet, introduced in Exchange 2013, or using the New-MoveRequest cmdlet. Here we help you in choosing the features in different scenarios.
Overview of Both Ways
Whether you’re planning a large-scale mailbox migration to Office 365 or transitioning from Exchange Server 2010 to Exchange Server 2016, it’s important to understand the different approaches.
There are basically two options to move your mailboxes, one is New-MigrationBatch and New-MoveRequest features.
At first glance, both features serve the same primary purpose: transferring mailboxes from a source mailbox database to a target mailbox database. However, there are notable differences between them. Let’s delve deeper to explore this.
New-MoveRequest vs New-MigrationBatch
Here are some key differences between the two.
| Description | New-MoveRequest | New-MigrationBatch |
|---|---|---|
| Move the mailbox between the on-premises mailboxes database | ✓ | ✓ |
| Move the mailbox to and from Exchange Online (Office 365) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immediately begin the mailbox transfer | ✓ | × |
| Migration status report | × | ✓ |
| Available in Exchange Management Shell | ✓ | ✓ |
| Available in Exchange Admin Center | × | ✓ |
| Move mailboxes with a CSV file | ✓ | ✓ |
| Makes use of Migration mailbox (arbitration mailbox) | × | ✓ |
| Move one mailbox | ✓ | ✓ |
| Move many mailboxes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Exchange 2010 support | ✓ | × |
| Exchange 2013/ 2016/ 2019/ Exchange Online support | ✓ | ✓ |
Which one to Choose?
When planning a migration that involves moving a large number of mailboxes, you are faced with the decision of which option to choose:
- Option 1: New-MoveRequest
- Option 2: New-MigrationBatch
Option 1: New-MoveRequest
If speed is an important factor in your migration, I highly recommend choosing the New-MoveRequest option. This method offers a faster transfer process without involving a Migration mailbox. However, keep in mind that if your company requires a detailed report after the migration is complete, you may want to consider option 2.
Option 2: New-MigrationBatch
If you prefer a wizard-based (GUI) approach for moving mailboxes, Exchange Admin Center is the way to go. It leverages the New-MigrationBatch feature in the back end. It provides a user-friendly interface while still achieving the desired mailbox movement. However, if you opt for the New-MoveRequest feature, you must use the Exchange Management Shell.
Conclusion
By going through the differences of these two migrations, you can make an informed decision based on your specific migration requirements. So the next time you read about migrating or moving mailboxes, you already know that they both did the same work in the end.
