Outline of the migration process

In outline, you perform wizard-assisted PST migrations as follows.

To undertake the migration process

  1. Decide whether to use markers within PST files to determine their ownership. By default, PST files are marked. You can turn off PST file marking in Exchange Desktop policies using the setting, Mark PST files, in the list of advanced Outlook settings.

  2. In the Administration Console, right-click the Archives container and, on the shortcut menu, click Import PST. The PST Migration wizard starts.

  3. Select a vault store to use. You cannot select a vault store that is in backup mode.

  4. Add to the list the PST files that you want to migrate to Enterprise Vault. You can select PST files from multiple mapped drives or network drives, but note that the Enterprise Vault Storage service must be able to access them.

  5. Select how to match PST files with destination archives. You can choose either automatic correlation, or manual.

  6. Specify the default retention category to use for items from PST files that do not have marking information, or if you have chosen not to use marking information.

  7. Each PST file is listed together with the associated mailbox and destination archive, if known. It is important that you check the list of matches before beginning the migration. You can select or change the destination archive for a PST file, or remove PST files from the list, if necessary.

  8. Each PST file is listed together with the retention category that will be applied to the items when they are archived. If required, you can change the retention category for individual PST files. You can choose an existing retention category or create a new one.

  9. Specify whether PST Migrator is to create shortcuts for the items it archives.

    You can configure PST Migrator to do either of the following:

    • Archive the items and delete the original items from the PST without creating shortcuts.

    • Create shortcuts in the PST files and delete the original items after they have been archived. You might select this if users will still have access to the PST files at the end of the migration. The users must move the shortcuts to their mailboxes before they will work.

    • Create shortcuts in the associated mailboxes and delete the original items from the PST files after they have been archived.

  10. Specify the required folder structure that the PST Migrator is to create in the mailbox for shortcuts to migrated items. You can specify a mailbox folder that is to correspond with the root folder in the PST file. Where there are several PST files to migrate, you can choose to merge the folder structures or keep them separate.

  11. Select the language of the PST files to be migrated.

  12. Specify whether PST Migrator is to migrate the Deleted Items folder in the PST files, or leave it in the PST file.

    If calendar items are to be archived, specify whether PST Migrator is to migrate unexpired calendar items.

  13. Specify what to do with each PST file after it has been processed. You can select the following:

    • Leave the file as it is.

    • Delete the file.

    • Compact the file to free up disk space.

    • Set permission on the file to read-only to prevent users adding items to the file.

    • Hide the file. If you are not migrating all the PST files at the same time, this can help you to see how many PST files are left to migrate. The next time you run PST Migrator the hidden PST files will not be visible, provided that you have set your desktop so that it does not show hidden files.

  14. Specify whether PST Migrator is to create a report file for the migration. Report files are created in the Reports subfolder of the Enterprise Vault installation folder.

  15. Start the migration.

    During the migration, the PST Migrator writes two events to the Enterprise Vault event log for each PST file, one when it starts processing the file, and another when it has finished.

    If an item cannot be migrated, it is moved to a folder called PST Migration Failed Items in the PST file.

More Information

Marking PST files