Exchange Migrations FAQ

Pre-Migration Day Questions

What can I do to prepare for the migration?

  • Clean-up your mailboxes in order to minimize the migration time and to reduce possible complications. This includes removing or archiving unnecessary emails in your Inbox, Deleted and Sent folders, saving large attachments to your local computer, etc.
  • If you have a preferred name that you would like to use in place of your legal name for the display name on your FASmail account, let your UBC Directory Administrator know.
  • If you have an older version of Outlook (2003 or earlier) or for MACs (earlier than Entourage/2008), your email client will need to be upgraded to Outlook 2010 (PC) or Outlook 2011 (Mac).
  • If you use a mobile device (ie. Blackberry, Android, iPhone, etc…) to connect to your Exchange 2007 account, you will need to let your IT administrator know so that it can be taken into account for the migration. If you do not, your mobile device will no longer function after the migration.

Will I lose data on my mobile device?
No, you will not. However, if you have an ActiveSync device (ie. iPhone, Android, etc..), you will need to reconfigure the profile on your mobile device to connect to your mailbox again after the migration. If you have a BlackBerry, you will need to ensure that your device is fully charged and is in an area where there is good reception on the day of the migration.

Will I lose data in my Exchange 2007 mailbox when it is migrated?
Most of your data will be retained. However, you will need to go through some additional steps in order to retain email signatures and mailbox rules.

How do I retain my email signatures?
Your email signatures should be retained after your mailbox is migrated. However, on the migration date, you will need to select your default email signature again once your Outlook client has been setup to connect to FASmail. Please refer to the Migration Day Questions for further details.

How do I retain my mailbox rules?
On the migration day, you or your IT administrator will need to import a copy of your mailbox rules. To prepare for the migration day, you should export your rules ahead of time. For further instructions on how this is done, refer to the following documentation:

What can I expect on the migration day?
On the migration day, you should check your mailbox when you come into work. If your mailbox contains a message indicating that your mailbox has been migrated to FASmail, then you have two options:

  1. Wait for your IT administrator to reconfigure your email client to connect to FASmail. In the meantime, you can use Outlook Web App to access your mailbox. Please refer to the Migration Day Questions section for additional information.
  2. Reconfigure your email client yourself to connect to FASmail. Please refer to the Migration Day Questions section for additional information.

Please note that your department may adhere to their own migration procedures. If this is the case, your IT administrator will let you know ahead of time.

Migration Day Questions

I want to reconfigure my Outlook 2010 settings myself instead of waiting for my IT administrator to assist me. I DO have a Blackberry connected to the UBC Blackberry Enterprise Service. What are the steps that I should take?

  1. You should have received an email from the FASmail migration team requesting a response from you. If you responded to the email, then proceed to the next step. If you have not responded, then please contact your IT administrator or the ITSC at 604-822-9100 for assistance.
  2. Check your Blackberry. If you are prompted to enter in a new passcode for your device, this means that your Blackberry profile was successfully migrated to the new BES service on FASmail.
  3. On your Blackberry, you will need to select and enter a 5 character passcode. If your device previously had a 5 character passcode, you may use the same passcode.
  4. Check your mailbox. If your mailbox contains a message indicating that your mailbox has been migrated to FASmail, proceed to the next step. Otherwise, contact your IT administrator as your mailbox has not been migrated yet.
  5. (Optional): If you use rules, export your mailbox rules. If you have already done so prior to the migration day, you may skip this step. Click here for instructions.
  6. Setup your email client to connect to FASmail. Click here for instructions.
  7. Login to your FASmail mailbox by opening your email client and selecting the mail profile that you created in the previous step.
  8. (Optional): If you use email signatures, choose your default signature in Outlook. Click here for instructions.
  9. (Optional): If you use rules, import your mailbox rules into Outlook. Click here for instructions.

I want to reconfigure my Outlook 2010 settings myself instead of waiting for my IT administrator to assist me. I DO NOT have a Blackberry connected to the UBC Blackberry Enterprise Service. What are the steps that I should take?

  1. Check your mailbox. If your mailbox contains a message indicating that your mailbox has been migrated, proceed to the next step. Otherwise, contact your IT administrator as your mailbox has not been migrated yet.
  2. (Optional): If you use rules, export your mailbox rules. If you have already done so prior to the migration day, you may skip this step. You may export your rules by following this document:
  3. Setup your email client to connect to FASmail.
  4. Login to your FASmail mailbox by opening your email client and selecting the mail profile that you created in the previous step.
  5. (Optional): If you use email signatures, choose your default signature in Outlook.
  6. (Optional): If you use rules, import your mailbox rules in Outlook.
  7. (Optional): If you have an ActiveSync mobile device, setup the profile again on your device to connect to FASmail.

Why are the migration steps between Blackberry BES users and non-Blackberry users different?
There is a high risk that Blackberry devices will no longer function after the migration if extra precautions are not taken. This is why we require confirmation from each Blackberry BES user that they will be available on the migration day to ensure that the migration to FASmail is smooth. If we do not receive confirmation, then we will not migrate Blackberry users.

How do I setup my email client to connect to FASmail?
Please refer to the following site for setup documents on various email clients: FASmail Project Setup Documents

How do I setup my BlackBerry to connect to FASmail?
The FASmail migration team will perform the migration in the backend. You will receive an email 2 days before the migration day and you will need to respond to it in order for us to schedule your migration. If you do not respond, then we will defer your migration.

How do I setup my Android device to connect to FASmail?
Please refer to this documentation: Setting Up UBC Faculty & Staff Email (FASmail) on an Android Device Using ActiveSync

How do I setup my iPhone to connect to FASmail?
Please refer to this documentation: Setting Up UBC Faculty & Staff E-mail Using ActiveSync

Post-Migration Questions

How do I get support during this migration?
Please contact your IT administrator, or the IT Service Centre at 604-822-9100 for assistance.

Are there any limitations that I should be aware of once my mailbox has been migrated to FASmail?
You will continue to be able to:

  • View and e-mail Exchange 2007 users in the Global Address List (GAL).
  • View availability of Exchange 2007 users when booking meeting requests.
  • Book Exchange 2007 resources such as meeting rooms and equipment.
  • E-mail existing Exchange 2007 distribution lists.
  • Receive messages sent to your Exchange 2007 mailbox in your new FASmail account.

You will no longer be able to:

  • Access Exchange 2007 shared calendars and mailboxes.
  • Access your mailbox at webmail.exchange.ubc.ca after a period of time defined by your department.
  • Use your mobile device (eg. iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, etc.) to connect to your mailbox until your device is reconfigured.
  • Access or use public folders on Exchange 2007.

What changes should I expect between the old Exchange 2007 system and the new FASmail system?

  • All users in the Global Address List will follow the format of lastname, firstname.
  • Departmental resources in the GAL are functionally grouped by departments (eg. For UBC IT, all resource mailboxes are prefixed with UBC IT).
  • Based on UBC Policy 106, all mobile devices with FASmail on it will require a 5 digit unlock code on the device. For further information about this, please refer to FASmail FAQs
  • Public folders are no longer available in FASmail as this feature is being deprecated by Microsoft.
  • There is a new and improved Webmail interface at www.mail.ubc.ca

What is my new email address in FASmail?
Your new email address in FASmail will be in the format of yourcwl@mail.ubc.ca . An alias in the format of firstname.lastname@ubc.ca can be requested your UBC Directory Administrator.