1

Hi,

I have a question regarding how to remove the Exchange server and only use AD with AD Sync and Office 365.

I have remote moved all our on-prem mailboxes to Office 365 so in the ECP of Exchange on-prem all our mailboxes says 365 and they are available in 365.

When I want to create a new AD synced user, it doesn’t work to just create a user in AD, because it won’t sync to Office 365 cloud.

I now need to go into the local Exchange, choose Create new Office 365 mailbox, choose which OU and then it will sync to 365.

I would like to remove the local Exchange server, and just be able to create new user in AD and then automatically it will sync to Office 365 portal so I can assign an license.

How do I accomplish this?

Thanks

2021-03-02_09_19_41-Window.png

6 Spice ups
2

Do you have the appropriate OU set to sync in AADConnect? You most certainly should be able to create a user in AD and have it sync.

At the end of 2019 ransomware took out my Exchange server and I was never able to rebuild one that would integrate with my AD. But I can add a user and it’ll sync and then I just assign the license in MS365.

3

Hi,

That was it. I forgot to select the new OU I created. The other ones was already synced. Now it sync the new users I create in AD to Cloud :slight_smile:

So basically I can just shutdown the local Exchange, since the previous users are already migrated to 365, new users I create I do it from AD. And all mail is going directly to office 365 already. Am I right? :slight_smile:

4

That would be my understanding. I create a user in AD, usually go ahead and force a sync, then add the license in 365.

Now, the only caveat I’ve run into is, sometimes Outlook struggles with Autodiscover. Usually it goes ahead and finds the information like you’re used to, but there have been a few times I’ve had to fill out at least the email and password. And in either case it can take several minutes for the autodiscover to complete.

1 Spice up
5

You should setup AD Connect to sync all the OUs instead of being selective. However Microsoft clearly notes that it wouldn’t be a supported environment if you remove exchange.

6

Thanks for your reply. Ok. Now everything is setuped for the future and we have selected the OUs to be synced. Mailboxes in 365. Strange, however I don’t see any problems turning local Exchange server off since everything now is in 365 online, and AD sync is setuped and working.Not sure what the point is having Exchange on-prem running, when you can’t use. :slight_smile:

7

I have been running with exchange using 365 online only for more than 3 years. It works well except…

  1. I’ve needed to get more intimate with PowerShell than I would have needed to had I had an on premises Exchange server running as well.
  2. If you engage a partner to do some work for you around 365, they might tell you they need to install Exchange in order to make sure the work they do is fully compliant. This happened to me a few months ago. I’m now planning to add an Exchange server to remove this barrier.

I’d say you’d be better going with an Exchange server on premises.

8

It is just some attributes then needs to be added manually as opposed as with Exchange they are there. I don’t get the point either but it is Microsoft after all.