Steps Involved in Office 365 Tenant To Tenant Migration Same Domain

Preparing For Office 365 Tenant to Tenant Migration Same Domain

Before getting into the tenant to tenant migration o365 steps, it is essential to conduct a pre-migration process to go through the migration process hassle-freely. The method generally comprises preparing and verifying the domain for the target tenant, scheduling the migration process, and finally activating the migration process. Thus, the pre-migration steps are:

• Domain Preparation
• Domain Verification
• Scheduling the Migration
• Activating the Migration

Below is an elaboration of the steps:

Domain Preparation

The first step in the pre-migration phase is preparing the domain for the target tenant, which includes:

• Checking if there is enough space and additional licenses available in the domain.
• Ensuring admin accounts are created for both tenants in the domain to facilitate the migration process.
• Creating the required user mailboxes, distribution groups, and resource mailboxes in the target tenant.
• Performing active directory domain consolidation using Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS) tools.

Verifying the Domain

The next step is to verify the domain of the target tenant. Since the discussion here is about migrating data within the same domain, this step is unnecessary.

Scheduling

• Creating a CSV file for mapping purposes and a list of all the user mailboxes that need to be migrated.
• Making a note of the last value of the TTL on the MX record.
• Finally, disabling directory syncing in the source tenant.

Activating the Migration

• Setting the primary MX record value to some unconventional number to stop the inbound flow of emails to the source tenant.
• Deleting all the objects in the primary mail domain in the source tenant.

Methods of Office 365 Tenant to Tenant Migration Same Domain

Once the pre-migration stage is over, the Office 365 migration tenant to tenant can be performed using either of the two methods:

• Manual Migration Process
• Automated Migration Process

Manual Migration Process

Manual O365 tenant to tenant migration requires technical expertise to run the PowerShell scripts. Even a tiny error or a mistake can cause the scripts to fail and disrupt the migration process entirely. It can cause temporary communication failure and downtime and take additional time to correct the errors and execute the migration process again.

Automated Migration Process

Users who don’t have the technical expertise in creating and executing PowerShell scripts can rely on the automated tenant to tenant migration Office 365 tools. There are several tenant to tenant migration service providers available you can opt from, who can provide the requisite tools for the process and also provide adequate guidance throughout the process.

The automated migration process is recommended for those organizations which may not have dedicated technical teams or SMBs that use Microsoft Office 365 services for small-scale operations only.

Step-By-Step Guide For Office 365 Tenant to Tenant Migration

Follow this Office 365 tenant to tenant migration step-by-step guide for hassle-free migration (most tools will follow a similar process; however, you must check with the service provider for respective instructions to ensure you do not miss out on anything):

• Step 1) Download the Office 365 migration tool.
• Step 2) Install the migration tool and open it.
• Step 3) Once the tool is launched, click the “Add” button in the “Select Source” section.
• Step 4) Enter your Microsoft Office 365 credentials and click the “Add” button to begin the migration process.
• Step 5) Provide your Office 365 credentials in the “Select Destination” section.
• Step 6) Next, specify the source and destination mailboxes.
• Step 7) Finally, choose the required filters and start the migration process.
• Step 8) The migration process will get started, and you can see the progress.
• Step 9) Once completed, you get the entire Office 365 migration tenant to tenant report.

There is no provision or specific tool provided by Microsoft to perform Office 365 tenant to tenant migration same domain. Hence, administrators need to either choose a manual migration process using PowerShell scripts or use a dedicated automated migration tool. Manual migration is a complicated process and requires considerable technical expertise. However, using third-party migration tools, O365 tenant to tenant migration is not that challenging and is especially recommended for small businesses.