Hi every one,

I Just wanted to know the details of the converting a user mailbox to a linked mailbox?

I know the cmdlets but what i don't know is what is going on behind the scene. by using Disable-Malbox what happens to existing emails?

What is the difference between Connect-Mailbox and set-user cmd let which both can connect a mail box to another LinkedMasterAccount!?!?!?

Do i need a user with administrative rights on the target domain?

I have two way trust.

Hi,

Q1: What is going on behind the scene. by using Disable-Malbox what happens to existing emails?

Disable-Malbox will remove all the Exchange attributes from the user object in AD. Based on the deleted items retention policy, the Exchange store will retain mailbox data for the user object.

Q2: What is the difference between Connect-Mailbox and set-user cmd let which both can connect a mail box to another LinkedMasterAccount?

Set-User will not remove Exchange attributes from the user object in AD. And sometimes didnt work.

Q3: Do I need a user with administrative rights on the target domain?

The target domain controller obtains security information for the account to which you are linking the mailbox object.

Best Regards.

Thank you so much for your time and reply

let me explain more on my situation.

I have a few (35) users who are going to separate their domain and we will have the trust relation ship, but the mail system would not change.

What i thought is that i can disable the current mailbox and connect it to their own users in the new domain as a linked mailbox. so i followed the technet article 

1.Disable-Mailbox -Identity User1

2. $cred = Get-Credential

3. Connect-Mailbox -Identity User1 -Database "Mailbox Database" -LinkedDomainController FabrikamDC01 -LinkedMasterAccount user1@fabrikam.com -LinkedCredential $cred

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb201694%28v=exchg.141%29.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396

there are some questions here:

1. what do i have to use for credential (i don't have any user on the target domain)

2. I tried several things but by disabling the mailbox and connecting it to another user mailbox was totally empty and all mailbox settings where gone (like smtp addresses and ...)

is there anything i'm missing?

Hi Ziyaei,

"I have a few (35) users who are going to separate their domain and we will have the trust relation ship, but the mail system would not change."

Going by your scenario, you have the reverse scenario.

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Let me try to explain what is linked mailbox first, then your solution.

1. Forest1 has users, but no mailbox servers

2. Forest2 has users + mailboxes servers.

3. You want to utilize forest2 mailbox servers for users in forest1

What do you do is this:

1. Get the forest1 users free from any mailbox association (Disable-Mailbox)

2. On Forest2 create a new mailbox with (Forest2 account disabled), link the useraccount of forest1

In the command -LinkedCredential $cred is the forest1 admin account not the useraccount detail

Now as there is trust forest2 trusts forest1 .Forest1->Forest2. Hence you can use Forest1 account to access Forest2 ADdisabled account's mailbox data.

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That was the general linked mailbox scenario:

But your case is slightly different.

1. You current users are already in forest2(where the mailbox servers reside).

2. You don't have anything in forest1(separate new domain) to connect to forest2

This is what you need to do:

1. Create ADuser accounts for each user in Forest1(new forest) {(this is critical to know how ' (35) users who are going to separate their domain') If you are migrating the user accounts then it will be messy.}

2.Disable-ADAccount on forest2 current user account, also the disable-mailbox.(This will clear the mailbox attributes info, so take a get-mailbox | fl * > Backup.txt  before removing it)

3. Use the New-Mailbox  to create or Connect-Mailbox to use the disabled mailbox as the linked mailbox using forest2 mailbox and forest1 account, the command needs to run in forest2.

4. Use Set-Mailbox to restore any speficic settings missing

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Manage linked mailboxes

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj673532%28v=exchg.150%29.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396

Hi Ziyaei,

Answering your questions:

1. what do i have to use for credential (i don't have any user on the target domain)

A. You are already on the target domain(Exchange forest), as per the last post your scenario is opposite. Actually you don't have any user in source domain(account forest), so create some user account, New-ADUser before you start.

2. I tried several things but by disabling the mailbox and connecting it to another user mailbox was totally empty and all mailbox settings where gone (like smtp addresses and ...)

is there anything i'm missing?

A. This is expected and needs to be like this, there is no way you can have it on the account and still link it, remember to link it it needs to be free from mailbox information. However you can use this step instead of the step 3 New-mailbox to resotre the email,contacts calendar into the new account linked mailbox.

This example connects a linked mailbox.

Connect-Mailbox -Identity "John Evans" -Database "MBXDB02" -LinkedDomainController FabrikamDC01 -LinkedMasterAccount john@fabrikam.com

To keep the smtp addresses, use Get-mailbox | fl * to backup the data, so that you can manually fill it up later.

Thank you so much for reply, it sound perfect, i will try and let you know the result soon.