A few years ago, we created a web site that would allow our hybrid customers to obtain what’s generally known as the “hybrid key”. This self-service site would validate your O365 tenant and after a f...
Updated Apr 21, 2022
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Hybrid Configuration Wizard and licensing of your on-premises server used for hybrid
The_Exchange_Team Greg Taylor - EXCHANGE
I specifically registered to comment on this ongoing discussion because I feel that the previous posts from the community haven't put you to task as directly as I would like.
I'm at a point where I actively want to move customers to the cloud and give Microsoft more money on a monthly basis, but Microsoft has made this the most convoluted process with dependencies that are hard to meet and track and follow and so I've been reluctant, almost afraid to migrate people.
I have a number of customers on various platforms, but the common thread is that they need AD, a local file server and a local SQL server, as well as Exchange Online. A variety of workflows require that AD Sync is in place.
The fact that I have to keep an on-prem server to manage a cloud service is a harsh enough pill to swallow (and a number of comments prior to mine echo this sentiment) - but now I also have to make sure that on-prem management server is Windows Server 2016 or older because you don't support Exchange 2016 on Windows Server 2019?
So, Microsoft tells us IT folks that we need to deploy an on-prem server to cover your team's implementation shortfalls and you have the audacity to fire off glib comments to people who want to USE and PAY for your subscription product (or at the very least have been pushed into it as there are no other good on-prem options for small businesses anymore)
You've introduced a lot of inconsistent constraints and it's garbage that you're leaving this to your customers to figure out on their own because you refuse to meet us halfway. It's not like Exchange Online is free, you're pissing off people who are a regular revenue stream.
TL;DR: I (and almost all of the other people who have posted here) don't want to keep an older version of Exchange and Windows Server running in a brand new environment to support a management console that Microsoft is forcing me to install and it's completely unacceptable that the people who are asking for help and options are being met with hostility from the Exchange team. You should offer an Exchange 2019 hybrid license, or at the very least, make it possible to install Exchange 2016 on a Windows Server 2019 platform.