On October 14, 2025, 9 months from today, Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2019 reach end of support. After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide technical support for problems t...
Updated Jan 23, 2025
Version 3.0
Blog Post
The only reason we still have E2016 running is due to recipient management, all mailboxes and public folders are online. We struggle with this guide https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/manage-hybrid-exchange-recipients-with-management-tools to be honest. While I've managed to create a new user from a workstation with Powershell, shutting down the exchange server prevents this and updating or modifying an existing users email/alias etc is not straight forward. Is there any better guide or tutorial on doing this? We would love to shutdown E2016 permanently, as it's going to be sometime before we can move 100% into Entra ID etc.
Nino_Bilic
Microsoft
MicrosoftNote that the article you referred to works ONLY if you have Exchange 2019 management tools installed. This will NOT work with Exchange 2016 management tools. In other words - you will have to extend the schema and prepare AD for Exchange 2019 (today, the newest version is Exchange 2019 CU14) and then install "management tools" on let's say a Windows workstation. There are a few more steps needed as per this bookmark in the article: Manage recipients in Exchange Server 2019 Hybrid environments | Microsoft Learn
Once this is installed, the step 4 there will start the configuration of how to run PS from that workstation so it DOES NOT use the Exchange server you have installed currently. You will need to go through all of those steps, including on how to launch that PowerShell session on that workstation. That eventually gets you to Step 8 - which is where you should be able to create / manage objects even if you turned the Exchange 2016 server off (as a temporary test). Only after this works would you consider running the script mentioned later in the document to remove (not uninstall!) the last E2016 server.
Nino, We are also in same boat. we have one E2k16 server only to manage recipient. If I understand correctly, I just have to extend schema and prepare AD for Exchange 2019 CU15. After this we don't have to install full E2k19 but just Managment tools of E2k19 CU15. Then gracefully shutdown E2k16 server with out uninstalling server.
Will this allow us to in place upgrade to Exchange Server Subscription Edition when it is released?
I just want to make sure if we will be allowed to inplace upgrade to Exchange Server SE whenever it is available.- Nino_Bilic
...gracefully shut down the E2016, yes and then validate that everything works as expected. Then, run the CleanupActiveDirectory script Manage recipients in Exchange Server 2019 Hybrid environments | Microsoft Learn.
Once the script runs, it will remove the server object for Exchange 2016 from Active Directory, and at that point you can reformat that Exchange server and use it for something else. Then when you introduce Exchange SE, no matter which version, it will not complain because Exchange 2016 will not be in Active Directory anymore...
Hi Nino.
As you describe in the main article, it can be interpreted as that MS has a desire that the customers should not have any mail server left onprem, but should go to Exchange Online.
Any thoughts on creating some lightweight Exchange server for administration with GUI and SMTP relay for internal traffic to EXO?
It would be good with a clearer statement that you have to delete the last email server and not uninstall it, describe what happens if you do that.
It would be great if you could make an uninstall script that removes the Exchange service but keeps all Exchange attributes on the user in AD.
Best regards / Mats- Nino_Bilic
Hi Mats,
To certain degree, the solution for management is already here, as per Manage recipients in Exchange Server 2019 Hybrid environments | Microsoft Learn - which is what we have for now that enables you to use PowerShell to manage your recipients without a running Exchange Server on-premises. Note those that this does not account for SMTP relay; if you need SMTP, our recommendation is to keep Exchange Server running on premises.
Whether your organization stays on premises or not is up to your organization and business needs. I think it is no secret that Microsoft has as a general rule stated unambiguously that Exchange Online is where most investment and innovation is (as far as email goes). We are committed to providing the on-premises solution to customers who choose to stay on premises, though, hence the release of Exchange SE.
Hi.
Yes I all ready have used that solutions once for one of my customers. There had we solved the SMTP directly to EXO, but some customer has old apps/servers that not support that, there are we using anonymous relay in Exchange Onpremise but i hope there would be a better transition for a customer like that.
But I got an answer. Thanks.
Just want to say thanks Nino_Bilic I've got this working now after going through the steps again.
Thanks for the info, I did install 2019 management tools and extend AD schema etc. Will go over those steps again read through it further.
