Update 7/15/2025: Added a mention of Exchange 2016/2019 ESU program.
In May 2024, we shared our Exchange Server Roadmap Update and our plans for the future of Exchange Server. Since then, we’ve bee...
Updated Aug 13, 2025
Version 17.0
Blog Post
The_Exchange_TeamOne important question that popped up from one of my customers recently: when we perform an in-place update from 2019 to SE, what about mounting 'previous version' mailbox databases from 2019 on SE?
Database portability is typically only supported on the same version of Exchange (so e.g. you can't mount an EDB of 2016 on Exchange 2019).
Will this scenario be supported between 2019 and SE (both RTM and any later CU's)?
And if not (or not completely), what options will we have if we want to restore data from a database that was backed up before migrating to SE, since 2019 can't coexist with SE CU1?
- Nino_Bilic
Microsoft
Yes, this will work. Consider that this is exactly what will happen during an in-place upgrade. Let's say you upgrade a DAG member and bring over the E2019 database from another member that is still on E2019. Database portability, essentially, right? Exchange SE will not change the major version.
SE RTM will be supported for roughly a year (until CU2 releases, CU every half year or so). For situations that might require "ancient" databases to be restored (let's say we are on CU7 for Exchange SE at the time) - you should consider a recovery forest (just like for example if you need to bring back a E2013 database in what is now a purely E2019 organization, you'd need to do today).
