This procedure may be required if you have decided to refuse On-Premises Microsoft Exchange and start using Exchange Online only and you need to remove all Exchange traces from your domain. Incorrect removal of Exchange can lead to problems in the further domain operation and make it impossible to reinstall Exchange and integrate AD with various services.

IT Partner responsibilities: #

1. Information gathering
2. Data backup
3. Correct decommissioning of Microsoft Exchange

Client responsibilities: #

1. Coordinate Client resources and staff schedules
2. Provide a dedicated point of contact responsible for working with IT Partner
3. Review and approve engagement deliverables in a timely manner
4. Request and approve all change management tickets (if any) in the Client environment
5. Provide access to physical and virtual servers as needed
6. Coordinate any outside vendor resources and schedules
7. Configure all networking equipment, such as load balancers, routers, firewalls, and switches

Prerequisites: #

1. Microsoft Exchange is correctly installed in your organization
2. Microsoft Exchange is not used for sending or receiving mail or any other purposes

Plan: #

The plan may vary depending on your needs.

1. Kickoff meeting
2. Preparing a domain for Exchange uninstallation
3. Data backup
4. Exchange uninstallation
5. Verification and fixing of issues

Success Criteria: #

1. Exchange server removed from your organization
2. No Exchange attributes and data in Active Directory
3. User work not disrupted