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Migrating to a New Barracuda Message Archiver

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Overview

Consult your Barracuda Networks Product Specialist before migrating from an existing Barracuda Message Archiver to a new Barracuda Message Archiver model, or contact Barracuda Networks Technical Support.

If you are replacing a failed system, contact Barracuda Networks Technical Support, or refer to Replacing a Failed System.

If you are deploying your Barracuda Message Archiver with a Microsoft Exchange Server and are planning to migrate to a newer version of Exchange, or if you plan to change the Barracuda Message Archiver local hostname in an existing Exchange Server deployment, refer to Barracuda Message Archiver and Microsoft Exchange Server Migration.

If you have purchased a new Barracuda Message Archiver and need to migrate your data from the old unit, this work is performed by Barracuda Networks Technical Support.

Your raw emails and the metadata that has been built about your emails (searchable index, statistics, etc) will be moved to your Barracuda Message Archiver from your backup by Barracuda Networks Technical Support. In the event that after a local catastrophe you need to move data from a backup you prepared to a replacement Barracuda Message Archiver, contact Barracuda Networks Technical Support. See Understanding Archived Data Backup for information on how to back up your Barracuda Message Archiver for fastest recovery from a disaster.

Migration Workflow

Phase 1

Migrations are scheduled to a queue within 1-2 business days from Monday to Friday. When the migration begins, Barracuda Networks will begin transferring any preliminary data (Binary) in the background. This will not hinder your daily operations and will normally take 24 to 48 hours. Once the preliminary data transfer is complete, Barracuda Networks will work with you to schedule a short downtime for both Barracuda Message Archiver units to undergo the migration and and verification phase. 

The migration support technician will update you periodically with the progress of the preliminary data (Binary) transfer as needed.

Phase 2

Barracuda Networks will require your explicit permission before migration can begin. This is to ensure services, including end-user availability such as searching, exporting, and using the Outlook Add-In, are stopped on the old and new Barracuda Message Archiver units. As the downtime for both Barracuda Message Archiver units is unavoidable, Barracuda Networks will work with you to ensure the least amount of disruption. 

If you use journaling with SMTP, you will be asked to update the send connector or swap the IP addresses so new mail flow will continue to the new Barracuda Message Archiver unit. Note that this needs to be done approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour before the agreed migration start time. New mail will continue to flow to the new Barracuda Networks Archiver unit and will be put into a holding queue to be processed after the migration is complete. This is processed on top of the inherited data structure. 

This phase of the migration will include transferring all metadata, including index records, databases, SSL certificates, and statistical records. Metadata transfers are variable and will depend on network environments. The migration process is not automated, thus verification checks will be run after all the data has been transferred and placed in the correct locations. 

Note that during the finalization and verification phase, services that include searching, exporting, and using the Outlook Add-In will be temporarily unavailable. This process can take anywhere between 4-24 hours to complete.

Phase 3

When the migration is complete, run searches between the old and new Barracuda Message Archiver units to compare results. Any questions or concerns not related to the migration will require a new support case.