I'm currently managing around 300 users, all of whom are domain joined locally, and we're using AD Connect to keep everything in sync (all devices appear as hybrid joined). Though our last mailbox was migrated a couple of years back, we've maintained the old habit of creating mailboxes locally before migrating them. However, I think we can shift to using the remote mailbox command in the future. I've also configured an SMTP relay directly through Exchange Online, which is working sufficiently for our older MFPs, so technically, nothing relies on the on-prem Exchange now.
We recently upgraded to a 2025 HyperV host and have started updating old servers. Currently, there's still a single Exchange 2016 running on Server 2016. While I could upgrade to Exchange 2019 on Server 2025 and then do an in-place upgrade when "SE" is released, I've read that it's possible to shut down the existing 2016 server (without uninstalling) and just use the Exchange 2019 management tools on any domain-joined machine. This sounds like a pretty odd approach, but it's from a Microsoft article. I want to know if anyone has already done this and what their experience was. Is it advisable to install Exchange 2019 on Server 2025 first before shutting everything down, just in case I need to bring it back?
5 Answers
We’re running hybrid with AD Connect and I shut ours down about a year and a half ago without any issues. Just follow the guidance, as you really shouldn't uninstall Exchange since you need those properties in AD.
Yes! I did this shortly after they released the guidance. We didn’t face any issues, and our AD Connect is still running smoothly. All our computers are now Entra-joined and managed with Intune, so everything’s working great without the Exchange server.
Same here! No issues whatsoever.
I think going ahead with the upgrade to 2019 first is a solid plan. I’ve done this a couple of times, and it’s just easier to have the management tools set up before shutting down.
I removed my Exchange servers after migrating to 365, back in 2018. It simplified everything, and we've been managing policies primarily through Intune now. Definitely saved us the hassle of migrating Exchange to new hardware.
We shut down our Exchange server about a month ago. It feels like the best decision we’ve made. We still have our AD on-site for management, and it’s working out well.
I can agree with that—seamless transition for us too.