How to backup/restore BB7290 user data (without Desktop software) during migration??
 

Okay, so a search didn't reveal any really pertinent topics, so here's our situation:

In circa 12 weeks, we'll be migrating our ~ 1000 Exchange 5.5 users to Exchange 2003. As such, we'll need to also migrate the ~ 100 BB7290 users - wiping and re-EAing all devices (after deleting the users from 'BES1' and adding them to 'BES2') OTA.

I've done some research/investigating, and know that the two BES servers each have their own configuration database (meaning 'delete and add' is the only way to 'migrate' the BB users accounts). The Exchange 5.5 servers are in their own NT 4.0 domain. The new Exchange 2003 is part of the Corporate AD forest.

So, okay, we're pretty much resigned to the necessity of the 'delete - wipe - add - OTA/EA' process. Now my attention (and the actual purpose for this topic) has turned to whether and how the user configuration info/user data from the handhelds can be preserved and restored.

We have many users with autosig on (and associated text).
We have users who have configured the device to delete email from device and mailbox (this is a big one!!).
Users have saved important messages in Saved.

I'm sure there are more that I've not yet thought of - so please tell me (or point me to info on):

1. How can we capture user-configured setting info (even if we have to later re-configure it all by hand) and device-resident data - WITHOUT use of Desktop software?
2. How can those configurations/data be restored after moving the users to a new BES server (again, without Desktop software)?
   

This is a Corporate environment - Desktop software is NOT used (except as needed by the BES admins to re-install the OS - the devices are used only wirelessly) - Browser use and SMS sending are disabled via IT Policy (as well as lots of other things!) - I'm looking for a solution that uses only the BES features/functionality. I do NOT have access to the BES servers - they are managed by our Remote Access team (which is part of the Corporate Email group).

Thanks in advance for replies - this site rocks!

Hmmm, is what I'm asking for impossible? How about any partial solutions...

Brain,

Did you try:
- Remove user from old BES
- (maybe remove some service books)...
- Enterprise Activation for the new BES (NO Wipe)?
- EA is in the BlackBerry Option menu

Regards,
Bob

I agree with Bob, if you want to retain the configuration data on the handheld, my suggestion would be to not wipe the device, just delete all of the Desktop service books, reset the handheld and then do the OTA. You will probably run into some problems with some of the users during the synchronization process, but the frequency of the problems will probably be low.

Thanks for the replies! These are the kinds of things I'm looking for - alternatives to the 'mandated' process to migrate users to the new BES/Exchange server.

Anyone with experience doing what Bob and Kablooey propose? Any known or potential gotchas??

The 'trying' part can't happen until the mailboxes have been migrated (all over one weekend) - so I'm looking for feedback/ideas at this point.