Microsoft warns IT administrators against using an unsupported action in Exchange Online. The company emphasizes that although the ‘New-MoveRequest’ command for local mailbox moves does exist, it is not supported and can cause problems.
IT administrators sometimes use the New-MoveRequest cmdlet (a command within Windows PowerShell) to move mailboxes locally within the same tenant or data center. Microsoft explains that this functionality does exist for historical reasons, but is not officially supported by the company. There are several reasons for this.
First, Microsoft cannot easily troubleshoot or expedite local moves. Once these requests are initiated, they are given low-priority background task status, which can sometimes take weeks. In addition, Exchange Online has automated processes, eliminating the need for manual local moves, which are also inefficient.
Risk of data loss
There is also a risk of so-called orphaned data. Move requests can be used for Primary Mailboxes and MainArchive Mailboxes. Local move requests are in principle possible for moving these components within the data center environment, but great caution is required.
When the user is updated at the end of the local move, the update code only knows the properties that refer to the Primary and MainArchive. If a New-MoveRequest is submitted against a MailboxLocation-based shard such as ComponentShared or AuxArchive, the completion code will not only update the database of that shard, but also make the Primary shard ‘dialtone’ by resetting its own Database property. “You have been warned,” says Microsoft.
Historical feature no longer needed
Microsoft states that local move requests exist because they were originally needed for scenarios such as cross-database moves in on-premises Exchange Server 2010. However, this is no longer required, as Exchange Online intelligently handles mailbox placement and load balancing. The cmdlet can still be used to move mailboxes between two different tenants, which is why it still exists. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that Microsoft does not simply make the action impossible; perhaps this would cause other technical problems.
Alternatives for IT administrators
If you encounter problems with mailboxes or need to recreate data, Microsoft recommends supported methods. In other words, address the root cause of the problem by opening a support case with Microsoft to thoroughly investigate and resolve the issue. The engineering team may sometimes choose to move a mailbox, but according to Microsoft, this process is well thought out and based on valid reasons. The company also monitors this process.
In addition, administrators can rely on automation. Exchange Online continuously monitors and rebalances mailbox placement. Manual intervention is rarely necessary, according to Microsoft.
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