BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Version 5.0

[Eponymous]

Hi,

We currently have a GroupWise 4.1 Blackberry Enterprise Server, but we will soon be migrating to Exchange. Will also want to upgrade to Blackberry Server 5.0 as part of this process.

Does anyone know if I can do a clean install on a new server using the Blackberry 5.0 Exchange - Upgrade version, or will I need to buy the full version to change to the Exchange platform?

A few sales people have told me it 'should' work, but I was hoping a fellow techie could give me a firm answer.

Cheers,

Shane

[MrVirtual]

Hi Shane,

Just planning an upgrade to our Exchange environment here.

I would doubt that the BES transported would work across GroupWise to Exchange as BES keeps it messaging products so separate.

I would think of this as a green field install.

I would imagine you would have a parallel install (require TEMP SRP) and swing your users across, I think it will be very disruptive to the end user but migrating their mail service s anyway, I would think you would need to re initialise your devices wirelessly, like a reset and re initialise.

Check out the BES 5 Upgrade Guide and the Admin guides here http://au.blackberry.com/support/software/server.jsp

I hope this helps you

[knottyrope]

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Eponymous wrote:

Hi,

We currently have a GroupWise 4.1 Blackberry Enterprise Server, but we will soon be migrating to Exchange. Will also want to upgrade to Blackberry Server 5.0 as part of this process.

Does anyone know if I can do a clean install on a new server using the Blackberry 5.0 Exchange - Upgrade version, or will I need to buy the full version to change to the Exchange platform?

A few sales people have told me it 'should' work, but I was hoping a fellow techie could give me a firm answer.

Cheers,

Shane

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BES 5 is not a free upgrade, it is about 1000 USD for the upgrade from Full BES 4.x

[Eponymous]

Thanks for the feedback and the link. I plan on doing a clean install, as I have less than ten BB users. The re-initialisation of the devices shouldn't take long, and most users are in the office during the day, so I can do this with minimal interuption to the users.

Cheers

[Eponymous]

Hi knottyrope,

I'm aware that the upgrade wasn't free, but I was hoping I wouldn't have to spring for the $5,000 full version of BES for Exchange. :-) Based on some more correspondence with our telco, they have convinced me that I should be able to do use the BES for Exchange 5.0 Upgrade to move from BES for GroupWise 4.0. I'll report back on how successful this is (or isn't!).

Cheers

[MrVirtual]

Hmm I think I missed the "Upgrade Version" part.

The installers from memory are actually the full editions so upgrading is all down to the license keys etc.

Just ensure you do not allow the same srp identifier to contact the BES wireless service from two servers at the same time or it will disable the key and you loose BES services. BB should be able to supply you a temp key for the migration window.

So upgrade version would really come back to your license keys, are they the same for Group Wise and Exchange? not sure. 

[knottyrope]

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MrVirtual wrote:

Hmm I think I missed the "Upgrade Version" part.

The installers from memory are actually the full editions so upgrading is all down to the license keys etc.

Just ensure you do not allow the same srp identifier to contact the BES wireless service from two servers at the same time or it will disable the key and you loose BES services. BB should be able to supply you a temp key for the migration window.  If on T support, you can get a migration kit which will give you a new SPR and teh old will expire.

So upgrade version would really come back to your license keys, are they the same for Group Wise and Exchange? not sure. Agnostic is the key word.

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BES SRPs and CALs are carrier AND platform agnostic (does knot care)