A migration report can tell you whether a migration process completed, but it does not automatically prove that every business-critical item is available and usable at the destination.
Exchange Public Folder validation should therefore be treated as a separate phase of the project.
Start With a Baseline
Before migration, record:
- Total Public Folders
- Folder hierarchy
- Folder sizes
- Important folders
- Item counts
- Mail-enabled folders
- SMTP addresses
- Permission assignments
- Calendar and contact folders
This baseline becomes the reference point for post-copy comparison.
This baseline becomes the reference point for post-copy comparison. A tool like ExchangeSavvy’s Public Folder Analyzer can generate this baseline automatically, scanning folder size, item counts, and permissions across the entire hierarchy in one pass.
Validate the Hierarchy
The hierarchy is one of the easiest areas to compare programmatically.
Check that:
- Parent folders exist.
- Child folders exist.
- Names are preserved.
- Nested structures remain intact.
- Special-purpose folders are present.
A missing folder can indicate a migration mapping or source-data problem even when the overall migration appears successful.
Validate Messages and Attachments
For important folders, compare representative content.
Check:
- Old messages
- Recent messages
- Message subjects
- Senders and recipients
- Dates
- Attachments
- Folder locations
Sampling is useful, but high-value folders should receive more detailed validation.
Validate Calendars and Contacts
Do not treat every Public Folder as a simple email repository.
Calendar folders may contain appointments and meeting information, while contact folders may contain operational address books. ExchangeSavvy’s Public Folder Migrator is built to preserve these calendar and contact items intact during the move, but they should still be tested separately.
Validate Permissions
A successful data copy is not enough if users cannot access the content they previously used.
Compare:
- Folder owners
- Access levels
- Custom permissions
- Restricted folders
- Administrative access
Validate Mail-Enabled Objects
For mail-enabled Public Folders, confirm the destination has the expected mail configuration.
Microsoft notes that mail-enabling a Public Folder adds email addresses and other mail settings. This is especially important when moving Public Folders to Shared Mailboxes, where mail flow needs to keep working exactly as before.
|
Validation Area |
Source |
Destination |
Status |
| Folder count |
X |
X |
Pass |
| Important folders |
X |
X |
Pass |
| Message samples |
X |
X |
Pass |
| Attachments |
X |
X |
Pass |
| Permissions |
X |
X |
Review |
| Mail-enabled folders |
X |
X |
Pass |
The report creates an audit trail and gives stakeholders a clear basis for approving cutover — the kind of audit-ready reporting that also helps if a rollback decision is ever needed.
FAQs
Does a completed migration batch guarantee every item migrated?
No. Completion should be followed by validation of content, hierarchy, permissions and functionality.
What is the most important migration validation check?
There is no single check. Folder structure, content, permissions and mail flow should all be validated.
Should validation happen before or after cutover?
Both. Pre-cutover validation identifies problems before users depend on the destination, while post-cutover checks confirm the live environment.
