How to connect to Exchange Online or Office 365 from your hybrid deployment

Managing a hybrid Exchange environment requires seamless connectivity between your on-premises Exchange Server and Exchange Online (part of Microsoft 365). This setup is common for organizations transitioning to the cloud while retaining some services on-premises. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to connect to Exchange Online or Office 365 from your hybrid deployment.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure the following:

• Your on-premises Exchange Server is configured correctly for hybrid mode using the Hybrid Configuration Wizard (HCW).
• You have an Exchange Online subscription as part of Microsoft 365 or Office 365.
• You have administrative credentials for both your on-prem Exchange and Exchange Online.
• PowerShell 5.1 or later is installed on your admin workstation.
• .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher is installed.

Step 1: Install the Exchange Online PowerShell Module

Microsoft provides the Exchange Online PowerShell V2 module (EXO V2), which enables secure remote connectivity. Follow these steps:

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator.
2. Run the command:Install-Module -Name ExchangeOnlineManagement
3. When prompted, confirm the installation of NuGet and allow the module to install.

Step 2: Connect to Exchange Online

Once the module is installed:

1. Import the module:Import-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement
2. Use the following command to initiate the connection:Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName [email protected]
3. Enter your Microsoft 365 credentials when prompted.
4. Upon successful authentication, your PowerShell session will be connected to Exchange Online.

Step 3: Connect to On-Premises Exchange

To fully manage a hybrid environment, connect to your on-prem Exchange:

1. Run the following in PowerShell:$Session = New-PSSession -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -ConnectionUri http://youronpremserver.domain.com/PowerShell/ -Authentication Kerberos Import-PSSession $Session -DisableNameChecking
2. Replace youronpremserver.domain.com with your actual Exchange server FQDN.

Step 4: Manage Your Hybrid Deployment

With both connections active, you can now manage mailbox moves, view hybrid configurations, and perform administrative tasks across environments.

Some useful hybrid commands:

• To check the hybrid configuration:Get-HybridConfiguration
• To initiate a mailbox move to Exchange Online:New-MoveRequest -Identity [email protected] -RemoteTargetDatabase "TargetDB" -RemoteHostName mail.yourdomain.com -RemoteCredential (Get-Credential)

Step 5: Disconnect Sessions

Once your tasks are complete, disconnect both sessions to clean up:

• Disconnect Exchange Online:Disconnect-ExchangeOnline -Confirm:$false
• Remove on-prem session:Remove-PSSession $Session

Troubleshooting Tips

• Ensure your admin account has the appropriate roles and permissions in both environments.
• Check firewall settings to allow PowerShell remoting.
• Always run PowerShell as Administrator.

Conclusion

Establishing a secure connection between your hybrid Exchange deployment and Exchange Online is crucial for maintaining efficient email management and administration. Following the above steps will ensure a smooth and secure experience when managing users, mailboxes, and hybrid configurations.

With the right configuration and PowerShell tools, hybrid management can be just as streamlined as working entirely in the cloud.

Note: This article is intended for system administrators familiar with PowerShell and Exchange environments.