Step-By-Step: Importing an Un-Encrypted PST File into Office 365

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Microsoft's Office 365 services provides a great opportunity for businesses to leverage fluid scalability capabilities to meet their needs. Moving off an on-premise Exchange server can be daunting, however utilization of the Office 365 Import service to import PST files to user mailboxes in the cloud can be of great help to accomplish this.

This Step-By-Step details the use of Office 365 Import Service to upload an un-encrypted PST File to Office 365.

Pre-Requisites

The account completing the import requires to be assigned the Mailbox Import Export role. This is accomplished by adding the role to the Organization Management role group.
 

  1. Open Exchange Admin Center
     
  2. Click Permissions
     
  3. Click Admin Roles
     
  4. Double Click Organization Management
     
  5. Click + Roles
     
  6. Select Mailbox Import Export
     
  7. Click Add
     
  8. Click OK
     
  9. Click Save

Alternatively, you can create a new role group and assign your account permissions.

The PST files that are being imported need to be stored on a network file share or a file share on your local PC. Take note the syntax in the later steps with AZCopy.exe.

Storage Key and Upload URL –

 

Step 1: Downloading AzCopy.exe Network Upload Tool

NOTE: During this process you are provided a storage key and an upload URL. Secure these and treat them as you would a password. Anyone can upload to your tenant should they fall into the wrong hands.

  1. Navigate to https://protection.office.com
     
  2. Sign in with a Global Admin account for your organization
     
  3. Click Data Management
     
  4. Click Import
     
  5. Click Go to the Import Service
     
     
     
  6. Click
     
  7. Click Upload Files Over the Network
     
     
     
  8. On the popup page, click Download Tool (Azure AzCopy tool)
     

     
  9. Click Run
     

     
  10. Click Next
     

     
  11. Agree to the EULA and click Next
     
     
     
  12. Accept the default install location
     

     
  13. Click Next
     

     
  14. Click Install
     
     
     
  15. Click Yes
     

     
  16. Click Finish
     

Step 2: Acquiring the Storage Key and Upload URL

Next we need to get the upload secure key and the URL prior to the AzCopy tool can be used to upload the PST file(s) to Office 365.

  1. Open the Import Data to Office 365 page that opened in the pervious step

  2. Click the icon
     

     
    NOTE: This is a secure key and URL. Make sure that it’s kept secure.

  3. Click Copy Key (this process can take up to 5 minutes to complete)
     

  4. Click Show URL for PST Files
     

  5. Copy the key and URL for use in the next step
     

Step 3: Uploading the PST File(s) to Office 365

The PST files can now be uploaded once the AzCopy tool downloaded and installed and the secure key and URL have been acquired.

  1. Open a command prompt as an admin (on the machine where you installed AzCopy)
     
  2. Open the directory where you installed AzCopy
     
  3. Run the following command to start uploading the PST Files
     
    AzCopy.exe /Source: \\SERVER01\PSTshare /Dest: <Insert URL Here>/SERVER01/PSTshare/ /Destkey: <Insert Secure Key here> /S /V:C:\PSTshare\Uploadlog.log

    NOTE: \\SERVER01\PSTshare – This denotes the share in which your PST File(s) are placed. If there are multiple PST Files in this location, AzCopy will upload them all
     
    C:\PSTshare\Uploadlog.log – This denotes a location on the local machine where the verbose log file can be written

Step 4: Creating the PST Mapping File

Next the CSV files need to be created which will map the PST file to the mailbox in Office 365 after the PST Files are uploaded to Office 365.

  1. Download the PST Mapping Template File from Microsoft
     
  2. Complete the CSV file with your specific information, filling in as many lines as needed. One line per PST file uploaded
     
    NOTE: Further explanation on the PST Mapping File can be found here.
      
  3. Save the PST Mapping File
     

Step 5: Creating the Office 365 Import Job

Navigate to https://protection.office.com and sign in with a Global Admin account for your organization.

  1. Click Data Management

  2. Click Import

  3. Click Go to the Import Service

  4. Click

  5. Click Upload Files Over the Network

  6. Check * I’m done uploading my files
     

  7. Check * I have access to the mapping file
     

  8. Click Next


     

  9. Enter a Job Name
     

  10. Click Next
     

     

  11. Click + to Add the Mapping File
     

  12. Validate the Mapping File (Under 100 rows)
     

  13. Agree to the terms and conditions
     

  14. Click Finish


     

  15. Click Closed
     

The import will now start.The status of the import can be checked by navigating to the Office 365 Admin Center and opening the Import tab. Use the refresh button to get the updated status.


 

Monitor the status column for completion or error. Clicking on the job and the selecting View Details will allow you to troubleshoot the status message. The example below shows one corrupted mail item and this was discovered with a detailed log provided with the upload.