Faculty and staff email accounts are currently being moved from the ACS server to the University’s Exchange server.   Since this transition will modify how you use email, and will allow you do to things like meeting and resource scheduling, the following guide provides information on preparing your email program for the transition from ACS to Exchange.

  • Assistance with the process will be provided by local computing support organizations in collaboration with the IT Help Center. Please submit a Help request as needed.
  • Please review the corresponding FAQ and Known Issues pages which contains valuable information that will be helpful both before and after your account is moved.

Before moving to Exchange:

  • You should delete unwanted messages from Junk/Spam or Sent/Sent Items, and empty Deleted Items/ Trash. You can delete messages individually if you prefer to look through them carefully. However, most email programs will also allow you to delete in bulk (e.g. Empty Folder) or in large sections (e.g. hold down the shift key while you scroll through, then Delete). 
  • Use of Outlook 2010 (PC) or 2011 (Mac) is strongly recommended. All faculty and staff are eligible for access to the most current and complete versions of Office (which includes Outlook) through the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement.  See details at www-staging.bu.edu/tech/microsoft.
  • Your Horde Contacts list and your filters, such as vacation/auto-reply messages or filters that forward your email, will not be moved for you. Please make sure you have reviewed the corresponding FAQ for more information.
  • Outlook training is available – view the schedule and register at www-staging.bu.edu/tech/training.
  • NOTE: Anyone on the ACS UW server (as identified by IS&T) will need to be moved to the ACS Cyrus server before the migration to Exchange can take place.  This individualized work could include modification of any email clients that are still using POP settings, plus clean-up of any specific account issues that have prevented previous migration to ACS Cyrus. If you are in this situation, you will be contacted individually and assistance with the migration to ACS Cyrus will be provided by local computing support organizations in collaboration with the IT Help Center.

Once your account is on Exchange:

  • A special IMAP Tunnel has been created so that your acs-imap server setting will continue to work with Exchange until there is an opportunity to change each mail client that you use, OR configure a new one using the Desktop or Device instructions. Please note that IMAP use does not allow for access to full Exchange features such as a centralized contacts list, centralized calendar, and resource scheduling; so IMAP use should not be viewed as a long-term solution for your primary mail client.
  • Your Horde Contacts list and your filters, including any filters that forward your email to other email accounts, were not be moved for you. Please make sure you have reviewed the corresponding FAQ for more information. Read-only access to Horde for the purpose of viewing filter settings or exporting Contacts will still be available for several months after your migration.

Pre- and post- migration steps by mail client:

Current Mail Client

Recommended Pre-Migration Steps

Post-Migration Steps
Outlook 2010 As described above, delete unwanted messages.
  • No action is required immediately because acs-imap settings will continue to work through the IMAP tunnel, as described above.
  • However, it is strongly recommended that you remove the acs-imap settings and create a new Account within Outlook that will allow for full Exchange use. See instructions at www-staging.bu.edu/tech/comm/email/exchange/client-transition/switching/.
  • Centrally-stored filters on ACS (e.g. those created in Horde) should be recreated as needed in Outlook (File-Info-Manage Rules and Alerts) or via OWA (Options>Organize E-Mail> Inbox Rules).
Outlook 2007 Upgrade to Outlook 2010 as a download from www-staging.bu.edu/tech/microsoft. 

As described above, delete unwanted messages.

 
  • No action is required immediately because acs-imap settings will continue to work through the IMAP tunnel, as described above.
  • However, it is strongly recommended that you remove the acs-imap settings and create a new Account within Outlook that will allow for full Exchange use. See instructions at www-staging.bu.edu/tech/comm/email/exchange/client-transition/switching/. NOTE: If you did not upgrade to Outlook 2010, Contacts and Calendar should be exported for later import into the new Exchange profile. In addition, any other IMAP settings in use (e.g. Verizon) should be noted in order to recreate those settings within the new profile, as should any locally-created filters. Alternatively, you can can maintain two separate profiles and shut down Outlook to switch between them.
  • Centrally-stored filters on ACS (e.g. those created in Horde) should be recreated as needed in Outlook (File-Info-Manage Rules and Alerts) or via OWA (Options>Organize E-Mail> Inbox Rules).
Outlook 2003 Upgrade to Outlook 2010 as a download from www-staging.bu.edu/tech/microsoft. (Note: You can upgrade to Outlook 2010 without installing the full Office 2010 suite.) 

As described above, delete unwanted messages.
  • No action is required immediately because acs-imap settings will continue to work through the IMAP tunnel, as described above.
  • However, it is strongly recommended that you remove the acs-imap settings and create a new Account within Outlook that will allow for full Exchange use. See instructions at www-staging.bu.edu/tech/comm/email/exchange/desktop-clients/outlook/outlook-2003/.  NOTE: If you did not upgrade to Outlook 2010, Contacts and Calendar should be exported for later import into the new Exchange profile. In addition, any other IMAP settings in use (e.g. Verizon) should be noted in order to recreate those settings within the new profile, as should any locally-created filters. Alternatively, you can can maintain two separate profiles and shut down Outlook to switch between them.
  • Centrally-stored filters on ACS (e.g. those created in Horde) should be recreated as needed in Outlook (File-Info-Manage Rules and Alerts) or via OWA (Options>Organize E-Mail> Inbox Rules).
Outlook 2011 (Mac) As described above, delete unwanted messages.
  • No action is required immediately because acs-imap settings will continue to work through the IMAP tunnel, as described above.
  • However, it is strongly recommended that you remove the acs-imap settings and create a new Account within Outlook that will allow for full Exchange use. See instructions at www-staging.bu.edu/tech/comm/email/exchange/client-transition/switching/.
  • Centrally-stored filters on ACS (e.g. those created in Horde) should be recreated as needed in Outlook (File-Info-Manage Rules and Alerts) or via OWA (Options>Organize E-Mail> Inbox Rules).
  • NOTE: If you are using Outlook 2011 and see an error message that reads, Error – Your BU Password will expire in (-X) days, please disregard it. This is a known bug that should be fixed by Microsoft in an update to the product. This message is in no way tied to your BU Kerberos password and you do not need to take any action.
Outlook Web App (OWA)
 N/A
Entourage 2008 Web Services Edition Upgrade to Outlook 2011 as a download from www-staging.bu.edu/tech/microsoft. 

Delete unwanted messages as described above.
  • No action is required immediately because acs-imap settings will continue to work through the IMAP tunnel, as described above.
  • However, it is strongly recommended that you remove the acs-imap settings and create a new Account within Outlook (or Entourage, if you didn’t switch) that will allow for full Exchange use. See instructions at www-staging.bu.edu/tech/comm/email/exchange/client-transition/switching/.
  • Centrally-stored filters on ACS (e.g. those created in Horde) should be recreated as needed in Outlook (File-Info-Manage Rules and Alerts) or via OWA (Options>Organize E-Mail> Inbox Rules).
Mac Mail Install Outlook 2011 as a download from www-staging.bu.edu/tech/microsoft and try it out to see if you would like to switch to it. 

Delete unwanted messages as described above.
  • No action is required immediately because acs-imap settings will continue to work through the IMAP tunnel, as described above.
  • However, it is strongly recommended that you remove the acs-imap settings and create a new Account within Outlook 2011 (or Mac Mail, if you didn’t switch) that will allow for full Exchange use, as described at www-staging.bu.edu/tech/comm/email/exchange/client-transition/switching/.
  • If applicable, import addresses/contacts into Outlook.
  • Centrally-stored filters on ACS (e.g. those created in Horde) should be recreated as needed in Outlook (File-Info-Manage Rules and Alerts) or via OWA (Options>Organize E-Mail> Inbox Rules).
Thunderbird If you don’t already have it, install Outlook as a download from www-staging.bu.edu/tech/microsoft and try it out to see if you would like to switch to it. 

Delete unwanted messages as described above.
Device clients (e.g. BlackBerry or iPhone) Delete unwanted messages as described above.
  • For those using a client that only supports IMAP, no action is required immediately because acs-imap settings will continue to work through the IMAP tunnel, as described above. However, it is recommend that you reconfigure your IMAP settings as soon as possible to use xmail.bu.edu as the incoming mail server.
  • Those using an Exchange compatible device (e.g. BlackBerry, iPhone or Android) should reconfigure it as described at www-staging.bu.edu/tech/comm/email/exchange/client-transition/switching/.
  • Centrally-stored filters on ACS (e.g. those created in Horde) should be recreated as needed in Outlook (File-Info-Manage Rules and Alerts) or via OWA (Options>Organize E-Mail> Inbox Rules).
Eudora Install Outlook as a download from www-staging.bu.edu/tech/microsoft and plan to switch to it. 

Delete unwanted messages as described above.

 
  • No action is required immediately because acs-imap settings will continue to work through the IMAP tunnel, as described above.
  • However, Eudora users who do not switch to use of Outlook should review the IMAP client configuration instructions and modify their settings as described. Also note that you should plan to use OWA in order to do calendar and resource scheduling.
  • Eudora users who did switch to Outlook and have been using it with IMAP should configure it as described at www-staging.bu.edu/tech/comm/email/exchange/client-transition/switching/.
  • If applicable, import addresses/contacts into Outlook.
  • Centrally-stored filters on ACS (e.g. those created in Horde) should be recreated as needed in Outlook (File-Info-Manage Rules and Alerts) or via OWA (Options>Organize E-Mail> Inbox Rules).
Pine Install Outlook as a download from www-staging.bu.edu/tech/microsoft and plan to switch to it. 

Delete unwanted messages as described above.
  • Use of Pine with IMAP is possible, although not recommended. Submit a Help request for assistance. All other UNIX-based mail clients are not supported.
  • Use OWA to recreate any ACS/central email filters: Options>Organize E-Mail> Inbox Rules and to manage your calendar and resource scheduling.
  • If applicable, import addresses/contacts into Outlook.