Run the Hybrid Configuration Wizard (HCW)

In the previous article, we did install and configure Azure AD Connect to sync identities between on-premises and Office 365. In the next task, we will install and run the Hybrid Configuration Wizard (HCW). The HCW will ensure that we have an Exchange hybrid deployment between two Exchange environments.

Hybrid Configuration Wizard progress

The general phases of the hybrid deployment configuration process are:

1. Verifying prerequisites and performing topology checks
2. Testing account credentials
3. Making hybrid deployment configuration changes

Before you start

It’s good to know that you can configure one or more Exchange Servers for Hybrid. Open port 25 and 443 on the Exchange Servers. These Exchange Servers need to be Client Access Servers (CAS). In this example, we will use Exchange Servers EX01-2016 and EX02-2016 for Hybrid.

Exchange Servers up to date

Make sure that the Exchange Servers are on the latest version. Run Exchange Management Shell as administrator and use the Get-ExchangeServer cmdlet to check the Exchange Server versions. Always keep the Exchange Servers up to date.

[PS] C:\>Get-ExchangeServer | Format-Table Name, Edition, AdminDisplayVersion

Name         Edition AdminDisplayVersion
----         ------- -------------------
EX01-2016 Enterprise Version 15.1 (Build 2176.2)
EX02-2016 Enterprise Version 15.1 (Build 2176.2)

Enable MRS proxy

If you don’t complete this step before running the HCW, the HCW will enable MRS proxy. However, we recommend that you complete this step before running the HCW to ensure the IIS cache has time to clear before HCW validates the endpoint.

Use the Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory cmdlet to check if MRS proxy is enabled.

[PS] C:\>Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory | Format-Table Server,MRS*

Server    MRSProxyEnabled
------    ---------------
EX01-2016           False
EX02-2016           False

If it’s not enabled, enable the Mailbox Replication service (MRS) proxy on the EWS virtual directory.

[PS] C:\>Get-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -ADPropertiesOnly | Where {$_.MRSProxyEnabled -ne $true} | Set-WebServicesVirtualDirectory -MRSProxyEnabled $true

Another way to enable MRS proxy is with Exchange Admin Center.

Go to servers > virtual directories. Select All Servers and select EWS to filter on that type. Double-click on the EWS virtual directory in the list view.

Click on general and Enable MRS Proxy endpoint. Do this for both the Exchange Servers.

Remove previous Hybrid Configuration Wizard version

Go to Programs and Features in Control Panel and verify that a previous Hybrid Configuration Wizard is not already installed. If it is, uninstall it.

In the next step, you will download and install Office 365 Hybrid Configuration Wizard step by step.

Download Hybrid Configuration Wizard

You can run the Hybrid Configuration Wizard from other Windows Servers or a workstation. We recommend to log in on an Exchange Server and install the HCW directly on the Exchange Server.

Start Internet Explorer and copy-paste the link https://aka.ms/HybridWizard (Microsoft). If you use other web browsers, it might not work as expected. That’s why we recommend using Internet Explorer.

Install Hybrid Configuration Wizard

After you download the Hybrid Configuration Wizard setup, click Install.

The Microsoft Office 365 Hybrid Configuration Wizard installer is running.

Run Hybrid Configuration Wizard

After downloading and installing, the first screen of the wizard shows up. Click next.

The Hybrid Configuration Wizard will detect the optimal Exchange Server. Click on next.

Change the on-premises Exchange administrator account credentials if you want. In our example, we will keep the same user that’s logged in. Click sign in and enter the Office 365 Exchange Online Account. Click next.

It will gather both accounts’ information and check if it can connect to Exchange on-premises and Exchange Online. Click next.

If it fails, read the article Hybrid Configuration Wizard fails to connect.

Choose Full Hybrid Configuration and select the checkbox Organization Configuration Transfer.

Select Use Exchange Modern Hybrid Topology. Click next.

Go to Active Directory Users and Computers. Create a service account svc-hybridmigrations. Make it a member of the group Organization Management.

Exchange Online will use the credentials to connect to your on-premises Exchange Server to move mailbox data to the cloud. It means that it will go to need some special privileges. If you enter your administrator account credentials here, it will work. But, it’s a member of the domain admins group and a powerful account for such a task.

Instead, you can create a special service account and add it to the Organization Management group. Fill in the credentials that you created in the above step. Click next.

The Hybrid Agent setup will start to download, install, register, and validate the Hybrid Agent. Click next.

Select Configure my Client Access and Mailbox servers for secure mail transport (typical). If you have an Edge Transport server, use the second option. Click next.

Choose both Exchange Servers for the receive connector. Click next.

Choose both Exchange Servers for the send connector. Click next.

Select the certificate. Click next.

Fill in the DNS name that represents your on-premises Exchange Organization for hybrid mail flow. This determines where Exchange Online Protection will connect to in order to route email from the cloud to the on-premises organization. Click next.

Choose Review the objects before transferring from on-premises to Exchange Online. Click next.

Click on the objects and check what’s different. Look closely and make a decision. We will skip these conflicts and leave them the way they are. Click next.

Click update and wait for the Hybrid Configuration Wizard to run.

You can get an error HCW8077 and HCW8092. Click retry.

Click update.

Congratulations! The Exchange Hybrid Configuration is a success. The hybrid services are now configured between Exchange Online in the Office 365 tenant and the on-premises Exchange environment. Click close.

Verify Hybrid Configuration Wizard installation

Go to Programs and Features and check that there is new software installed.

By default, the hybrid configuration log location is on the on-premises Mailbox server at:

%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Exchange Hybrid Configuration

You can always rerun the Hybrid Configuration Wizard whenever you make any changes to the environment.

In the next article, we will look at the tools to manage Exchange Hybrid.

Conclusion

In this article, you learned how to download, install and run the Hybrid Configuration Wizard. After running the Hybrid Configuration Wizard, there is a coexistence between the on-premises environment and Exchange Online.

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