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MS-102 Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant Practice Question

A company with 200 on-premises Exchange mailboxes plans to migrate to Exchange Online. They want to use a Microsoft-provided tool that supports granular control over mailbox migrations, allows batch migrations, and provides detailed reporting. Which migration method should the administrator choose?

⚠ Common exam trap

Many candidates confuse Azure AD Connect (identity sync) with a migration tool, or they assume any Microsoft tool (like IMAP migration) is sufficient, but the question specifically requires granular control, batch support, and detailed reporting, which only the EAC migration dashboard provides for on-premises Exchange to Exchange Online migrations.

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

✓

Exchange Admin Center (EAC) migration dashboard

The Exchange Admin Center (EAC) migration dashboard is the correct choice because it is a Microsoft-provided tool that supports granular control over mailbox migrations (e.g., selecting specific users, setting migration endpoints, and configuring throttling), allows batch migrations with the ability to start, stop, and monitor multiple batches simultaneously, and provides detailed reporting on migration status, errors, and sync progress. This method is specifically designed for migrating on-premises Exchange mailboxes to Exchange Online in a controlled, staged manner, making it ideal for the scenario described.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
Azure AD Connect
Why it's wrong here
Azure AD Connect is a directory synchronization tool that syncs on-premises Active Directory objects, including user attributes, password hashes, and group memberships, to Azure AD for hybrid identity. It does not transport mailbox data such as email messages, calendar items, or contacts, and it cannot create or seed the Exchange Online mailbox. It is a necessary prerequisite for a hybrid migration, but it is not a data migration mechanism.
✓
Exchange Admin Center (EAC) migration dashboard
Why this is correct
The Exchange Admin Center (EAC) migration dashboard is the correct native Microsoft tool for a 200-mailbox on-premises Exchange environment. It uses the Mailbox Replication Service (MRS) to move entire mailboxes into Exchange Online, supporting cutover, staged, and hybrid migration models. The dashboard provides batch creation, incremental sync, status reporting, per-mailbox error logs, and the ability to schedule and manage multiple batches, making it purpose-built for mailbox migration.
✗
Third-party migration tool (e.g., BitTitan MigrationWiz)
Why it's wrong here
Third-party products such as BitTitan MigrationWiz can migrate on-premises Exchange mailboxes and are often used for cross-tenant or complex coexistence scenarios. However, the question asks for a Microsoft-provided tool, and MigrationWiz is a paid external SaaS solution that requires separate licensing and deployment. For a straightforward 200-mailbox on-premises Exchange migration, the built-in EAC migration dashboard is the Microsoft-supported, no-additional-cost alternative.
✗
IMAP migration
Why it's wrong here
IMAP migration is designed for mail servers that expose the IMAP protocol, not for on-premises Exchange servers, which support MAPI, RPC-over-HTTP, and MRS endpoints. It can only sync email message items over IMAP, so calendar entries, contacts, tasks, and folder-level metadata are not migrated. It also lacks the granular batch controls and reporting that the EAC migration dashboard provides for a large mailbox migration.

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MS-102 Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant Practice Question

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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