Migrating Non-Email Items in IMAP
Migration of items other than email is not possible using IMAP. The IMAP protocol is an email only protocol.
Users connecting to email service providers offering IMAP access may be confused by the fact that they are able to create calendar, contact or task items. There are different possibilities:
- Often, items are stored on the email client's machine (in a local PST file, for example). The email client connects to the service provider using IMAP, allowing email to be stored on the server. However, other item types are in fact stored locally by the email client (like Outlook). As a result, those items can never be accessed remotely since they reside in local storage.
- Sometimes, users may access their service provider using a web client. The web client may allow for the creation of calendar, contact or task items. These items are stored on the server but remain inaccessible using IMAP. In some cases, the email provider may implement an API allowing retrieval of calendar, contact, or task items (CalDav, WebDav, EWS, etc.).
- Rarely, users may access their service provider using an email client connected using IMAP, but also use a custom synch agent/connector. The connector calls into APIs allowing retrieval and storage of calendar, contact, or task items (like CalDav, WebDav, EWS, etc.). Changes made to local appointments (for example, in a local PST file) and synched to the server and vice versa.
If the email service provider implements G Suite, do not specify IMAP. Instead, specify G Suite on your connector. This will allow items such as calendar or contact items to be migrated.
If the email service provider implements Exchange, do not specify IMAP. Instead, specify Exchange on your connector. This will allow items such as calendar or contact items to be migrated.
POP Folder Migrations
Only inbox folders may be migrated when using POP. The POP protocol only permits access to the inbox. This is because the POP protocol was designed at a time (1984) when there was no concept of multiple folders, sent items, etc.
To migrate email in folders other than the inbox, you must access the mailbox using another protocol such as IMAP. In case your email client was connected using POP, and you now decide to migrate the mailbox using IMAP, keep in mind the following two facts:
- Email may have been deleted from the server: Most POP servers implement an option to leave items on the server. If this option is enabled, email remains on the server after being downloaded by the email client. If the option is disabled, email is removed from the server after being downloaded by the email client. MigrationWiz connects to servers (not clients) to retrieve email. So if the option was disabled, MigrationWiz may not find any content (or some content may be missing), even if you connect using IMAP.
- If your email provider makes a web client, available, use it to determine what is stored on the server.
- Email in other folders are not stored on the server: Consider an email client connected to a POP mailbox with emails in folders such as sent items, drafts, etc. As explained above, the POP protocol only permits access to the inbox. As a consequence, email in folders other than the inbox may be stored locally (i.e., PST file). MigrationWiz connects to servers (not clients) to retrieve email. So for folders other than the inbox, MigrationWiz may not find any content (or some content may be missing), even if you connect using IMAP.
- If your email provider makes a web client available, use it to determine what is stored on the server.
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