Microsoft Exchange 2003 - Compatibility with Active Directory
Introduction to
Exchange 2003's compatibility with Windows 200x.
Understand the rules before you play the game! A simple cross-check of
your version of Exchange with your version of Windows, could save you hours of
re-installing. Most compatibility problems arise where you have
Exchange 2000 with Windows Server 2003.
Compatibility is the watchword when upgrading to Exchange 2003. Pay careful attention to the
version of Exchange and the version of Active Directory. In a perfect
world you would move from Exchange 2000 running in a Windows 2000 domain to
Exchange 2003 running in Windows 2003 domain. Unfortunately, in the real
world migration
is not that straightforward. What catches people unaware is this, not
all combinations of Exchange and Windows operating systems are compatible.
Windows 2003
Domain
W2K Member in Windows 2003 Domain
W2K in W2K Domain
NT 4.0
Exchange 2003
Exchange 2000
???
Exchange 5.5
?
??? The situation is that you can have an Exchange 2000 on a
Windows 2000 member server in a Windows Server 2003 domain. But you
cannot have Exchange 2000 on any sort of Windows Server 2003 machine.
? The situation with Exchange 5.5 in a Windows Server 2003 domain
is that it must be on a Windows 2000 member server.
Note: As an indication of the complexity, this is my third version
of the above compatibility table. If you find any errors do let me
know.
Guy Recommends:
The SolarWinds Exchange Monitor
Here is a
free tool to monitor your Exchange Server. Download and
install the utility, then inspect your mail queues, monitor the Exchange
server's memory, confirm there is enough disk space and check the CPU
utilization. This is the real deal - there is no catch. SolarWinds
provides this fully-functioning product for free, as part of their commitment to
supporting the network management community.
Microsoft usually pride themselves on backwards compatibility, for
instance, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 and NT 4.0 can all operate in
the same domain. So what is different with Exchange? The answer
lies in the schema, and the heart of the problem is that Exchange 2000 is
incompatible with the new schema of Windows Server 2003.
The first problem then lies with Exchange 2000 and the 'work around' is
to install it on a Windows 2000 member server as part of the Windows
Server 2003 domain.
The second problem is that while Exchange 5.5 servers can operate in Windows
2000
domains, Windows Server 2003 domains do not support Exchange 5.5..
Some people say that this lack of backwards compatibility is laziness,
others say that it means more security coupled with a desire to move forward
without the tail wagging the dog.
Exchange 2003 is well behaved and integrates with Windows 2000 domains.
Where possible I like to keep systems in synch, so I recommend either:
1) Windows Server 2008, Exchange 2007 and Outlook 2007
2) Windows Server 2003, Exchange 2003 and Outlook 2003
3) Windows 2000, Exchange 2000, Outlook 2000.
Guy Recommends: Solarwinds' Free Bulk Mailbox Import Tool
Import users, complete with mailbox from a spreadsheet. Just provide a list of the
users with the fields in the
top row, and save as .csv file. Then launch this FREE utility and match
your Exchange fields with AD's
attributes, click and import the users. Optionally, you can
provide the name of the OU where the new mailboxes will be born.
There are also two bonus tools in the free download, and all 3 have been approved by Microsoft:
Bulk-import new users and mailboxes into Active Directory.
90% of migrations will have no problems with compatibility. A quick
look at compatibility will save hours of frustration if you are in the 10%
minority. Systems with the same version number will work perfectly
(Exchange 2000, with Windows 2000, 2003 with 2003). The biggest challenge
is to get Exchange 2000 to work with in a Server 2003 domain.
If you like this page then please share it with your friends
The
extra features you get in your eBook include: 20 checklists to
plan your migration. Detailed instructions and advice on the best
strategy for your organization.
Lots of tips, recommendations and troubleshooting advice. Problem
solving section. Active Directory explained. Printer friendly
pages.
Here is a
free tool to monitor your Exchange Server.
Download the utility, then inspect your mail queues, monitor Exchange server's
memory, confirm there is enough disk space and check the CPU utilization.
The
extra features you get in your eBook include: 20 checklists to
plan your migration. Detailed instructions and advice on the best
strategy for your organization.
