As soon as you install Exchange 2007 Server you cannot help but notice the new Server Role Selection wizard. This
encourages you to plan the function of each Exchange Server from the outset. For small
companies, this means deciding how many tasks to combine on one Server.
Having a new server is a great excuse for buying new hardware; this is especially true of Exchange 2007 as the production
version will only run on 64-bit processors.
Exchange
Server 2007 concentrates on its core email business. Gone are peripheral such as Conferencing and Instant Messaging. However Exchange Server
2007 will allow you to deliver voicemail to the Outlook inbox.
This page represents my site map for Exchange 2007.
My mission for this section is to give you advice on how to Configure, Migrate and Troubleshoot Exchange 2007.
For example, Exchange 2007 has a new powerful
yet simple installation mechanism.
Most of the big changes in directory services came between Exchange 5.5 and Exchange
2000. Nevertheless, there are lots, of neat improvements
in Exchange 2003 that were missing in Exchange 2000. For example, RPC over HTTP, ExDeploy, ExMerge and
Query Based Distribution Groups.
Exchange 2007 continues this trend of steady improvements rather than
revolutionary new ways of delivering email, for example, CCR (Cluster
Continuous Replication) and Unified Messaging. I also find that some
of the 'rough edges' have been removed. You can see what I mean by
navigating smoothly around the new Exchange Management Console, compared
with getting lost in the old Exchange System Manager.
Is Exchange 2007 Server really easier than Exchange 2003?
Can it be true that Exchange Server 2007 is easier than Exchange 2003? Guy
says it depends what you mean by easier! Exchange 2007 is more straightforward
to get started, but it has more individual components to consider than Exchange
2003.
Yes there are new exiting features, but each item needs time to evaluate. It's
true that the wizards are cleverer, and they guide you surely through the necessary
configuration, but there are more of them to get to know.
Transition or Migrate to Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server
Good news, Microsoft have always been good
at migrations and transitions, after all it's in their best interests to make the latest and
most expensive systems easily accessible. The secret of a successful transition
is to seek guidance from Microsoft's installation wizards. See
more on the transition to
Microsoft Exchange Server 2010.
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.
CAS (Client Access Server) Role for Exchange 2007 Server
Actually, the CAS role for Exchange 2007 server is installed by default.
However, it is easy to add CAS as a role if you omit to select this role on the
initial installation. Two things you should remember about CAS, this role
is needed for each site where you have Exchange 2007 Mailbox servers, and
CAS is
the gateway for OWA clients.
Cluster Continuous Replication
Cluster Continuous Replication gives administrator's peace of mind that their
mailbox servers are protected from a single point of failure. To master this
technology, I advise investigating the components, and playing with Cluster
Tools such as the Failover Cluster Management tool on Windows Server 2008. Then
develop a CCR plan to suit your
network, only then are you ready to install the Exchange Server 2007 mailbox
servers.
Exchange Version History
This history of Exchange server is typical of Microsoft, they get there in the end Exchange Server 2007
is an excellent email
system. However, early versions were weak, had little security, and only
supported about 500 users.
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.
Please write in if you see errors of any kind. Please report any factual mistakes, grammatical errors or broken links, I will be happy to not only to correct the fault, but also to give you credit.
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SolarWinds Exchange Monitor
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.
