Exchange 2010 SP1 is now out!

A great news - Exchange 2010 SP1 is now released...

Personally, it enable a great UI for the users, be able to change interesting theme... easier to share calendar via OWA...

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=50b32685-4356-49cc-8b37-d9c9d4ea3f5b&displaylang=en

A worth service pack to implement...

Exchange Server Supportability Matrix

Recently, in a project, consist of WIndows 2000, 2003 and 2008; Exchange 2000, 2003 and 2007. Customer plan to run on Windows 2008/R2. Question is, what is the supportability matrix?

Till date, Exchange 2007 SP2 only be able to run on Windows 2008 OS, however, be able to run on Windows 2008 R2 domain.

Need to know more? Microsoft has a great website with the table matrix shows:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee338574(EXCHG.80).aspx

Exchange 2010 disclaimer

In recent new efficiency launch, emails sent to me on how to put in image in Exchange 2010 disclaimer.

It is great to know in Exchange 2010 disclaimer, you will be able to put in HTML tag, which means basically, you can put almost what you want into it. In addition, you will be able to get information from Active Directory, a central repository for your organization.

Once, great job from Microsoft Exchange team.

To know more how-to?

Click here to visit the website.

get-storagegroupcopystatus - initializing - can not failover

Implemented few Exchange CCR projects. Lots of customers are happy to see sucha great idea, despite the need of more storage...

During explanation and hand over, we normally share on get-storagegroupcopystatus command in Exchange management shell as well as we do not recommend to failover CCR using failover cluster or cluster administrator. Guess what? Sometimes, it shows initializing...

Just to clarify and share with the community, it is NORMAL if the DB does not has any activity (activity means transaction log...). It is because MSFT would like to ensure the checksum health check prior to the failover...

One of the product team guy, Tim, has a great blog and one article talking about this. Great stuff which will explain to you...

http://blogs.technet.com/timmcmic/archive/2009/01/26/get-storagegroupcopystatus-initializing.aspx

Record commands when you are using Exchange Management Shell

One of the reasons i like Exchange so much is because of the Exchange Management Shell - develop using PowerShell.

However, some of the time, to get what you have typed and configured, its a pain - especially need to copy one by one (when doing documentation especially).

Today, during routine of checking our company and customer's Exchange server, i got this tips which think will benefit you guys:

To Record exactly what happen when you are using EMS!!
Awesome thing is, you can use the Start-Transcript cmdlet. Anything that you do after you runthis cmdlet will be recorded to a text file that you specify. To stop recordingyour session, use the Stop-Transcript cmdlet.

However, this command will overwrites the previous reocrding file, unless you append the session. How? Use the Appendparameter:

Start-Transcript c:\MyRecordSession.txt -Append

Once, Happy New Year.

Backup Software that protect Exchange 2007 Standby Continuous Replication

Just got an e-mail from local Microsoft that DPM 2007 now SP1!

Its a great news - its now be able to do more - including protecting VMs in Hyper-V, which be able to protect in Virtual Server 2005 SP1.

What is more interesting is, it is now be able to protect Exchange 2007 SP1 SCR! Yeah - a good news huh?

This will give a complete DR scenario.

What are you waiting for, path your DPM 2007 today or start using it.

What is new in Service Pack 1:
http://www.microsoft.com/SystemCenter/DataProtectionManager/en/us/WHATs-NEW.aspx

DPM 2007 sp1 x86 download:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125991

DPM 2007 sp1 x64 download:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125992

Exchange Virtualization

A long wait, but worth the time. At last, Microsoft release one article about Exchange on virtualization 18 Aug 08.

Personally, feel really great and happy to see this article. Folks that passion about Exchange and would like to plug it to virtualization, this article shows you the supported environment and best practices.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc794548.aspx

Really worth 10 mins to go through.

Bravo Microsoft.

New Product Strategies for Exchange 2007

Last time, when we talk about patches, roll up updates, apply it in sequence is important to ensure the stabilities.

However, recently read an article published July 7 2008. Good news to share:

In Exchange 2007, Microsoft works in a different way. Let say you are applying rollup update 2. All the fix and files in rollup update 1 will be included too. This means, less updates need to be done. Personally, this is a good change - which no one would like to patch our server all the time...

Want to know more?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/937194/

The MAXimum character that Exchange 2007 supports

Recently, in one of our project, they do ask about what is the maximum character that Exchange 2007 supports? Well, the answer is the same as Windows Server 2003 AD, which is - 64! This info apply to distribution list/distribution group as well.

Try it out, what you need to do is create a user account, and start couting :)

Certificates in Exchange 2007

Lots of our customers, partners and sttudents has this problems while inplementing Exchange 2007 (With its client) - certificates.

Question now is, what certificate used in Exchange 2007?

• ActiveSync
• Autodiscover
• Internet client, like POP3 and IMAP4 client access
• Outlook Web Access
• Outlook Anywhere
• Edge Server

Now, since there are so many components, can we use all with the same name? The answer is no. Thus, in Exchange 2007, we will need certificate that support wildcards name. However, by default, when installing Exchange 2007, a self signed certificate is installed - can we use it? Yes, you can, but we will not recommend as it will not know the Internet domain name you are going to use, not supporting SAN extension supports (X.509 standard).

After knowing this, choosing a right certificate in Exchange 2007 is important. Knowing Exchange 2007 client that support wildcard certificate is also another challenge. For what we know as for now, the following client do support:

Outlook Express, Outlook, Internet Explorer (OWA)

However, clients running Windows Mobile 5.0 do not support secure connection to servers where wildcards are used in the certificate. Do take note.

Cheers

Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging - supprted PBX and gateways

Its being quite a while Unified Messaging introduced to the IT market. Ya - it really flies. However, lots of people still asking - What do I need?; My PBX supported?; Do I need to buy a new PBX?

In Microsoft Technet, there is a good article mentioning about this - Its a telephony advisor!

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/telephony-advisor.mspx

For me, I bought a gateway about 1 1/2 years ago. me too, get the advice from the website too.

Hope this link will help most of folks out there deploying UM.

Setting Exchange 2007 Pre-Req in Windows Server 2008

Recently prepared few labs on Windows 2008 - Installing Exchange 2007 SP1.

To install Exchange 2007 on top of Windows 2008, first of all, you will need:

1) Exchange 2007 SP1 - will rollup update if possible
2) Active Directory installed of course (Can be in different server)
3) Same in Windows 2008, you will need to install .net framework (3.5) at this time
4) Install Windows PoiwerShell (In Windows 2008 Server Manager, under features)
5) Install Exchange 2007 pre-req server roles and features- then, you are READY

this section, we will share on what is the IIS pre-req in no 5 that we are talking about:-

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Server
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-ISAPI-Ext
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Metabase
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Basic-Auth
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Digest-Auth
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Windows-Auth
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Dyn-Compression

Once it installed sucessfully, you can now install Microsoft Exchange 2007 SP1

How to configure Edge to Sync with Hub Transport

After the teo posts, some of you urge to know how to configure the edge sync. Here is the general steps:

1) In Exchange MSH, type:
New-EdgeSubscription -FileName "C:\EdgeSubscriptionInfo.xml"

2) Transfer the xml file to a thumb drive and copy to the Hub Transport Server

3) In Hub Transport Server, Open the Exchange Management Console. Expand Organization Configuration, select Hub Transport, and then in the result pane, click the Edge Subscriptions tab.

4) In the action pane, click New Edge Subscription. The New Edge Subscription Wizard starts.

5) On the New Edge Subscription page, in the Active Directory Site: drop-down list, select the Active Directory site where you want the Hub Tranport to sync with Edge.

NOTE: The Hub Transport to sync should be in the site selected

6) On the New Edge Subscription page, click Browse. Locate the Edge Subscription file to import. Select the file, and then click Open.

7) On the New Edge Subscription page, click New.

8) On the Completion page, click Finish.

Edge Transport will only sync with the Hub Transport every 4 hours. To force its sync, type the following command in Hub Transport:

Start-EdgeSynchronization

Monitor and review the end result.

Install outlook in an Exchange server?

Guys,

After reading some articles, seminars, statements and quesries, would like to share something on a statement "installing outlook into an Exchange Server".

In Exchange 5.5/2000/2003 era, all of us know that it is not recommend to install outlook client into an Exchange server, reason being MAPI32.dll file is written. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313889

However, this thing now changed due to Exchange 2007 re-coded. It is now recommend that administrators install outlook into Exchange 2007. One of the advantages is, as known, Exmerge no longer support in Exchange 2007. In Exchange 2007 64 bit, there are no tools to export e-mail to .PST or personal folder. To do this, you will need to install outlook into Exchange server, getting the client tools for administration purposes.

Cheers

Exchange Support for Virtualization

Server Virtualization is nowo a hot topic. Lots of customer is consolidating thier servers.

Few projects that we involved have the same trend too. Working with one of the principle, they are core pushing it, whithout knowing the consequences, as always quote: "You need to size it correctly". How about from a Technical point, let say Microsoft Infrastucture point of view?

Till date, we will not recommended for DB type server, or any server that is high in IO, which include Exchange & SQL. We will recommend individual box with scale out method.

Another thing will be support. In an Enterprise environment, you will not want to take your business into a risk. Please glance through the following links for more information.

How about AD?
See this URL - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=64DB845D-F7A3-4209-8ED2-E261A117FC6B&displaylang=en

If you say, we still want to virtualize it, do remember:

• Don't use them where important services like Exchange/SQL/Apps
• Don't use them to on FSMO
• Don't use them as GC

You will then ask, why i need to virtualize? However, this will be good for branch deployment method...

Lastly, when you still ask, whether it works? The answer is YES. Some of our customers successfully implemented. But, again, this message has to be clearly convey and documented to the customer.

More info:
Support policy for Microsoft software running in non-Microsoft hardware virtualization software: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/897615/

NOTE: Poo, look, Virtualization is still our goal and roadmap, what to do now?Our advise, look into Windows 2003 Virtualization, you will know why we say so, kindly visit one of my new blog, mention only Windows 2008. For vritualization, visithttp://windowserver.blogspot.com/search/label/Virtualization

How to fight SPAM

Guys,

Good day. Fighting SPAM is always the task for every administrators. Is Technology the part that needed to be enhance all the time? How about People and Process??

Read an interesting article from Microsoft. Perhaps have to educate your users in the company.

Read this:

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/email/spam.mspx

Exchange 2007 with other directory services

The fact of today enterprise environment, we will have multiple directory services - we are working on with one customer which would like to integrate with OpenLDAP.

Both AD and the OpenLDAP has its own defination of "identity", eg: Name, title, department, password +++ Thus, managing those become complex - users need to remember multiple logons with multiple passwords.

In response to this problem, Microsoft developed Microsoft Metadirectory Services to previde the syncronization. Now, it is called MIIS - Microsoft Identity Integration Server.

To further clarify, MIIS has two versions. IIFP (Identity Integration Feature Pack) is free for Windows 2003 Enterprise edition. It can integrate between multiple Active Directory forest.

The other one will need license and SQL. It provide metadirectory function that enable to synchronize, provision, deprovision identity information across a wide variety of directory services, include Novell E-directory, LDAP, Exchange 5.5, Samba, SAP and more...