November 2007 - Posts
Finally the suspense is over. I've just got this from TechNet Flash:
On November 30, you will be able to download Exchange Server 2007 with Service Pack 1. The list of new features in SP1 is long, including new deployment options, new features and improvements for each server role, improved integration with other applications, and even a new, third type of continuous replication. There are also general updates to almost all of the high availability topics for SP1, as well as significant updates in other content areas, such as those related to the Mailbox, Client Access, Hub Transport and Edge Transport, and the Unified Messaging server roles. You can find documentation on the new features by browsing or searching the Exchange Server TechCenter Library. If you're in evaluation mode, you can now download the Exchange Server 2007 with Service Pack 1 trial software and see how secure, anywhere access can enhance operational efficiency.
Microsoft released Configuration Packs for System Center Configuration Manager 2007, that contain configuration items intended to manage Exchange Server 2003 server roles, and were developed based on settings used by Microsoft IT in the configuration of these server roles.
- Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 MSIT Basic Configuration Pack for Configuration Manager 2007 - The Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 MSIT Basic Configuration Pack is designed to be used for managing the configuration of Exchange 2003 servers. This configuration pack defines recommended configurations based on a limited number of settings affecting the configuration of Exchange 2003 servers in the Microsoft IT environment. More extensive configuration items and settings can be obtained by downloading the Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 MSIT Intermediate and Comprehensive Configuration Packs. It is recommended that users begin by evaluating their configuration against the Basic configuration pack, and then progress to the Intermediate and Comprehensive configuration packs as desired configurations are verified.
- Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 MSIT Intermediate Configuration Pack for Configuration Manager 2007 - The Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 MSIT Intermediate Configuration Pack is designed to be used for managing the configuration of Exchange 2003 servers. This configuration pack defines recommended configurations based on a substantial number of settings affecting the configuration of Exchange 2003 servers in the Microsoft IT environment. A partial list of the included configuration items and settings can be obtained by downloading the Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 MSIT Basic Configuration Pack; more extensive configuration items and settings can be obtained by downloading the Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 MSIT Comprehensive Configuration Pack. It is recommended that users begin by evaluating their configuration against the Basic configuration pack, and then progress to the Intermediate and Comprehensive configuration packs as desired configurations are verified.
After you deploy your Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 infrastructure, you must make sure that all your clients, such as Outlook Web Access and Outlook 2007, will be able to connect to the services by using an encrypted session without receiving an error message that states that the certificate is not trusted.
For example, your users may be able to connect to your Exchange services by specifying the name as shown in the following examples:
- https://CAS01/owa
- https://CAS01.FQDN.name/owa
- https://CASIntranetName/owa
- https://autodiscover.emaildomain.com
You can create a single certificate by adding all the possible DNS name values to the certificate Subject Alternative Name (SAN) property on the certificate request.
In order to generate the Certificate Signing Request (CSR), you must use the Exchange Management Shell, by running the following command:
New-ExchangeCertificate -generaterequest -subjectname "dc=com,dc=contoso,
o=Contoso Corporation,cn=exchange.contoso.com" -domainname
exchange.contoso.com, CAS01,CAS01.exchange.corp.constoso.com,
autodiscover.contoso.com -PrivateKeyExportable $true
-path c:\certrequest_cas01.txt
This command will create a text file that contains a certificate request in PKCS#10 format.
If if find this hard to do and prefer a more graphical way of doing it, digicert provides a nice New-ExchangeCertificate Command Generator.
Related Links:
Do you remember Centro? Well, the product finally got its definitive name: Windows Essentials Business Server.
The product is an integrated server infrastructure solution designed for the unique needs of midsized organizations (up to 250 PCs) and it combines the following technologies:
- Windows Server 2008
- Exchange Server 2007
- System Center Essentials
- Forefront Security for Exchange
- The next version of ISA
- SQL Server 2008
Related Links:
Another 2 great documents from the collection "How Microsoft Does IT": Exchange Server 2007 Design and Architecture at Microsoft.
Overview
Ever wondered how a large enterprise plans and implements design and architecture of its next generation of messaging system? View this content to find out how engineers from the Microsoft IT messaging team will uncover the details on how Exchange 2007 infrastructure was introduced and fully deployed in a 120,000+ mailbox production environment. Topics will include: messaging topology design, hardware planning for various Exchange server roles, Client Access Server and Mobility scenarios, Transport architecture, Mailbox server and storage designs, backup, restore and high availability strategies.
In the last couple of weeks there were some new updates to Exchange Server documentation that I would like to mention:
- Going 64-Bit with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 - This topic illustrates how Microsoft met evolving business needs with the deployment of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, such as reducing risks associated with spam, improving business agility, and lowering TCO. The 64-bit platform enables Microsoft IT to keep pace with ever-increasing performance expectations, raise mailbox quotas, lower storage costs, and eliminate tape backups to save additional costs.
- Business Continuity with Exchange Server 2007 SP1 and Data Protection Manager - E-mail is the lifeblood of business, and enterprises rely on IT teams to keep their communication arteries secure, protected, and compliant. Learn how to ensure business continuity through the new developments in Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 as well as complementing with Data Protection Manager.
From the Microsoft Exchange Team Blog, we get some additional information:
The Exchange Server documentation team is pleased to announce the following new Exchange Server 2007 content.
BTW, if you haven't noticed, all our topics in the Exchange Library now have a "Topic Last Modified" date at the top of the topic. And, if you wonder which topics apply to Exchange Server 2007 with Service Pack 1, we now have an "Applies to" tag for Exchange 2007 content.
And finally Paul Flaherty (aka Flaphead) highlights all the updates and downloads released during the previous month: A Month in Exchange: November 2007.
Did you know that until recently ILM 2007 (former MIIS 2003) didn't support pure Exchange 2007 environments?
With the recent release of Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007 Feature Pack 1, Microsoft has finally added a GAL synchronization Management Agent support for pure Exchange 2007 environments.
New features in this release:
- Active Directory and GAL synchronization Management Agent support for pure Exchange 2007 environments
- Certificate and smart card management client support for Vista
- Offline Vista-integrated smart card PIN unblock
- Smart card PIN unblock for Windows XP
- Certificate and smart card management in 8 additional languages:
- Chinese (Traditional)
- Dutch
- French
- German
- Italian
- Japanese
- Portuguese
- Spanish
This is really, really cool (geekness alert!). If a picture is worth a thousand words, that has never been so true as it is in the Exchange Server 2007 Component Architecture Poster.
The poster highlights the architecture and feature set of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, making it much easier to understand.
Overview
Aside from showing the high-level architecture, this poster highlights the feature set of Exchange Server 2007. Sections include:
- Management and Monitoring
- High Availability
- Client Access, Edge Transport, Hub Transport, Mailbox, and Unified Messaging server roles
- When printed, this poster measures 30.5 inches by 20.5 inches (77,5 cm x 52 cm).
Windows Live Mail is no longer in Beta, v1 was released yesterday and you can get it here.
Besides Live Mail, Microsoft made the official launch of other Live services, such as Writer and Messenger.
Related Links:
Another great tool released to the web: Data Protection Manager 2007 Storage Calculator.
In order to assist customers in designing their storage layout for Data Protection Manager 2007, we have put together a calculator that focuses on outlining the storage capacity requirements based on a set of input factors.
For the first release, the calculator focuses on Exchange 2007 backup scenarios only. Future releases may include other technologies.
The calculator uses all the recommendations outlined in
Read more at the DPM Blog.
Exchange Server 2007 Deployment Checklist is a great, great document! Besides deployment checklist for all Exchange server roles, you also get nice and handy deployment worksheets. Download it now!
Overview
To drive excellence in server deployments, the Exchange Messaging team within the Microsoft Information Technology (Microsoft IT) group relies on checklists to ensure consistency and completeness in carrying out deployment tasks, minimize deployment risks, and save time.
Managing the Calendaring and Collaboration Process By Using Exchange Server 2007 Web Services describes how Microsoft used Exchange Server 2007 Web Services to create an automated and integrated communication and collaboration solution.
Overview Two distinct groups at Microsoft have the challenging task of scheduling thousands of people for speaking engagements or for job interviews each year. Understand how Microsoft used Exchange Server 2007 Web Services to automate a near real-time solution to create integrated communication and collaboration; one that can display multiple meetings and multiple presenters per meeting; within its own enterprise using an improved development toolset that offers better functionality than previously available from Microsoft.
Here's a list of some cool (and free) tools to play with Exchange Logs:
- Exchange Log Search Tool - If you have ever administered Microsoft Exchange server then you have had to look through the message tracking logs...arg!!!!! They can be ridiculously large and it's painfully monotonous to scan through them (if not down right impossible).
- Performance Analysis of Logs (PAL) Tool - Ever have a performance problem, but don't know what performance counters to collect or how to analyze them? The PAL (Performance Analysis of Logs) tool is a new and powerful tool that reads in a performance monitor counter log (any known format) and analyzes it using complex, but known thresholds (provided). The tool generates an HTML based report which graphically charts important performance counters and throws alerts when thresholds are exceeded. The thresholds are originally based on thresholds defined by the Microsoft product teams and members of Microsoft support, but continue to be expanded by this ongoing project. This tool is not a replacement of traditional performance analysis, but it automates the analysis of performance counter logs enough to save you time. This is a VBScript and requires Microsoft LogParser (free download).