Fair Overview of Exchange 2007 Server Roles

Exchange 2007 has been splited based on Server Roles so if you require any specific function on a server then it can be placed on indivudial server based on your requirement, Exchange architecture, performance, management or your organization's policies.

We used to set Front-End and Back-End server roles in Exchange 2003 but Exchange 2007 introduces five roles for an Exchange organization.

• Mailbox
• Hub Transport
• Edge Transport
• Client Access
• Unified Messaging

Brief overview of each roles are below.

1. Mailbox Server

• Use for holding all Exchange Database - Mailbox & Public Folder (optional).
• It should be part of Domain & AD.
• 50 Storage Groups & 50 Mailbox Stores in each Storage Groups.
• STM File architecture has been removed.
• Proper backup recovery plans should be in place for High Availability.

2. Hub Transport Server

• Responsible for internal mail flow. (Same like Bridgehead in Exchange 2003).
• It should be part of Domain & AD.
• Incoming Mail Flow : Mailbox <- Hub Transport <- Edge Transport <- Internet.
• Outgoing Mail Flow : Mailbox -> Hub Transport -> Edge Transport -> Internet.
• Hub Transport can be placed instead of Edge Transport and can act for the similar function.
• Transport Agents, AntiSpam, AntiVirus can be enabled.
• Disclaimer can be set on.
• One Hub Transport role should be placed at a AD Site for good architecture.

3. Edge Transport Server

• Should be placed in Edge of your organization ( in workgroup / DMZ / perimeter ).
• Should NOT be a member of Domain & AD.
• ADAM ( Active Directory Application Mode ) provides AD information to Edge Transport server with help of Exchange component "EdgeSynch" by creating one way synchronization (from Domain to Edge Server).
• ADAM & EdgeSynch provides AD recipient information & SPAM filtering efficiency.
• Provides better Anti-spam and Anti-virus protection with help of connection filtering, content filtering, recipient filtering, SenderID, sender and IP reputation.
• Edge Transport Rules to protect Exchange environment, based on SMTP and MIME addresses, words in the subject and message body, and SCL rating.
• Address rewriting feature allows to modify the SMTP address on in/out-bound mail.

4. Client Access Server

• Client Access Server was known as a Front End in Exchange 2003.
• It should be part of Domain & AD.
• Handles all the milbox access request comes from

1. Outlook Anywhere - Application (like Outlook 2003 or 2007).
2. MAPI, POP3 or IMAP4 client - like Outlook Express and Eudora
3. Exchange ActiveSync - Mobile devices ( like Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone, pocket PC or any other device).
4. Outlook Web Access (OWA) including Sharepoint & UNC access.

• Clietn Access provides Autodiscover mailbox location for Microsoft Outlook 2007.

5. Unified Messaging

• Merge VoIP environment with Exchange.
• Requires VoIP Gateways or PBXes to connect with Exchange.
• Access Voice Mails by using OWA.
• Outlook Voice Access provides below things.

1. Listen voicemails.
2. Forward or reply to messages.
3. Get emails automatically & read via text-to-speech interface.
4. Get calendar information.
5. Accept or reply to meetings.
6. Set voicemail Out-of-Office messages.
7. Access or dial contact.
8. Reconfigure the lite settings on the mailbox.

PowerShell Script: Move Mailboxes From Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2007

Moves mailboxes from Exchange 2003 to Exchange Server 2007 by reading user aliases from a text file and report errors back to text file (if any during movement).

If you want to move the mailboxes which are spread across on multiple servers, this is the better way to move those.

Article is also available at:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/csc/scripts/email/exch2007/cscem061.mspx

=========Script Code===========

# 1. Login into destination Exchange 2007 Server
# 2. Set the database name in line $TargetDatabase = "Mailbox Database" where you want to move the mailboxes
# 3. Put the list of all user's alias into c:\users.txt file
# 4. Copy this file at C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\scripts with name Move-Mailboxes.ps1
# 5. Run the cmdlet from Exchange Power Shell
# 6. Once all mailboxes moves check the file c:\MoveLog.txt file for any error during movement
$TargetDatabase = "Mailbox Database"
$SourceFile = "c:\users.txt"
$a = remove-item c:\Movelog.txt -ea SilentlyContinue
$error.Clear()
$UserList = Get-Content $SourceFile
foreach($user in $UserList)
{
$message = "Moving User -> " + $user
write-output $message out-file -filePath "c:\MoveLog.txt" -append -noClobber
move-mailbox -Identity $user -TargetDatabase $TargetDatabase -BadItemLimit 5 -PreserveMailboxSizeLimit:$true -Confirm: $false
if($error.Count -ne 0)
{
$message = "User " + $user + " failed to move ???????????"
write-output $message out-file -filePath "c:\MoveLog.txt" -append -noClobber
$message = "Error:::: " + $error[0].ToString()
write-output $message out-file -filePath "c:\MoveLog.txt" -append -noClobber
$error.Clear()
}
}
=========Script Code===========

Eseutil Notes

If you have ever experience issues with your Exchange Information Store not starting or misbehaving you would have most likely to use Eseutil. Take care while running this command with incorrect switch.

Eseutil Function:
Eseutil.exe can be used to analyze or verify, modify & repair your exchange Information Store database files.

Exchange 2007: Eseutil can be used to perform these tasks against the ESE database files on the Exchange 2007 Edge Transport and Hub Transport server for the mailbox and public folder stores only with the Exchange 2007 version of eseutil.

Eseutil Switches :
Defragment /d [options]
Recovery /r [options]
Integrity /g [options]
Checksum /k [options]
Repair /p [options]
File Dump /m[mode-modifier]
Copy File /y [options]
Restore /c [mode-modifier] [options]

Before using Eseutil Microsoft recommend following points.

• Eseutil can be used on offline information stores only.
• Run eseutil on one ESE database at a time
• Make sure you have a copy of all the files for stores (including logs, chk files etc...)

Eseutil /d Defragment (Offline Defragmentation)

This switch is same like disk defragment, it will arrange the data in the beginning of database and rebuild the index, but it removes empty pages in the database file.

This procedure is commonly known as the offline defragmentation because the information store database will be offline when we do the defragmentation while the regular nightly online defragmentation (maintenance) that occurs when the information store is online.

• In general avoid using eseutil /d switches unless, you removed/moved a lot of mailboxes from an Exchange database file or in second case there are -1018 errors in your event logs.


• To see how much free space you have in an Exchange Database file just check in the event logs and look for recent occurrences of event 1221 or run eseutil /ms (database should be offline during this switch)

Before using Eseutil /d - Microsoft recommend following points.

• Make sure before running eseutil /d that you should have at least 110% of the database files size available in free disk space on volume where defragmented copy of the database file is being created.


• Microsoft does not recommend running Eseutil /d as a regular maintenance practice, as the online maintenance takes care of this. Exchange database should be in consistent state while you run eseutil /d on it.

The additional options for Eseutil /d command are as follows:

Note none of these additional options are required
/s - set streaming file name (default: NONE)
/t - set temp. Database name (default: TEMPDFRG*.EDB)
/f - set temp. Streaming file name (default: TEMPDFRG*.STM)
/I - do not defragment streaming file
/p - preserve temporary database (ie. don't instate)
/b - make backup copy under the specified name
/8 - set 8k database page size (default: auto-detect)
/o - suppress logo

Example :

eseutil.exe /d "C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\MDBDATA\priv1.edb" /s "C:\Program Files\Exchsrvr\MDBDATA\priv1.stm"

MS Exchange 2007 Certification Range

Check this new Microsoft Certification range for Exchange 2007.

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-236.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-237.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-238.mspx

De-Emphasized & Discontinued Features in Exchange 2007

De-emphasized Features

These features are still included in the Exchange product, but they're not prioritized anymore and will most likely disappear in the next Exchange release after Exchange Server 2007.
│ Public Folders
│ Proxy Address Generators
│ CDO 1.21
│ MAPI32
│ CDOEX (CDO 3.0)
│ Exchange WebDAV extensions
│ ExOLEDB
│ Store Events
│ Streaming backup APIs
│ Exchange Server Virus Scanning API (VSAPI)

Discontinued Features
Because of the major architectural changes in Exchange Server 2007, several of the features and components included in previous versions of Exchange have been discontinued in Exchange Server 2007.
Architecture Features
│ Routing Groups
│ Administrative Groups
│ Link State Routing
│ Routing Objects
│ IMF (replaced by Content Filter which can be considered IMF v3)
│ Network Attached Storage (NAS)
│ Exchange installable File System (ExIFS)
│ Event Service
Recipient-Related Features
│ Exchange extensions in Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in
│ Microsoft Exchange Server Mailbox Merge Wizard (ExMerge)
│ Recipient Update Service (RUS)
Mobile Features
│ Outlook Mobile Access (OMA)
│ Outlook Mobile Access Browse
│ Always-Up-To-Date version 1 (AUTD v1)
│ S/MIME (will be back when Exchange 2007 SP1 releases)
Outlook Web Access Features
│ S/MIME Control component (will be back when Exchange 2007 SP1 releases)
│ Rules, Notes, Post Forms, Monthly Calendar view
│ Custom Forms
│ Editing personal distribution lists
│ URL commands except for free/busy, galfind, navbar, and contents
│ Public folder access
│ Exchange Web forms
Public Folder Features
│ Public Folder Management via GUI (but will be back when Exchange 2007 SP1 releases)
│ Non-MAPI top-level hierarchies in a public folder store
│ Public folder access using NNTP
│ Public folder access using IMAP4
Protocol Features
│ Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP)
│ Management of POP3/IMAP4 via GUI (Will most likely be back when Exchange 2007 SP1 releases)
│ X.400 Message Transfer Agent (MTA)
│ SMTP Virtual Server Instances
Connector Features
│ Connector for Novell GroupWise and migration tools
│ Connector for Lotus Notes (an Exchange 2007 version is under development)
HA Features
│ Active/Active (A/A) clustering
Exchange 5.5-Related Features
│ Installing Exchange 5.5. into an Exchange 2007 organization
│ Support for Exchange 5.5 in same forest as Exchange 2007
│ Installing Exchange 2007 into an organization containing Exchange 5.5 servers
│ Active Directory Connector (ADC)
│ Site Replication Service (SRS)
APIs and Development Features
│ Transport Event hooks
│ Workflow Designer (included in Exchange 2003 SDK)
│ CDO for Workflow (on Exchange 2003 media)
│ CDOEXM
│ Exchange WMI classes
│ MAPI Client on Exchange Server
Tools and Management Features
│ Monitoring and Status Node
│ Message Tracking Center Node and tracking mechanism
│ Mailbox Recovery Center
│ Mailbox Management Service
│ Clean Mailbox tool
│ Migration Wizard
│ ExProfRe
│ Inter-Organization Replication tool (InterORG)