subject: exchange

The August edition of TechNet Magazine is now available online or, if you prefer, you can download as an  HTML Help .chm file for offline reading.

Since the main subject is SQL Server, there aren't very articles I would like to highlight, besides these very interesting field notes, written by R'ykandar Korra'ti: IMAP Saves the World.

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The Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2006 Service Pack 1 was finally released.

Brief Description
Microsoft® Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2006 Service Pack 1 introduces new features and functionality to ISA Server 2006 Standard and Enterprise Editions.

Overview
The new features focus on configuration change management and enhanced troubleshooting designed to help you identify and resolve ISA Server configuration issues within the ISA Server Management console.
The service pack includes the following new features and feature improvements:

• Configuration Change Tracking—Registers all configuration changes applied to ISA Server to help you assess issues that may occur as a result of these changes.
• Test Button—Tests the consistency of a Web publishing rule between the published server and ISA Server.
• Traffic Simulator—Simulates network traffic in accordance with specified request parameters, such as an internal user and the Web server, providing information about firewall policy rules evaluated for the request.
• Diagnostic Logging Viewer—Now integrated as a tab into the ISA Server Management console, this feature displays detailed events on packet progress and provides information about handling and rule matching.

Improvements for existing features, including:

• Support for integrated NLB mode in all three modes, including unicast, multicast, and multicast with Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). Previously, ISA Server integrated NLB-supported unicast mode only.
• Support for use of server certificates containing multiple Subject Alternative Name (SAN) entries. Previously, ISA Server was able to use either only either the subject name (common name) of a server certificate, or the first entry in the SAN list.
• Support for Kerberos Constrained Delegation (KCD) cross-domain authentication. Credentials from users located in a different domain than the ISA Server, but in the same forest, can now be delegated to an internal published Web site by using KCD.
• Support for client certificate authentication in a workgroup deployment. This removes the requirement to map each client certificate to an Active Directory® directory user account when forms-based authentication is used as the primary authentication method and client certificates are used as the secondary method.

For more information about this service pack, see Microsoft Article 943462.
For general information about installing ISA Server updates and hotfixes, see Microsoft Article 885957.

Hey, did you notice that SAN certificates are now fully supported?

Related links:

• ISA Server 2006 Service Pack 1 Released!
• Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2006 Service Pack 1 Released!

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• How to access SharePoint sites through Microsoft Outlook
• What makes Microsoft Outlook 2007's Search feature special?
• Hosted Exchange Server adoption to infiltrate the enterprise
• A Rookie Mistake - Moving Mailboxes
• "Microsoft Exchange Service Host" fails to start in Secure Exchange 2007 Environments
• Export Mailboxes Larger than 2 GB to ANSI PSTs
• These are not the solutions you're looking for
• Modifying Display Templates and additional attributes
• Exchange Quick Audit: mailboxes created in last 7 days
• More fun with combining mutliple Powershell cmdlets to produce reports
• Disabling Play on Phone
• Removing The Last Exchange 2003 Server From Exchange 2007 (Part 2)
• Uncovering the Exchange 2007 Edge Transport Server (Part 2)
• Update to the Address List Segregation Tool…
• Update to OOO for Exchange 2007 (again)…
• Improvements for Exchange Server: The MVPs' Wish List
• Changing Feed Locations with Outlook 2007's RSS Feature
• Anti-Spam Connection Filtering when installed on Hub servers and other AS configuration misunderstandings
• Sample Exchange 2007 transport agent - add the name of the group to subject line
• How much of your email do you read?

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You can download this neat eBook if you register for Simple-Talk Exchange Newsletter.

"For a limited period, we've teamed up to offer you a FREE copy of "Sybex's Best of Exchange Server 2007" e-Book, comprising 10 chapters, and 350 pages of in-depth Exchange knowledge, compiled from five of Wiley's most popular Exchange 2007 books."

Table of Contents:

• Mastering Exchange Server 2007 - Barry Gerber, Jim McBee
• Chapter 2: Exchange Server Architecture
• Chapter 6: Scaling Upward and Outward
• Exchange Server 2007 Infrastructure Design: A Service-Oriented Approach - David W. Tschanz
• Chapter 4: Applying Planning Principles to Exchange Sever 2007
• Exchange Server 2007 Implementation & Administration - Jim McBee, Benjamin Craig
• Chapter 2: Exchange Server Administration
• Chapter 4: Installing Exchange Server 2007
• Chapter 12: Sizing Storage Groups and Databases
• MCITP: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Messaging, Design and Deployment Study Guide (Exams 70-237 & 70-238) - Rawlinson Rivera
• Chapter 5: Defining Policies and Security Procedures
• Chapter 10: Planning a Backup and Recovery Solution for Exchange Server 2007
• Chapter 15: Planning Exchange Server 2007 Security
• MCTS: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Configuration Study Guide (Exam 70-236) - Will Schmied, Kevin Miller
• Chapter 10: Creating, Managing Highly Available Exchange Server Solutions

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The long awaited updated version (v6.0.6278.12) of the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Management Pack for System Center Operations Manager 2007 was finally released!

The MP comes with a nice technical guide with detailed instructions about its installation and configuration.

Brief Description
This management pack includes scripts and rules to effectively monitor Exchange 2007 and report on performance, availability, and reliability of its server roles.

Overview
The Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 management pack is designed to be used for monitoring Exchange 2007 events, collecting Exchange component-specific performance counters in one central location, and for raising alerts for operator intervention as necessary. By detecting, sending alerts, and automatically responding to critical events, this management pack helps indicate, correct, and prevent possible service outages or configuration problems, allowing you to proactively manage Exchange servers and identify issues before they become critical. The management pack monitors and provides alerts for automatic notification of events indicating service outages, performance degradation, health monitoring, and centralized management.
This Management Pack requires Operations Manager 2007 Service Pack 1.
This Management Pack requires the Operations Manager 2007 updates specified in Knowledge Base articles 950853, 951979 and 951380 (see the Management Pack Guide for details).

Release History:

• 10/9/2007 - Initial Release, version 6.0.5000.0
• 6/22/2007 - Updated Release, version 6.0.6278.12

List of updates:

• All updates included in the 08.01.0240.001 version of the Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Management Pack for Microsoft Operations Manager 2005, except updates relating to reports.
• Overrides were documented in the Management Pack Guide for the LDAP Search Time and Failure DSNs Total rules and monitors.
• The management pack was updated to support the renamed performance counters in Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1. Performance counters for the Database object were renamed to MSExchange Database.
• The management pack was updated to support non-default names of the Reporting data warehouse.
• The OWA Connectivity performance view was updated to show performance data.
• Fixed an issue where cluster virtual servers where discovered as type Microsoft Exchange 2007 Mailbox Servers Installation.
• The Management Pack was updated so that alerts are correctly generated for events logged by physical cluster nodes in an Exchange Server 2007 cluster.
• Fixed an issue where the Exchange cluster virtual servers were discovered as type Microsoft Exchange 2007 Mailbox Servers – Physical Computers Installation.
• The Microsoft_Exchange_Server_Exchange_2007_Mailbox_Replication_Health_Test_ReplicationHealth_Events view was updated to target the Microsoft.Exchange.2007.Microsoft_Exchange_2007_Mailbox_Servers___Physical_Computers_ComputerGroup.
• The reports were updated to support non-US locales on the Reporting Server.
• The date/time picker was added to the reports, allowing for more flexibility in report scheduling.
• The Failure and Delay DSNs Total monitors were updated to look for deltas. Previously, the monitors measured the averages for the sampling interval.
• Fixed an issue where the cluster virtual servers were discovered as type Microsoft Exchange 2007 All Servers Installation.

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Besides the Exchange webcasts I announced some time ago, you may be interested in these additional ones:

• FunCast: Recovery Storage Group - Interested in knowing more about the Recovery Storage Group in Exchange 2007? Have a look at a new posted recorded "funcast" by Ilse Van Criekinge.
• Podcast: Exchange PowerShell with Ilse Van Criekinge - Today we’ll be speaking to noted Exchange MVP, trainer, and author Ilse van Criekinge.  Also on tap: news, resources, and a bunch of PowerShell tips for you.
• Webcast: High Availability in Exchange Server 2007 SP1 (Part 1 of 2): CCR vs. Other High Availability Solutions (Level 300) - Are you digging out your backups every time there is a failure? Are you paying a lot for hardware replication that promises zero data loss? Join us in this webcast to learn about the advantages of cluster continuous replication (CCR) over other high availability solutions and get a deep dive into CCR internals.
• Webcast: How Microsoft IT uses the Exchange Hosted Services to Protect the Messaging Environment (Level 300) - Microsoft deploys and supports more than 130,000 Exchange Server mailboxes for the global organization. All mail delivered to mailboxes@microsoft.com is first routed through Exchange Hosted Services, a hosted service that filters mail for spam and viruses and enforces corporate e-mail policies “in the cloud” before the mail reaches the Microsoft corporate network. This session describes Microsoft IT deployment, including server configuration and implementation, collecting server evidence, and lessons learned from deployment. Exchange Hosted Services is a service offering to enterprises that currently serves over 10,000 customers and processes 3.5 billion messages across the EHS global network.

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• Has your forest/domain been prepped for OCS and/or Exchange?
• Microsoft Exchange 2007 Clustering and Continuous Replication Explained
• Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 information and configurations
• 'Snail mail' blazes slow e-trail
• Changing the display name of active directory users
• OAB generation on a CCR cluster will fail with error 1021
• Enhancing Support For Custom Item Classes
• Quick antispam report or status check?
• Starting Task Manager in RDP or VM sessions
• ISA 2006 SP1: Support for SAN certs, and new features
• Community content in Exchange docs: the wikization begins!
• Exchange Server 2007: Listing Exchange ActiveSync users and device information
• Released: Exchange Management Shell | Powershell on Steroids
• Back From TechEd IT Pro North America 2008
• Exchange Server 2007 and Hyper-V
• Exchange Server 2007 SP1: Configuring a Redundant Network for Log Shipping
• Implementing Captcha Validation with OWA 2007 and Forms-Based Authentication
• Improvements We'd Like to See for Exchange Server
• To Backup or Not to Backup? Yes! To backup!!
• How does Outlook Anywhere work (and not work)?
• Device password recovery with Exchange 2007
• IRM in Outlook 2007

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SolarWinds released recently a free Microsoft Exchange monitoring tool.

"SolarWinds free Exchange Monitor is a clever desktop dashboard that continuously monitors Microsoft Exchange to deliver real-time insight into Exchange services, mail queue sizes, and host server health.

SolarWinds free Exchange Monitor makes it easy to:

• Quickly identify and troubleshoot Exchange server problems, preventing email delays and calendaring issues
• Spot growing mail queues that can indicate bigger issues, like transport failures, Internet connection failures, and virus activity
• Leverage out-of-the-box settings based on best practices to start monitoring Exchange immediately
• Prevent performance issues before they impact users with built-in red, yellow, and green health indicators
• Monitor critical server health indicators, including disk space, CPU utilization, and memory utilization to ensure optimal hardware functionality."

This is how the tool looks like:

When you first run it, you're presented with a window to configure the desired threshold and what services to monitor:

Related links:

• Sneak Peak - New Free Tool for Monitoring Microsoft Exchange Servers
• SolarWinds Marks First Year of Growing User Community Site with Release of Free Microsoft Exchange Monitoring Tool

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The Exchange Web Services Windows Vista Gadget Sample Application is available to download from the Microsoft site.

Overview
The Exchange Web Services Windows Vista Gadget sample application uses Exchange Web Services to retrieve Inbox, Calendar, and Task information from a user's Exchange 2007 mailbox. This sample application enables you to do the following:

• View your latest e-mail messages, upcoming appointments, and tasks.
• Page through your Inbox.
• Open items in a fly-out window.
• Open items in Outlook Web Access.
• Mark messages as read or unread.
• Delete messages.

The Pro-Exchange site has a good review about this gadget.

There are a couple of other related samples that you might be interested in:

• Unified Messaging Web Service Sample - The Unified Messaging Web Service Sample describes how to create proxy classes that interact with the Unified Messaging Web service. The proxy classes make it easier to implement the interaction between the client and the Web service.
• TimeChangeType Extension Sample - The TimeChangeType Extension Sample extends the TimeChangeType that implements IXmlSerializable to create an IXmlSerializable partial class.
• Exchange Server 2007 Legacy API Property Mapping - The Exchange Server 2007 Legacy API Property Mapping download includes a spreadsheet that maps WebDAV/CDOEX properties to Exchange Web Services properties. You can use the information in the spreadsheet to migrate your WebDAV/CDOEX–based applications to Exchange Web Services in Exchange 2007.

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Installing Exchange Server 2007 can be a little tricky and sometimes even frustrating. That's why I rejoiced when I found out this wonderful technical guide, written by Microsoft Customer Service and Support: Exchange Server 2007 Setup Architecture and Troubleshooting.

Brief Description
This document is a step-by-step guide to help end users install Exchange Server 2007.

Overview
Exchange Server 2007 Setup Architecture and Troubleshooting was written by Microsoft Customer Service and Support to prepare Support Engineers who are assisting customers installing Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1). We hope that you find the step-by-step approach useful and appreciate any feedback.

Although the Exchange Server TechCenter has lots of high quality technical information, this document condenses the most important steps required for a successful setup, and also provides some additional tips. For instance, the troubleshooting chapter suggests that you format the output of the Exchange Setup log file to HTML:

To enhance output, output can be directed to HTML using the OUT-HTML and OUT-IE scripts using the following command:

Get-SetupLog –tree:$false –error:$false | Where { $_.status –eq “Error” } | select datetime, depth, description, status | Out-HTML | Out-IE

And here's a personal tip: I like to follow the setup progress using the Tail utility, from the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools:

Tail -f C:\ExchangeSetupLogs\ExchangeSetup.log

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