Internet screen shot(s) using Microsoft Internet Explorer reprinted by permission from Microsoft Corporation.
TRADEMARKS: SYBEX has attempted throughout this book to distinguish proprietary trademarks from descriptive terms by following the capitalization style used by the manufacturer.
The author and publisher have made their best efforts to prepare this book, and the content is based upon final release software whenever possible. Portions of the manuscript may be based upon pre−release versions supplied by software manufacturer(s). The author and the publisher make no representation or warranties of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents herein and accept no liability of any kind including but not limited to performance, merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose, or any losses or damages of any kind caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly from this book.
To Jane, my wife and best friend, for reminding me in so many ways that technology should serve and not control humanity. To my children, Margot, Karl, and Georg, for showing me both how much and how little we influence others. And to everyone who is trying to make our often harsh and nasty world a better place to live in.
Acknowledgments
Microsoft's Exchange Server has come a long way since its first release in 1996. Keeping up with all the changes and tracking through all the beta and pre−release versions of Exchange 4.0, 5.0, 5.5, and 2000 was an adventure with all the peaks and dips of a world−class roller−coaster ride. Equally adventuresome was the production of this edition, which not only covers the new features in Exchange Server 2003, but also includes hundreds of updates and fixes to parts of the book dealing with information common to Exchange 2000 and 2003.
Without the help and support of a number of fine people, Mastering Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 would never have happened. Words really cannot express both my indebtedness to, and respect for, the Exchange Server development teams I've worked with over the past eight years. I'll never forget the patience they showed with my seemingly endless and not always well−articulated questions, especially as product delivery deadlines approached. My Exchange Book e−mail folders for earlier editions overflow with helpful, timely, and just−in−time responses from them all: Behrooz Chitsaz, Ken Ewert, Karim Battish, August Hahn, David Johnson, Bill Kilcullen, Eric Lockard, Mark Ledsome, David Lemson, Steve Masters, Tom McCann, Ramez Naam, Jim Reitz, Todd Roberts, Rob Sanfilippo, Elaine Sharp, Rob Shurtleff, Aaron Snow, Bill Sorinsin, Paul Waszkiewicz, Jeff Wilkes, and Rusty Williams.
For this edition, Microsoft instituted a different kind of beta program: a program to help book authors get faster and more authoritative answers to their questions about Exchange 2003. The Exchange Buddy Team program wasn't a piece of software, but an effort to open continuous communications between authors and technical writers and developers at Microsoft. From my perspective, the beta was a resounding success and you, the reader, will benefit from it the most. I want to thank the members of my Buddy Team: Diane Forsyth (my main and most dedicated contact), Susan Bradley (manager of the Buddy Team program), Teresa Applegate, Christopher Budd (the fastest response gun in the West), Jyoti Kulkarni, Paul Limont, Joey Masterson, Brendan Power, David Reeb (Dell Computer), Neil Shipp, and Ifran Soomro. May the Buddy Program come gracefully out of beta and go on to many, many fruitful releases.
Finally, my heartfelt and everlasting thanks to the team of editors who kept me honest and articulate through all editions of the book. John Read at Sybex listened to my ideas for the first edition and helped shape them into the book Mastering Microsoft Exchange Server 4. Peter Kuhns, Neil Edde, Maureen Adams, and Tom Cirtin most ably managed editorial development on the other editions of the book. Ellen Dendy played that role for this edition and played it very well. She was always there to counsel and cajole and to help press Microsoft for both beta product and editorial help. Ellen's job was made easier by Tom Cirtin, who played a role both in editorial development and chapter−by−chapter organizational and content editing for this book. As he did on the last edition, he did these jobs with intelligence and grace under considerable pressure. This time, things were often hectic, and I didn't tell him as many times how much I appreciated his help. So let me express my deepest thanks here.
Maureen Adams, Lorraine Fry, Ben Miller, Chad Mack, Susan Berge, Cecelia Musselman, and Krista Hansing were responsible for editorial production of the Exchange 4, 5, 5.5, and 2000 books. Mae Lum and
Laura Ryan took over this task for this book. Like Tom, they have made my job easier and have made me look like a far better writer than I am. I'd also like to thank proofreaders Nancy Riddiough, Laurie O'Connell, Amey Garber, and Emily Hsuan for catching the mistakes all the rest of us missed. For compositing (turning Word files into book pages) and illustrations, thanks to Maureen Forys and Jeff Wilson of Happenstance Type−O−Rama.
And last, but far from least, thanks to the technical editors who have kept me honest and on target: Eric Lockard (Exchange 4), Rob Sanfilippo (Exchange 5 and 5.5, first edition), Don Fuller (Exchange 5.5, second edition), Ed Crowley (Exchange 2000), and Kevin Lundy (this book). I appreciate the help each has given. Kevin's gentle nudges and spot−on criticisms were much appreciated and made reading technical edits a real pleasure.
Thanks to everyone for all your help. Whatever errors of fact or judgment remain are mine and mine alone.
Barry Gerber (bg@bgerber.com, www.bgerber.com)
Los Angeles, California
Introduction
Overview
Writing Mastering Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 was an interesting and unique experience. After eight years with Exchange Server and four previous editions of this book, I was able to find the time to step back and assess both the organization and content of the last edition, Mastering Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Microsoft's Exchange Server 2003 is an evolutionary product. A good deal has changed, but much has stayed the same as in Exchange 2000. Rather than having to spend almost all of my time looking for and mastering the new in Exchange 2003, I was able to devote more time to reorganizing the book, fixing up what I thought were weak sections, and adding exciting new content everywhere. What you have in your hands is the best edition of Mastering Exchange Server that I've ever written. And, the really good news is that a great deal of the revised and new content can be applied to both Exchange 2000 and 2003.
In writing this book, I was guided by three goals:
• To help you decide if there's a place for Exchange Server 2003 in your organization
To share the excitement that I feel about both the reality and promise of electronic messaging and the Exchange 2003 client/server system
•
• To provide information and teach you skills that you'll need to plan for and implement Exchange Server 2003 systems of any size and shape
Exchange Server 5.5 was one of the most powerful, extensible, scalable, easy−to−use, and manageable electronic−messaging backends on the market. Exchange 2000 Server retained all of 5.5's best features and added new ones. Exchange Server 2003 goes a step further, altering interfaces that didn't quite work in the 2000 flavor and adding some great new features.
Much of the change in Exchange 2000 Server related to its very tight integration with Windows 2000 Server. Exchange 5.5's directory service was the model for Windows 2000 Server's Active Directory. Active Directory is an industrial−strength directory service providing users and computers with information about and access to server and network services and resources. Information about Exchange 2000 Server recipients and services was integrated into Active Directory. All of these changes have been carried forward with well−thought−out modifications to Exchange 2003 and Windows 2003.
Additionally, unlike with Exchange 5.x, Exchange 2000 depended on Windows 2000's Internet Information Server for its base Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mail transmission services and Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) newsgroup services. Underlying both SMTP and NNTP was Microsoft's new virtual server technology, which supports multiple SMTP or NNTP services on a single server. Again, all of this technology was improved and carried forward to Windows 2003 and Exchange 2003.
As with Exchange 2000 Server, Exchange Server 2003 virtual servers support version 3 of the Post Office Protocol (POP3) and version 4 of the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP4), both available since Exchange Server 5.5. Unlike SMTP and NNTP, however, POP3 and IMAP4 are native Exchange Server services. POP3 enables nonproprietary, lightweight client access to Exchange Server messages. IMAP4 adds key features missing in the POP3 protocol, such as access to folders other than the Inbox. Any POP3 or IMAP4 client, whether running in Windows, Macintosh, any flavor of Unix, or another operating system, can access Exchange Server to send and receive messages. Furthermore, POP3 and IMAP4 clients, such as Qualcomm's Eudora, Netscape's mail client, the University of Washington's Pine, or Microsoft's Outlook Express, are easier to manage and demand fewer workstation resources than the standard Microsoft Outlook client. As a result, they can be run with less intervention by information technology staff and on lower−end
workstations.
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), another Exchange 5.5 veteran carried over to Exchange 2000 and now to Exchange 2003, makes possible web−browser access to Exchange Server− based mailboxes, public folders, and calendars. HTTP is built on Microsoft's Internet Information Server and virtual server technology. Microsoft uses the term Outlook Web Access (OWA) to refer to its support for HTTP in Exchange. Like POP3 and IMAP4 clients, web browsers are both nonproprietary and lighter weight than standard Outlook clients. As a result, users and their organizations realize the same benefits that they get with POP3 or IMAP4 clients while using a client that is on virtually every desktop. HTTP support also enables controlled and selective access to Exchange Server environments by anonymous users. Finally, the Exchange Server 2003 implementation of HTTP makes it easier than it ever has been for users and developers to access messages and other items in Exchange mailboxes and public folders.
In Exchange Server 2003, HTTP plays a new role. It serves as the basis for connecting standard Outlook MAPI clients to Exchange servers over the Internet using the same Remote Procedure Call (RPC) technology that is used to connect Outlook clients to Exchange servers in LAN environments. RPC over HTTP makes WAN client/server connectivity easy and it simplifies the task of placing Exchange servers behind firewalls.
Like SMTP and NNTP, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) services moved from Exchange to Windows 2000/2003, with LDAP becoming a key protocol for users and managers of Active Directory. On the messaging side, LDAP supports user access to e−mail address and other information stored in Active Directory. Exchange Server users with LDAP−enabled POP3 and IMAP4 clients can find e−mail addresses in the Exchange directory from anywhere in the world. This adds an unprecedented and most welcome level of user friendliness to the POP3 and IMAP4 world.
Exchange 2000 Server's information storage technology changed drastically from Exchange 5.5, and this change was carried forward to Exchange 2003 and then significantly enhanced. Multiple mailbox and public folder store databases can be created. Databases can be larger and each database can be managed separately. Any information store database can be taken offline for cleanup, backup, and restore operations without affecting users' capability to access remaining online databases. Exchange 2003 adds recovery storage groups, which make it easier to recover an Exchange mailbox or items in an Exchange mailbox.
Exchange 2000/2003 split Exchange 5.5 and earlier sites into administrative groups and routing groups. Exchange administrators can distribute management responsibilities by delegating control over specific administrative groups to different Windows 2000/2003 security groups. Administrative groups hold servers, system policies, public folders, routing groups, and other objects. However, routing groups, which contain servers linked by high−bandwidth networks, do not have to exist in the same administrative group as the servers that they contain. In addition, servers can be moved between administrative groups and system policies, and public folders can exist in any administrative group, further extending the Exchange administrator's ability to distribute responsibility for managing specific components of Exchange 2000/2003.
Speaking of management, Windows 2000's Microsoft Management Console (MMC) technology made Windows 2000/Exchange 2000 administration easier and more intuitive. That same technology is available in Windows/Exchange 2003. Based on the familiar object−oriented tree technology of Microsoft's Windows file and directory browsers, MMC snap−ins enable focused, efficient management of everything from users and computers to Windows, Internet domains, and Exchange server and the wide array of services that it supports.
With these and an impressive array of other features, Exchange Server 2003 can help your organization move smoothly and productively into the world of advanced, enhanced electronic messaging.
What You Need to Run Exchange Server
Exchange Server 2003 is a complex product with a remarkably easy−to−use interface for administration and management. All of this complexity and parallel ease of use requires an industrial−strength computer. The minimum server computer suggested here is for testing, learning about, and evaluating the product. It's also enough for a small, noncritical installation. However, as I discuss in the book, when the server moves into critical production environments, where it will be accessed by large numbers of users, you'll need to beef up its hardware and add a number of fault−tolerant capabilities. On the client side, with the broad range of clients available for Exchange, the machines now on desktops in most organizations should be more than adequate.
At a minimum, to test, learn about, and evaluate Exchange Server, you need the following:
Either Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and any version of Windows Server 2003 or Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise or Datacenter Edition.
• A 1GHz Pentium III− or 4−based PC with 512MB of RAM and two 9GB disk drives. This allows you to complete exercises involving a single Exchange server.
• A minimum of three additional computers in the class just described. This allows you to complete exercises involving multiple computers in multiple administrative groups and Windows Server 2003 domains.
• Tape backup hardware or at least one independent disk drive for backup.
• A local area network (preferably connected to the Internet).
•
• At least one 800MHz Pentium III or 4 or equivalent computer with 128MB of memory running Windows XP Professional.
How This Book Is Organized
This book comprises 20 chapters and an appendix, divided into six broad topic areas. As you proceed through the book, you'll move from basic concepts to several increasingly complex levels of hands− on implementation.
This book won't work well for practitioners of the timeworn ritual of chapter hopping. I've taken great pains to write an integrated book on Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003. Unless you already have considerable experience with these products, to get the maximum value out of this book, you need to track through the chapters in order. Readers like to send me questions by e−mail. About 25 percent of the 'Why doesn't it work?' questions that I receive can be answered by 'Because you didn't do what I suggested in Chapter so−and−so.'
However, if you're in a hurry to get your hands dirty, start with Part II, 'Installation' (Chapters 7 and 8); Part III, 'The Outlook Client' (Chapters 9 and 10), and Part IV, 'Basic Exchange Server 2003 Management' (Chapters 11 and 12). These chapters will help you get a Windows 2003 server, an Exchange 2003 server, and an Outlook client up and running. As long as you're not planning to put your quickie server into production immediately, there should be no harm done. Before going into production, though, I strongly suggest that you explore other parts of this book. Here's a guide to what's in each chapter.
Part I: Understanding and Planning
This part of the book focuses on concepts and features of Microsoft's Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003 client/server electronic messaging system. It is designed to provide you with the underlying knowledge that you'll need when you tackle Windows and Exchange Server 2003 installation, administration, and management later in this book.
Chapter 1, 'Introducing Exchange Server 2003,' presents some basic information about Exchange Server 2003 products, helping you optimize the value of these products in your organization.
Chapter 2, 'Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003,' looks in some detail at the similarities and differences between Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows NT Server 4. This chapter also examines the differences between Exchange Server 2003, Exchange 2000 Server, and Exchange Server 5.5, assisting you in focusing your learning efforts if you're an old hand at Windows 2000, NT 4, and Exchange 5.5.
Chapter 3, 'Two Key Architectural Components of Windows Server 2003,' talks about the most important aspects of Windows Server 2003, giving you a head start on the road to Windows Server 2003/Exchange 2003 competency.
Chapter 4, 'Exchange Server 2003 Architecture,' focuses on the organizing structures of Exchange 2003, an understanding of which is essential to successful Exchange 2003 implementation.
Chapter 5, 'Designing a New Exchange 2003 System,' covers Windows Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 system planning and design, facilitating your initial use of these complex products in your organization.
Chapter 6, 'Upgrading to Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003,' looks at the planning and design issues involved in bringing Windows 2003 and Exchange 2003 to existing Windows 2000/Exchange 2000 and Windows NT/Exchange 5.5 environments, easing the introduction of these products into your organization.
Part II: Installation
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 runs on top of Microsoft's Windows Server 2003. This part covers the installation of both products, protecting them and their users against hardware crashes, and building a basic networking environment to support them.
Chapter 7, 'Installing Windows Server 2003 as a Domain Controller,' focuses on installing and configuring Windows Server 2003, setting up an uninterruptible power supply, and backing up.
Chapter 8, 'Installing Exchange Server 2003,' provides the details on Exchange Server 2003 installation and basic security.
This section is also important for those who need to upgrade from Windows 2000 Server and Exchange 2000 Server to the 2003 versions of these products or from NT Server 4 to Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003. Much of what is done during an upgrade is covered in these two chapters.
Part III: The Outlook Client
Exchange Server is a pretty nifty little gadget. But without clients, it's nothing more than fancy technology. Although this is a book on Exchange Server, the Outlook client merits some discussion. This section is devoted to that discussion.
Chapter 9, 'Installing Outlook 2003 from a Customized Server Image,' takes an administrative perspective, focusing on the Outlook 2003 client for Windows that is part of the Office 2003 Suite. This chapter covers both installation of the client on a server so that it can be installed on user workstations and then from the server onto user workstations.
Chapter 10, 'A Quick Overview of Outlook 2003,' describes and explains the Outlook 2003 client from the user's perspective. This includes a quick tour of Outlook's menus to get you comfortable with the extensive and impressive functionality Microsoft has built into the client.
Part IV: Basic Exchange Server 2003 Management
Attention shifts in this section to day−to−day Exchange Server operational tasks. Most of these tasks are carried out within Microsoft Management Console, which is heavily featured in Part IV.
Chapter 11, 'Managing Exchange Users, Distribution Groups, and Contacts,' concentrates on the Active Directory Users and Computers Microsoft Management Console snap−in and on using it to administer and manage three recipient components in the Exchange Server 2003 hierarchy: users, distribution groups, and contacts.
Chapter 12, 'Managing the Exchange Server Hierarchy and Core Components,' covers the management of the rest of Exchange Server's hierarchy and core components primarily by using the Exchange System Manager Microsoft Management Console snap−in.
Part V: Expanding an Exchange Server Organization
This section opens the horizons of Exchange Server to the outside world and to other Exchange servers. This is one of the most interesting and exciting parts of the Exchange 2003 experience.
The first two chapters of Part V focus on the Internet. Chapter 13, 'Managing Exchange 2003 Internet Services,' discusses the Internet in technical detail and provides instructions for connecting an Exchange Server system to it.
Chapter 14, 'Managing Exchange 2003 Services for Internet Clients,' provides a firm grounding in key Internet protocols and their management and implementation: Post Office Protocol Version 3 (POP3), Internet Message Access Protocol version 4 (IMAP4), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).
Chapter 15, 'Installing and Managing Additional Exchange Servers,' includes extensive instructions on adding Exchange 2003 servers to an Exchange organization. The focus in this chapter is on adding, administering, and managing Exchange servers at different levels in the Exchange 2003 hierarchy and Windows 2003 domain structure.
Part VI: Exchange and Outlook: The Next Level
The final section of this book deals with a series of advanced topics, discussion of which would have been premature or diverting earlier on. Chapter 16, 'Advanced Exchange Server Administration and Management,' covers such issues as troubleshooting, message tracking, and migrating users of foreign messaging systems to Exchange Server 2003.
Chapter 17, 'Exchange Server Reliability and Availability,' concentrates on the role of system redundancy and backup and recovery in stable Exchange Server systems. The chapter ends with an extensive discussion of Exchange Server disaster recovery strategies and plans and a real−world example of recovery in the face of serious disaster. Chapter 17 is new to this edition of Mastering Microsoft Exchange Server
Appendix: Cool Third−Party Applications for Exchange Server and Outlook Clients
Also new to this edition is Chapter 18, 'Exchange Server System Security.' This chapter brings together eight years of experience battling the demons that can compromise an Exchange server system or the Windows system it rides upon. Topics in this chapter include putting Exchange servers behind firewalls, Windows and Exchange Server security best practices, securing Exchange messages, and dealing with viruses and spam.
The final new chapter in this book is Chapter 19, 'Wireless Access to Exchange Server 2003,' which explores the exciting new world of wireless access to Exchange mailboxes. The chapter covers wireless LAN and WAN options as well as server and client innovations in Exchange 2003 that, for the first time, make it easy to get to Exchange inboxes, calendars, and contacts without anchoring a PDA or wireless phone in a cradle.
Chapter 20, 'Building, Using, and Managing Outlook Forms Designer Applications,' discusses and demonstrates the use of one of the easier and more interesting application design options, the Outlook 2003 Forms Designer package, which integrates tightly with Exchange Server 2003.
Appendix: Cool Third−Party Applications for Exchange Server and Outlook Clients
This book's Appendix takes you on a thrill ride through some of the many products that exist today to enhance and extend the reach of Exchange Server. Coverage includes applications and services that:
Make Exchange Server installation and administration easier.
• Bring faxing and document management capabilities to Exchange servers.
• Improve upon the backup software built into Windows/Exchange Server 2003.
• Provide near−line storage message archiving.
• Check for potential and actual internal and external security breaches.
• Guard Exchange servers and networks against virus attacks and spam messages.
• Provide messaging systems linking e−mail, telephone services, voice, and text.
•
• Improve workflow by using e−mail to connect users working on a common task.
Conventions Used in This Book
I've included many notes in this book. Generally, they are positioned below the material to which they refer. There are three kinds of notes: notes, tips, and warnings.
Note Notes give you information pertinent to the procedure or topic being discussed.
Tip Tips indicate practical hints that might make your work easier.
Warning Warnings alert you to potential problems that you might encounter while using the program.
Remember, Exchange is designed to help your organization do what it does better, more efficiently, and with greater productivity. Have fun, be productive, and prosper!
Part 1: Understanding and Planning
Chapter List
Chapter 1: Introducing Exchange Server 2003
Chapter 2: Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003
Chapter 3: Two Key Architectural Components of Windows Server 2003
Chapter 4: Exchange Server 2003 Architecture
Chapter 5: Designing a New Exchange 2003 System
Chapter 6: Upgrading to Windows Server 2003 and Exchange 2003
Chapter 1: Introducing Exchange Server 2003
Overview
Electronic messaging has become such a prominent aspect of our lives that it's hard to remember not having it. It is no longer a luxury for businesses, nonprofit organizations, and even individuals. E−messaging is a key component of life from selling goods and services, to disseminating information and raising funds, to communicating with family and friends. Microsoft's Exchange client/ server e−messaging products have been major players in an e−messaging revolution that began in earnest in 1995. Exchange 2003 is the latest in a series of increasingly sophisticated, standards−based, industrial strength e−messaging servers. Exchange 2003 lets people work together in a variety of productivity−enhancing ways.
It is important to realize that both Windows 2003 and Exchange 2003 are evolutionary products. They are relatively modest upgrades of Windows 2000 and Exchange 2000. If you know and understand the 2000 products, you will have little difficulty adapting to most of the features of the 2003 line.
Unlike its predecessor, Exchange Server 5.5, but like Exchange 2000, Exchange Server 2003 is very tightly integrated into the Windows Server 2003 environment: You can't talk about Exchange Server 2003 without talking about Windows Server 2003. This chapter concentrates on Exchange Server 2003, but when we leave the safe confines of this introductory chapter, hardly a paragraph will go by without mention of Windows Server 2003.
Featured in this chapter:
• Why Microsoft released Windows 2003 and Exchange 2003
Exchange Server 2003 and the era of ubiquitous electronic messaging
• Exchange Server 2003 applications
•
• Some Exchange Server 2003 basics
A Confusing Array of Terms
Before we move on, let me clarify some of the terms that I'll be using. I'll use Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2003 to refer to the entire line of Windows Server 2003 products. I'll use the names of the individual Windows Server 2003 products when referring specifically to one of them−for example, Windows Server 2003 Advanced Server. I'll use the same conventions for Windows 2000 Server and Exchange 2000 Server and for Windows NT Server 4.
When I use the word Exchange or the words Exchange system, I'm talking about the whole Exchange Server 2003 client/server system.
Exchange Server refers to just the Exchange Server 2003 product (Server or Enterprise Edition), and an Exchange server is any computer running the Exchange Server 2003 product.
Got that? Okay, explain it to me.
Exchange Server 2003 and the Era of Ubiquitous Electronic Messaging
If you're currently responsible for electronic messaging in your organization, no one has to tell you about the steadily expanding use of e−messaging. You know it's happening every time you check the storage space on your disk drives or need an additional tape to complete the backup of your mail server.
Over the last 10 years, the number of e−mail addresses has grown significantly. Based on data from a July 1999 study (#19758), the technology research company International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that in 2002 the number of e−mailboxes in the United States stood at 275 million and at well over 500 million worldwide. IDC estimates that by 2005 there will be more than 300 million mailboxes in the United States and 750 million worldwide.
Electronic messaging is more than e−mail. It involves the use of an underlying messaging infrastructure (addressing, routing, store−and−forward technologies, and so on) to build applications that are based on cooperative tasking, whether by humans or computers. Working in tandem with real− time interactive technologies, electronic messaging systems have already produced a set of wildly imaginative business, entertainment, and educational applications with high payoff potential. All of this action, of course, accelerates the demand for electronic messaging capabilities and services.
Microsoft's Exchange Server products have played and will continue to play a key role in electronic messaging. Exchange Server 2003 is one of the most powerful, extensible, scalable, easy−to−use, and manageable electronic messaging back ends currently on the market. Combined with Microsoft's excellent Outlook clients, Internet−based clients from Microsoft and other vendors, and third−party or home−grown applications, Exchange Server 2003 can help your organization move smoothly and productively into the electronic messaging future.
Why Microsoft Released Windows 2003 and Exchange 2003
If, as noted above, Windows 2003 and Exchange 2003 are relatively modest upgrades of the 2000 versions of these products, why did Microsoft release newly numbered versions? There are three reasons. First, Microsoft had to keep a promise it made to its customers. Second, the 2003 line of server products represents a new way for Microsoft to manage licensing. Third, the release of newly numbered product upgrades is a key Microsoft marketing strategy.
Prior to the release of its Windows and Exchange 2000 server products, Microsoft released service packs containing both bug fixes and product enhancements. Some customers were pleasantly surprised when a service pack showed up with a great new feature. Other customers were not happy at all to have to deal with such features and the changes they might require in both product management and end−user training. So, when Microsoft released both Windows 2003 and Exchange 2003, it promised to use service packs only to fix bugs. Enhancements would be held for release as part of a new version of the product.
Microsoft kept its promise to its customers with Windows 2003 and Exchange 2003. Now, don't get me wrong; as you'll soon see, the 2003 line includes some pretty neat new features. My favorite is Windows 2003's ability to quickly and unobtrusively make snapshot backups of files. This is a great feature just for the Windows environment, but for Exchange, it is a godsend. Though I've had to do it only a few times in my consulting life, recovering lost stuff from Exchange databases makes me really nervous. Snapshots make it much easier and more reliable.
Aside from keeping promises, the 2003 product line includes much tighter controls on product licensing. We first saw Microsoft's new approach to licensing in Office XP and Windows XP. Basically, you're required to get an authorization code for the product online, by telephone, or snail mail. The number of authorizations is limited, allowing you enough reinstalls to cover disk crashes and other circumstances, but not enough so you can put the product on every computer in the world.
My first reaction to this sort of licensing was anger. Then, when I realized that it costs Microsoft a ton of money to develop even minor enhancements to a product, the anger subsided and I understood that paying for what I use contributes to the growth and extended life of these products. As long as Microsoft charges fairly for its products, I'm happy to pay my fair share.
The last reason for the release of Windows and Exchange 2003 has to do with product marketing. Like so many vendors, Microsoft has adopted a 'new model year' approach to selling many of its products. Putting a model year on a product gives it a spiffy feel when it's first released and then makes it seem obsolescent as time passes. I mean, what's more so−yesterday than running Exchange 2000 Server in the year 2003? I've found the model year approach cuts both ways with my clients. Some really get into it, arguing to their bosses that, like an old car, old software just won't cut it. Others resist, saying that it's all just marketing hype. Honestly, every Microsoft product update has had significant new features. Whether or not a specific organization requires those features is open to argument. One good argument for going with the latest and greatest software is that Microsoft ultimately phases out support for older products. While it will be some time before it happens, support for the NT server product line is going to disappear.
The rest of this chapter introduces you to the Exchange 2003 client/server system. We start with a quick look at several of the neat ways that you can use Exchange for e−mail and more, and then we focus on some of Exchange's key characteristics and capabilities. This is just an introduction, so don't worry if you don't understand everything completely by the end of this chapter. Everything that we discuss here is also covered in more detail later in this book.
Exchange Server 2003 Applications
I dare you not to get excited about electronic messaging and Exchange Server 2003 as you read this section. Just look at what's possible, and imagine what you could do with all this potential.
Exchange supports a range of e−mail protocols, including Microsoft's own proprietary Mail Application Program Interface (MAPI), as well as the Internet standard protocols Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3) and the often overlooked Internet Message Access Protocol version 4 (IMAP4). But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Exchange servers can host user and organizational calendars, e−mail−enabled contact lists, to−do lists, notes, and other data. Users can access all this data using standard PC−based e−mail clients, web browsers, and even those tiny personal digital assistants (PDAs) that are all the rage today. Speaking of PDAs, I'm really jazzed about wireless access to Exchange using PDAs. The good news is that Microsoft has finally done some great things in Exchange 2003 to support wireless access.
Exchange servers are also great places to build and support custom applications. You can build simple applications using existing products such as Microsoft Word or Excel. If your application needs are more complex, you can turn to Exchange−based forms. And, if you've got the need, time, and skills, you can build applications using programming languages such as Java, Visual Basic, or C++. The .NET Framework part of Windows Server 2003 significantly enhances Exchange 2003 development options. Finally, you can use the built−in sorting and searching capabilities of Exchange public folders to build some pretty powerful applications.
E−Mail Is Only the Beginning
E−Mail Is Only the Beginning
Together, Exchange Server 2003 and its clients perform a variety of messaging−based functions. These include e−mail, message routing, scheduling, and support for several types of custom applications. Certainly, e−mail is a key feature of any messaging system, and the Outlook Calendar is far better than previous versions of Microsoft's appointment and meeting−scheduling software. Figures 1.1 and 1.2 show the Outlook 2003 client Inbox and Calendar for Windows in action.
Figure 1.2: The Outlook 2003 client Calendar for Windows
Take a look at Figures 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5 for a glimpse of the Internet−based POP3, IMAP4, and web browser clients that you can use with Exchange Server 2003.
Figure 1.1: The Outlook 2003 client Inbox for Windows
Figure 1.3: Microsoft's Outlook Express POP3− compliant client accesses mail stored on an Exchange server.
Figure 1.4: Microsoft's Outlook Express IMAP4 client function accesses messages and folders on an Exchange server.
Figure 1.5: Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser accesses mail stored on an Exchange Server 2003.
E−mail clients are exciting and sexy, but to get the most out of Exchange Server 2003, you need to throw away any preconceptions you have that messaging packages are only for e−mail and scheduling. The really exciting applications are not those that use simple e−mail or scheduling, but those that are based on the routing capabilities of messaging systems. These applications bring people and computers together for cooperative work.
So what do these hot apps look like? Let's start with the simplest and move toward the more complex.
Just a Step beyond Mail
You're probably familiar with e−mail attachments−those word−processing, spreadsheet, and other files that you can attach to messages. Attachments are a simple way to move files to the people who need to see them.
Sure, you could send your files on diskette or tell people where on the network they can find and download the files. But e−mail attachments let you make the files available to others with a click of their mouse buttons: Recipients just double−click on an icon, and the attachment opens in the original application that produced it. This is true, of course, only if your correspondent has access to the application or to software that lets them view documents created using the application.
Using attachments offers the added advantage of putting the files and accompanying messages right in the faces of those who need to see them. This leaves less room for excuses such as 'I couldn't find/open that network folder,' or 'The dog ate the diskette.'
As great as attachments can be, they have one real weakness: The minute an attachment leaves your Outbox, it's out of date. If you do further work on the original file, such work is not reflected in the copy that you sent to others. If someone then edits a copy of the attached file, it's totally out of sync with the original and all other copies. Getting everything synchronized again can involve tedious hours or days of manually comparing different versions and cutting and pasting them to create one master document.
Office 2003 offers two neat ways to avoid this problem. First, it lets you insert a link to a file. When the file is opened, you're really opening the linked file. If the file is changed, you see the changed file. Second, Office 2003 lets you attach a file to a message and to set a share point where an updateable version of the file is stored. When the copy attached to the user's e−mail is updated, these updates can be incorporated into the shared copy of the file. This option allows broader access to the file than a link.
The next two sections show you other ways to get around the limitations of attachments.
Off−the−Shelf Messaging−Enabled Applications
Microsoft Office enables messaging in many word−processing and spreadsheet applications. For example, when you install the Outlook client on your computer, Microsoft's Office products such as Word and Excel are enabled for electronic messaging. You can select the Routing Recipient option from the application's File > Send To menu. An electronic routing slip pops up. You then add addresses to the slip from your Exchange address books or from your Outlook contacts, select the routing method that you want to use, and set other attributes for the route. Finally, you add the routing slip to the document with a click of the Add Slip button and ship it off to others using options on the File > Send To menu.
As you can see in Figure 1.6, the file can be routed either sequentially or all at once to each address you selected. Routing sequentially helps eliminate problems associated with multiple users editing the same file at the same time. With applications such as Microsoft Word that keep track of each person's comments and changes, once the document has been routed, the original author can read the comments and incorporate or not incorporate them as they see fit. Figure 1.6 shows how all this works.
