Windows Server 2003

Although Exchange 2003 can run on Windows 2000 Server SP3, there are some definite advantages to running Exchange on Windows 2003 Server. These advantages are centered around the areas of clustering, reliability, and remote access.

Most notably, Exchange 2003 running on Windows Server 2003 supports clustering with up to seven active nodes and one inactive node. This represents a significant enhancement to the scalability and reliability of your Exchange installation. When you're planning your Exchange topology and server distribution, this is going to be a key factor in your hardware budget and server usage. You should be able to use the clustering technology provided to consolidate multiple servers and decrease hardware costs.

WINDOWS SERVER 2003

For more information on the other features in Windows 2003 Server, pick up a copy of Windows Server 2003 Delta Guide (ISBN 0-7897-2849-4), also from Sams Publishing.


Another enhancement provided by Windows Server 2003 is the new Volume Shadow Copy service that allows Exchange administrators to quickly back up and restore Exchange Mailboxes and servers. Most of the major backup vendors have announced their support for this service and have updated their software to take advantage of this feature.

The bottom line for Exchange administrators is less time spent working with backups and more reliable restores of critical files. From an architectural standpoint, this also means rethinking your backup and restore strategy to take advantage of this feature and consolidate servers that you might have dedicated to disaster recovery in the past.

For more information on working with the Volume Shadow Copy service, check out Chapter 6, "Maintenance and Monitoring," page 69.


Finally, another must-have enhancement provided by Windows Server 2003 is the capability for Outlook 2003 clients to communicate with Exchange over an HTTP connection, eliminating the need to create a virtual private network (VPN) or wide area network (WAN). Users can retrieve information from their Exchange Mailbox over a simple Internet connection.

This feature is provided through Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) over HTTP and is available only with Windows Server 2003. This ensures that Microsoft will sell at least one copy of Windows Server 2003 because administrators will add a server to their Exchange architecture to support this feature.

For more information on configuring RPC over HTTP, check out Chapter 8, "Security," page 101.




Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Delta Guide
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Delta Guide
ISBN: 0672325853
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 109

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