Chapter 6 - Designing an Upgrade Plan to Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server

Chapter 6

About This Chapter

Upgrading from earlier versions of Microsoft Exchange Server to Microsoft Exchange 2000 is a complex undertaking that affects both the messaging environment and the underlying network operating system. Earlier versions of Exchange can run on Microsoft Windows NT Server and Windows 2000 Server. Exchange 2000 Server, on the other hand, requires Windows 2000 and the Active Directory service. Hence, if your users are currently working in a Windows NT domain, upgrading the Exchange organization means upgrading to Windows 2000 Server as well. The implementation of an appropriate Windows 2000 and Active Directory environment for Exchange 2000 is discussed in Chapter 3, "Assessing the Current Network Environment."

The actual upgrade from Exchange Server consists of three phases: integration with Windows 2000 Server, coexistence with Exchange 2000 Server, and upgrading to Exchange 2000 Server. In the first phase, you will populate Active Directory with Exchange recipient information and keep both directories synchronized. This is a prerequisite for any upgrade procedure. In the second phase, you will install Exchange 2000 Server in such a way that both platforms can recognize each other as part of the same messaging organization. Seamless coexistence is vital because functioning messaging environments are seldom replaced all at once. For this reason, upgrading to Exchange 2000 Server is a gradual process. Usually, the upgrade phase overlaps with the coexistence phase. Step by step, you will move resources to Exchange 2000 Server, and the project ends when the last non-Exchange 2000 server is upgraded or decommissioned.

This chapter focuses on a deployment of Exchange 2000 Server in an organization running Exchange Server 5.5, with the intent to upgrade the entire environment to Microsoft’s new messaging and collaboration platform. Lesson 1 covers important aspects related to the integration of Exchange Server with Active Directory. Lesson 2 then explains how to implement Exchange 2000 Server in an existing infrastructure. Lesson 3 concludes this chapter with a discussion of possible upgrade strategies.

Before You Begin

To complete the lessons in this chapter, you need to

  • Be knowledgeable about the various dependencies of Exchange 2000 Server on the underlying network infrastructure and Active Directory, as discussed in Chapter 3, "Assessing the Current Network Environment"
  • Be experienced in administering a messaging organization based on Exchange Server 5.5, including recipient, site, connector, and server management
  • Be aware of the technical features and benefits of Exchange 2000 Server, as explained in Chapter 1, "Introduction to Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server"



MCSE Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Design and Deployment Training Kit(c) Exam 70-225
MCSE Training Kit (Exam 70-225): Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Design and Deployment (Pro-Certification)
ISBN: 0735612579
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2001
Pages: 89

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