Overview of Contents

The Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Administrator’s Companion is divided into multiple parts, each roughly corresponding to a stage in the implementation of an Exchange organization or covering a particular functionality.

Part I: Introduction

We begin by outlining the new features of Exchange Server 2003. Then we dive in for a closer look at the program’s storage and routing architecture. Chapter 1, “Introducing Exchange Server 2003,” is designed to get you up to speed quickly on what Exchange Server is and some of the features it offers. This first chapter also serves as a roadmap for the rest of the book. Chapter 2, “Understanding Exchange Server Storage Architecture,” and Chapter 3, “Understanding Exchange Server Routing Architecture,” detail the storage and routing architecture of Exchange Server 2003. They illustrate how the databases and transaction logs provide you with a high level of recoverability and discuss the new link state protocol. Chapter 4, “Understanding Windows 2003 Integration,” explains the tight integration between Exchange Server 2003 and Active Directory, Microsoft Internet Information Services 6.0, and Windows 2003 DNS.

Part II: Planning

Every successful implementation of a messaging system requires good planning, and Exchange Server 2003 is no exception. Two chapters are devoted to planning issues. Chapter 5, “Assessing Needs,” looks at methods for taking stock of a current network and assessing the needs of users on that network prior to an Exchange Server 2003 deployment. Chapter 6, “Planning for Development,” examines ways to create an actual deployment plan, based on the needs assessment methods outlined in Chapter 5.

Part III: Deployment

After learning about the architecture of Exchange Server 2003 and how to plan for its deployment, you’re ready to get your hands dirty. In this part (the longest), we outline how to install Exchange Server 2003 and how to implement its various features in the way that best suits your organization. Chapter 7, “Installing Exchange Server 2003,” details the various methods of installing Exchange Server 2003, including installing a new organization and installing into an existing organization. This chapter also shows how to make sure a server is ready for Exchange Server 2003 installation. Chapter 8, “Managing Exchange Server 2003,” introduces you to Microsoft Management Console (MMC)—the management interface included with Windows Server 2003. This chapter also provides a tour of the management resources in the Exchange System snap-in for MMC.

The next group of chapters—Chapter 9, “Creating and Managing Recipients,” through Chapter 13, “Connecting Routing Groups”—covers a whole host of other topics: creation and management of recipients (users, contacts, groups, and public folders), storage groups, routing and administrative groups, and routing group connectors, such as the SMTP and X.400 Connectors.

Part IV: Upgrading and Migrating

Since many of you will be performing migrations from previous versions of Exchange Server, Part IV, “Upgrading and Migrating,” covers this very important topic. Chapter 14, “Planning a Migration to Exchange Server 2003,” covers the important topic of planning an upgrade or migration. Chapter 15, “Migrating to Exchange Server 2003,” details migrating from previous versions, including the use of the Active Directory Connector and Site Replication services. Chapter 16, “Coexisting with Previous Versions of Exchange,” explains methods for enabling a peaceful coexistence between Exchange Server 2003 and previous versions on the same network.

Part V: Clients

The best implementation of Exchange Server 2003 won’t do your organization much good if there aren’t any clients to connect to it and use it; in this section, we provide an overview of the clients for Exchange Server 2003. The topics presented here could easily be expanded into their own book, so we cover the more important topics and reference other materials where appropriate. Chapter 17, “Overview of Exchange Clients,” gives a general introduction to the various types of clients that can be used to connect to an Exchange server. Chapter 18, “Deploying Outlook 2003,” focuses on Microsoft Outlook 2003 and examines the issues surrounding its deployment. Chapter 19, “Supporting Outlook Web Access,” covers the use of Outlook Web Access. Chapter 20, “Supporting Internet Protocols and SMTP,” details the configuration of basic Internet protocols: NNTP, SMTP, POP3, and IMAP4. We go over the basic commands of each and discuss how to use the logging features for troubleshooting purposes.

Part VI: Functionality

Exchange Server 2003 ships with support for many extra features. Chapter 21, “Connecting to Other Messaging Systems with X.400,” looks at the procedures for connecting Exchange Server 2003 organizations to foreign messaging systems, such as Microsoft Mail for PC Networks and X.400 systems. Chapter 22, “Mobile Services in Exchange Server 2003,” focuses on new wireless access functions that increase mobility options in Exchange Server 2003.

Part VII: Security

Security is a primary concern of any network administrator, and Exchange 2003 in collaboration with Windows Server 2003 offers enhanced options for protecting your organization. Although this is another topic that could easily fill a book of its own, in this part, we offer as comprehensive a look at security as this space permits. Chapter 23, “Security Policies and Exchange Server 2003,” looks at planning Exchange security policies. Chapter 24, “Exchange Server Security,” covers the basics of Exchange Server security; and Chapter 25, “Securing Exchange Server 2003 Messages,” looks at methods for securing messaging in an Exchange organization.

Part VIII: Maintenance

Every system—even Exchange Server 2003—needs maintenance. We address the most important maintenance tasks in this section. In Chapter 26, “Monitoring Exchange Server 2003,” we outline how to monitor your Exchange 2003 servers. Chapter 27, “Disaster Recovery of an Exchange 2003 Server Database,” covers the critical topic of backup and restoration of your databases. Chapter 28, “Troubleshooting Exchange Server 2003,” looks at how to perform basic troubleshooting for a server; and Chapter 29, “Tuning Exchange Server 2003 Performance,” examines how to tune your Exchange servers for maximum performance.