Exchange Server and Active Directory


Unlike Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003, Exchange Server 2007 is tightly integrated with Active Directory. Not only does Exchange Server 2007 store information in Active Directory, but it also uses Active Directory routing topology to determine how to route messages within the organization. Routing to and from the organization is handled using transport servers.

Understanding How Exchange Stores Information

Exchange stores four types of data in Active Directory: schema data (stored in the Schema partition), configuration data (stored in the Configuration partition), domain data (stored in the Domain partition), and application data (stored in application-specific partitions). In Active Directory, schema rules determine what types of objects are available and what attributes those objects have. When you install the first Exchange server in the forest, the Active Directory preparation process adds many Exchange-specific object classes and attributes to the schema partition in Active Directory. This allows Exchange-specific objects, such as agents and connectors, to be created. It also allows extends existing objects, such as users and groups, with new attributes, such as those attributes that allow user objects to be used for sending and receiving e-mail. Every domain controller and global catalog server in the organization has a complete copy of the Schema partition.

During the installation of the first Exchange server in the forest, Exchange configuration information is generated and stored in Active Directory. Exchange configuration information, like other configuration information, is also stored in the Configuration partition. For Active Directory, the configuration information describes the structure of the directory, and the Configuration container includes all of the domains, trees, and forests, as well as the locations of domain controllers and global catalogs. For Exchange, the configuration information is used to describe the structure of the Exchange organization. The Configuration container includes lists of templates, policies, and other global organization-level details. Every domain controller and global catalog server in the organization has a complete copy of the Configuration partition.

In Active Directory, the Domain partition stores domain-specific objects, such as users and groups, and the stored values of attributes associated with those objects. As you create, modify, or delete objects, Exchange stores the details about those objects in the Domain partition. During the installation of the first Exchange server in the forest, Exchange objects are created in the current domain. Whenever you create new recipients or modify Exchange details, the related changes are reflected in the Domain partition as well. Every domain controller has a complete copy of the Domain partition for the domain for which it is authoritative. Every global catalog server in the forest maintains information about a subset of every Domain partition in the forest.

Understanding How Exchange Routes Messages

Within the organization, Hub Transport servers use the information about sites stored in Active Directory to determine how to route messages and can also route messages across site links. The Hub Transport server does this by querying Active Directory about its site membership and the site membership of other servers and then uses the information it discovers to route messages appropriately. Because of this, when you are deploying an Exchange Server 2007 organization, no additional configuration is required to establish routing in the Active Directory forest.

For mail delivery within the organization, additional routing configuration is only necessary in these specific scenarios:

  • If you deploy Exchange Server 2007 in an existing Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003 organization, you must configure a two-way routing group connector from the Exchange routing group to each Exchange Server 2003 routing group that communicates with Exchange Server 2007. You must also suppress link state updates for the same.

  • If you deploy an Exchange Server 2007 organization with multiple forests, you must install Exchange Server 2007 in each forest, and then connect the forests using appropriate cross-forest trusts. The trust allows users to see address and availability data across the forests.

  • In an Exchange Server 2007 organization, if you want direct mail flow between Exchange servers in different forests, you must configure SMTP send connectors and SMTP receive connectors on the Hub Transport servers that should communicate directly with each other.

The organization's Mail Transport servers handle mail delivery outside the organization and receipt of mail from outside servers. You can use two types of Mail Transport servers: Hub Transport servers and Edge Transport servers. You deploy Hub Transport servers within the organization. You can optionally deploy Edge Transport servers in the organization's perimeter network for added security.

With Hub Transport servers, no other special configuration is needed for message routing to external destinations. You must configure only the standard mail setup, which includes identifying DNS servers to use for lookups. With Edge Transport servers, you can optimize mail routing and delivery by configuring one-way synchronization from the internal Hub Transport servers to the perimeter network's Edge Transport servers. Beyond this, no other special configuration is required for mail routing and delivery.




Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Administrator's Pocket Consultant
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Administrators Pocket Consultant Second Edition
ISBN: 0735625867
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 119

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