Chapter 4 -- Planning the Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Installation

Chapter 4

About This Chapter

The installation of Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server on a single computer is not a very complex task. After a few mouse clicks and some configuration parameters, the first server is running. You just did this to prepare your test environment. Unfortunately, many Exchange environments begin their evolution this way. They are meant to be test environments, then the administrator puts on some test mailboxes, and soon the test users discover the benefits of the new system, get excited, and immediately start using the test installation as their production environment. At this stage, it is often too late for a fresh and more optimal implementation or major structural changes, so the test environment manifests itself irreversibly as the production system. With the benefit of hindsight the administrator looks back, wishing the environment had a better design.

It is generally advisable to put some thought into planning before embarking on the task of implementing Exchange 2000 Server. Even if you are only responsible for a handful of people, you're doing more than just installing a server; you're launching a new messaging and collaboration network. Several irrevocable decisions regarding the network configuration must be made at this point. This becomes especially clear as you add new resources to the network, as you will need to install them in a context that has been predefined by that time. Thus, if you need to change the fundamental parameters of your network at a later date, you will have to engage in a much more complex task than it would have been in the beginning. Forethought can help avoid unnecessary work and costs during the rollout and afterward.

This chapter explains the prerequisites and some of the most important aspects you might want to consider to ensure a successful deployment of Exchange 2000 Server. You will read about various deployment considerations, necessary preparations of Microsoft Windows 2000 and the Active Directory directory service, the hardware and software requirements, and security and maintenance. Lesson 1 is focused primarily on theoretical aspects. Lesson 2 then addresses the installation preparation from a more practical point of view.

Before You Begin

To complete this chapter:

• Prepare your test environment according to the descriptions given in the "Getting Started" section of "About This Book."
• Have a general understanding of Windows 2000 networking technologies, Active Directory, and the delegation of administrative permissions in an Active Directory forest.
• Have an understanding of the essential Exchange 2000 components, as covered in Chapter 3, "Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Architecture."