Connectivity and Migration Tools

Information in a corporation is stored in various places. For employees, business partners, and customers to collaborate effectively, these "islands" of information must become connected, and information must be accessible. To enable this, Microsoft Exchange Server has a number of built-in migration and coexistence tools.

A series of connectors enable an Exchange Server to coexist with other types of collaborative systems. These connectors ensure the reliable delivery of messages between Exchange Server and these other systems, but the connector's capabilities do not stop there. The connector can also provide directory synchronization between the two systems. Directory synchronization gives clients on both systems the ability to seamlessly query the directory for users on another system. This global, unified directory in the Exchange Server system makes building collaborative applications easier because it centralizes information. The systems that Microsoft Exchange Server can connect to, send messages from, and synchronize directories with include Microsoft Mail, Lotus cc:Mail, and Lotus Notes. Exchange Server can transfer messages with host-based systems, such as OfficeVision VM (PROFS), and System Network Architecture Distribution Services (SNADS) systems, such as IBM OfficeVision/MVS and Fisher TAO.

Sometimes, corporations find it more cost-effective to have only one collaborative system rather than several. To help organizations move to Exchange Server, migration tools for a large number of systems are included in the product. These tools make it easier for organizations to transfer their users and information into the Exchange Server system. The products supported by these migration tools are Microsoft Mail, Lotus cc:Mail, Novell Groupwise, Collabra Share, and Lotus Notes.