MSExchange.org Monthly Newsletter of June 2008 Sponsored by: Intermedia

Welcome to the MSExchange.org newsletter by Henrik Walther, Exchange MVP, MCA: Messaging (Exchange Ranger) Apprentice, MCTS Windows Server 2008, MCITP Exchange 2007, MCSE 2003 Messaging/Security. Each month we will bring you interesting and helpful information on Exchange Server. We want to know what all *you* are interested in hearing about. Please send your suggestions for future newsletter content to: henrik@msexchange.org

1. An introduction to the new Exchange 2007 Master Program

Welcome to the June 2008 edition of the MSExchange.org newsletter!

This month I wanted to introduce you to the brand new Microsoft Certified Master: Exchange Server 2007 (MCM: Exchange 2007) program, which was announced together with the MCM: SQL 2008 and MCM: Windows Server 2008 programs at TechEd 2008 in Orlando as well as via a Microsoft Press Release last week. Currently these are the three programs under the MCM umbrella, but more will come in the near future. The next two will be focused on the Office Communications Server and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server products.

So, what is the MCM: Exchange 2007 program all about then?

Well the intention of the MCM: Exchange 2007 program is to offer a high level of technical certification for individuals who want to differentiate themselves from the thousands and thousands of MCSEs and MCITPs, individuals who have a deep understanding of the Exchange Server 2007 product. You see MCMs have a deep knowledge of the Exchange 2007 product and can build and design complex customer-specified messaging solutions in large enterprise environments. In addition, MCMs also know how the design decisions they made will affect the final solution. But MCMs cannot only build and design messaging solutions; they also have great skills at troubleshooting and diagnosing configuration and performance issues. Finally, they are capable of operating and managing enterprise-class Exchange 2007 infrastructures.

So how do you become a Microsoft Certified Master: Exchange Server 2007?

In order to apply for the program, make sure you have at least five years of hands-on experience with the Exchange Server 2003 product and at least one year of experience with Exchange Server 2007, when it comes to installation, configuration and troubleshooting. But that is not enough; you should also have a thorough understanding of Exchange Server architecture and design. Moreover, you should have several years of experience with Active Directory, DNS and other core network services upon which Exchange Server depends. Finally you must have passed the 70-236, 70-237, 70-238 and 70-640 exams.

By the way, also prepare yourself for three weeks of hard training in building 34 at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond (Washington). However there are plans about doing worldwide deliveries in the future.

Are you still hooked?

If yes, then you need to submit a resume so that Microsoft can make sure you have the experience required. Not that they do not want you to enter the program if you do not, but spending $20K on a program you are deemed to fail will not make you a popular person at the company that just spent what they think is a fortune on something you never got! Personally I have had the pleasure of going through/passing this program, and let me tell you one thing: It is tough! You can prepare all you want to, but if you do not have the required experience, you will never pass. It is as simple as that.

Okay I got accepted into the program now what?

Congratulations! Although you have not been through the difficult phases yet :-). Now you need to go through tough training for three weeks in Redmond (Washington), training that consists of a mixture of presentations, white board discussions, and goal-based labs. After each week, you must pass a written test (meaning a total of three tests) and a qualification lab (a practical test in a lab environment).

Alright if I should pass, what can I expect afterwards? What are the benefits of the MCM: Exchange 2007 certification?

Well one benefit is that you are now an MCM: Exchange 2007 certified individual meaning that you will soon be recognized as a true Exchange 2007 guru compared to the MCITPs who took the 70-236, 70-237 and 70-238 exams. You now have a certification which proves to customers that you have the skills required for a complex Exchange 2007 messaging design, deployment, etc. You also become part of a community, where you will be able to ask other MCM: Exchange 2007 certified individuals for help and assistance. Moreover, you will have the chance of attending monthly live meetings with individuals from the Exchange product group, etc.

I have only given you a superficial introduction to the program in this column, for more information please check out the MCM page at the MS Learning website. You may also want to take a look at this interview with Per Farny (Program Director at MS Learning) directly from the Fish Bowl at TechEd in Orlando.

Cheers,
Henrik Walther

Note:
Should you have any ideas for content in future editions of the MSExchange.org newsletter, you are more than welcome to shoot me an e-mail at Henrik@msexchange.org

2. Order Henrik Walther's Exchange Server 2007 book

3. MSExchange.org Learning Zone Articles of Interest

We have a great group of articles in the Learning Zone that will help you get a handle on your most difficult configuration issues. Here are just a few of the newer and more interesting articles:

• Implementing Captcha Validation with OWA 2007 and Forms-Based Authentication
• Exchange Server 2007 SP1: Configuring a Redundant Network for Log Shipping
• GroupWise to Exchange 2007 - Interoperability and Migration (Part 6)
• Uncovering the Exchange 2007 Edge Transport Server (Part 1)
• Removing The Last Exchange 2003 Server From Exchange 2007 (Part 1)
• Managing Exchange 2003 with SCOM 2007 (Part 2)
• Moving from a Linux Mail Server and peer-to-peer network to Exchange Server 2007 (Part 4)
• Managing Exchange 2007 Recipients using the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC Snap-in
• Clustered Continuous Replication Failover with Standby Continuous Replication (Part 3)

4. KB Articles of the Month

Here are some interesting and useful MSExchange related articles posted by Microsoft in the last month:

Exchange 2007

• Description of the policy for how e-mail is filtered by the junk e-mail filters in Outlook or in Exchange Server
• You receive an NDR message in an Exchange Server 2007 environment when you try to send an e-mail message to an address type that is supported by a fax connector
• Error message when you try to migrate an e-mail message that is larger than 4 MB by using Microsoft Transporter Suite for Lotus Domino: "Maximum request length exceeded"
• MIME e-mail clients cannot read the body of clear signed messages in Outlook Web Access  if the S/MIME control is not installed in Exchange Server 2007
• In an Exchange Server 2007 environment, you cannot reply directly to an e-mail message if the P2 header of the e-mail message contains data that is formatted incorrectly
• Error message after you apply Update Rollup 1 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 in a non-English environment: "Public Folder Management Console is not an allowed Snap-in"
• The Get-ClusteredMailboxServerStatus cmdlet  does not run successfully, you receive an error message, and event ID 4999 is logged in Exchange Server 2007

Exchange 2003

• Description of the policy for how e-mail is filtered by the junk e-mail filters in Outlook or in Exchange Server
• Exchange Server 2003 users receive spam e-mail messages that are sent from a single-label DNS name although the single-label domain name is invalid
• The body of an e-mail message is truncated if you move the e-mail message to a .pst file on a computer that is running Exchange Server 2003 SP 2
• Event ID 1014 and Event 1005 are logged in the Application log after you use an SSL certificate for Exchange virtual server on an Exchange Server 2003-based cluster
• Some e-mail messages may be stuck in the Categorizer component in an Exchange Server 2003 environment
• Error message when you try to open a 2007 Office system file attachment in Outlook Web Access: "To open this attachment, you must save it to your disk"
• The Microsoft Exchange Information Store service may stop responding randomly, or the service may crash, in Exchange Server 2003
• The Information Store service and the MTA Stacks service may not start, and errors are logged in Exchange Server 2003

5. MSExchange News of the Month

• Updated Microsoft Hosted Messaging and Collaboration Solution
• Concentric and Microsoft Launch Hosted E-Mail Service for SMEs
• TechNet Magazine July 2008 issue Published
• The new Microsoft Certified Master: Exchange 2007 Program
• Microsoft Learning announces Microsoft Certified Master path
• July MMMUG meeting
• MSExchange.org got a new sister site
• Exchange MAPI & CDO for Vista and Windows 2008 Released
• True SAN Certificate Support in ISA 2006 SP1 (coming this summer)
• Exchange Developer Roadmap

6. Ask Henrik Walther a question

QUESTION:

Hi Henrik,

I really love your articles. They help me a lot!

I thought about configuring Standby Continuous Replication (SCR) between my SCR source and target Exchange 2007 Mailbox servers, so that log file copying is done over a dedicated network just like it’s possible with failover nodes in a Cluster Continuous Replication-based Mailbox server deployment.  Is this supported?

ANSWER:

Although this is a very interesting idea and though you may be able to get it working using a couple of network tricks, it is important to stress that this is a scenario currently unsupported by Microsoft. So please do not try to go down that path. :-)