• Exchange Server 2007 and Public Folders
• Henrik Walther's Exchange Server 2003 Security book -- Order Today!
• MSExchange.org Learning Zone Articles of Interest
• KB Articles of the Month
• Tip of the Month
• MSExchange Links of the Month
• Ask Henrik Walther a question

1. Exchange Server 2007 and Public Folders

Welcome to the September edition of the MSExchange.org newsletter! This month I thought I would talk a bit about Public folders in relation to Exchange Server 2007. During the early development stages of the Exchange Server 2007 product, there were many rumors and speculations about whether Public folders would be included/supported in this version. But as most of us are aware, Public Folders are included in Exchange Server 2007 product (in a de-emphasized state) and support for Public folders will be maintained through at least 2016. Although this is the case you shouldn't expect to see Public folders in E14 (the next Exchange version after Exchange Server 2007 which formerly went under the code name E13, but since 13 isn't the best number to pick, it was changed to 14).

There are a few things you should be aware of when dealing with Public folders in Exchange Server 2007. The most important fact is that it won't be possible to administer Public folders via the new Exchange 2007 Management Console. The only thing you will be able to do is to create/delete or change a configuration setting on the Public folder database itself. If you plan to migrate your Exchange 2000 or 2003 Public folder hierarchy to Exchange Server 2007, you should bear in mind that all administration should be done either via the Exchange 2000 or 2003 System Manager or the Exchange Management Shell. For most this should be reason enough to start thinking about moving your Public folders to an alternative solution such as SharePoint Services which will be the best solution according to Microsoft. What about Free/Busy information which, when speaking Exchange Server 2000 and 2003, is located in a System folder, how should we deal with that? Well if you deploy Outlook 2007 in your organization, before the actual transition to Exchange Server 2007, you don't need to worry, as Outlook 2007 uses the new Exchange Server 2007 Availability service to look up live free/busy information (yes live meaning no more 15 minutes delays!). This means that an organization with pure Outlook 2007 clients makes the SCHEDULE+ FREE BUSY system folder obsolete.

Okay, I have whetted your appetite and you want to start looking into migrating the Public folder hierarchy in your organization to SharePoint Services. How do you move on? Well unfortunately Microsoft doesn't have a migration tool for this task yet, but fortunately several 3rd party providers have appropriate tools for this and I have listed some of them below:

SharePoint Import Export tool (freeware tool on Gotdot.net)

Tzunami Deployer

Metalogix Migration Manager

CASAHL ecKnowledge

Quest Public Folder Migrator for SharePoint (currently in a closed beta)

In addition you might also find the below Microsoft TechNet WebCast interesting:

TechNet Webcast: Migrating eRooms, Windows File Services and Exchange Public Folders to SharePoint - Level 300

That was all for this time. Should you have any ideas for content in future editions of the MSExchange.org newsletter or on my blog, you're more than welcome to shoot me an email at Henrik@msexchange.org.

2. Henrik Walther's Exchange Server 2003 Security book - Order Today!

By Henrik Walther Are you among the persons who like the articles I write for MSExchange.org? Then this book is definitely for you. It provides you with step by step instructions on how you get your Exchange Server properly secured. The book covers topics such as how to: Secure OWA 2003 (including many real world tips and tricks) Configure and secure SMTP Setup protocol and client encryption Delegate and control permissions Combating spam and virus

Click here to Order your copy today

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:

• Installing a Two Node Exchange Server 2007 Single Copy Cluster (SCC) in a Virtual Server Test Environment - Part 3: Installing Exchange Server 2007 and verifying Cluster Functionality
• Remotely Administering Exchange 2003
• Exchange Server 2003 Mailflow (Part 1)
• Installing a Two Node Exchange Server 2007 Single Copy Cluster (SCC) in a Virtual Server Test Environment - Part 2: Creating and Configuring the Windows 2003 Cluster
• How Recovery Storage Groups Work
• Public Folder Basics (Part 2)
• Implementing RPC over HTTPS in a single Exchange Server 2003 environment
• Installing a Two Node Exchange Server 2007 Single Copy Cluster (SCC) in a Virtual Server Test Environment - Part 1: Preparing the virtual environment
• Creating a Virtual Exchange Server for Exchange 2003 Clustering
• Securing Exchange 2007 Edge Transport Servers
• A Closer Look At Directory Service Access (DSAccess) - Part 2

4. KB Articles of the Month

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

• FIX: Error message when you try to directly send a new SSL server certificate request to a CA service after you upgrade from Exchange 2000 Server to Exchange Server 2003: "Access is denied"
• How to recover deleted public folders or items that are deleted from public folders by using the PFDAVAdmin tool in Exchange 2000 Server or in Exchange Server 2003
• You cannot recover some public folders in Exchange Server 2003 Outlook Web Access, and the information store becomes unavailable to users
• You cannot digitally sign an e-mail message in Outlook Web Access when you log on to a computer that is running Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 1
• Why Exchange Server 2003 will not run on the x64-based versions of Windows Server 2003
• The name of a public folder appears as a question mark character when you view Diagnostic Logging event messages in Exchange Server 2003
• Description of the Exchange Server Performance Troubleshooting Analyzer tool
• ESMTP Verbs not rendered correctly - 250-XXA
• Unable to move items from inbox to other folders
• Migration from Exchange 2000 to Exchange 2003 with MTA shut down on Exchange 2003
• Message attached with winmail.dat when sending mail from Exchange to Lotus Notes through SMTP Connector
• How to exclude mailboxes from mailbox management process
• Your mailbox is temporarily unavailable because another e-mail message is being delivered to it

5. Tip of the Month

Most of you are aware that only the 64-bit version of Exchange Server 2007 will be supported in a production environment, no surprise there, as this is pretty old news. But some of you are probably wondering whether this means you need to use a 64-bit architecture-based machine, if you want to install the Exchange Server 2007 Management Tools on another machine in the Active Directory domain (in order to be able to remotely administer Exchange Server 2007 using a local MMC snap-in instead of making an RDP connection to the server). And the answer is no! Yes, I'm not kidding here, it will be supported to use a 32-bit version of Exchange Server 2007 for the purpose of administering the Exchange 2007 servers in your organization. When Exchange Server 2007 RTM's it will be possible to install the 32-bit version of Exchange Server 2007 on either a 32-bit version of Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 or higher, Windows Server 2003 R2 or Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 or higher.

6. MSExchange Links of the Month

Microsoft Exchange Server Database Utility Guide
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a0565435-6e79-41b0-a969-5766536db412&DisplayLang=en

Exchange Server 2003 update rollup for Process Flow Documentation (KB 916160)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=F8031C1E-52CF-4004-BDF2-25415A35AAA8&displaylang=en

Microsoft Outlook Web Access Light 2007
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/09/13/428901.aspx

Understanding Exchange Server 2007 server roles
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/09/12/428880.aspx

Understanding Exchange Server 2007 I/O improvements from 64 bit
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/09/08/428860.aspx

Exchange Server 2007 recipient management one-liners
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/09/05/428833.aspx

Creating themes in Outlook Web Access 2007
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/08/30/428793.aspx

Recipient Management cmdlets introduction
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/08/28/428777.aspx

Video: Demonstration of the Scheduling Assistant
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/08/25/428764.aspx

Top Exchange 2003 Recipient Problems and how they're fixed in Exchange 2007
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/08/24/428754.aspx

Recipient Management in Exchange 2007 - Overview
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/08/22/428740.aspx

The new Exchange 2007 Management Console overview
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2006/08/21/428728.aspx

7. Ask Henrik Walther a question

QUESTION: Do you know which PBX systems will be or already are supported by the Unified Communications server role in Exchange Server 2007?

ANSWER: Microsoft has a public list of the PBX systems which are supported, and the list is regularly being updated as new systems are being tested. You can find the list on the Exchange Server 2007 System Requirement page over at the Microsoft Exchange site.