Microsoft Exchange 2010

The impending launch of Microsoft Exchange 2010 got quite a few SaaS vendors worried when they first heard about it. The new built-in archiving features of the platform were one of the main reasons they were in business.

I don’t think it is the end of SaaS email archiving services, not by a long shot. Firstly the email archiving is basic, and requires the clients to use Outlook 2010, which isn’t out yet except in beta as part of the Office 2010 suite.

Secondly using Exchange 2010 involves a significant investment in hardware, software and support. Something which many organizations just can’t afford right now. Considering many vendors offer the equivalent benefits already for a much lower cost, take up of Exchange and Outlook 2010 is expected to be limited for a year or so. Or at least until the economies of the world pick up.

The Exchange archival model also depends on the storage capabilities of the company. Unless many companies drastically improve their storage solutions, mailboxes will be limited, or restricted and the archive facility will lay idle. While hard drives are relatively inexpensive, they are still an added expense.

Many organization don’t allow full-text indexing on their Exchange servers. We all know this puts quite an overhead on the Exchange server, and will only work efficiently on low scale or low use platforms. Larger scale organizations simply can’t afford the slowdown in performance full indexing involves. The multi-mailbox search in Exchange 2010 depends on full-text indexing to work, therefore is largely useless.

Email archiving is based on three requirements. Storage, discovery and compliance. Exchange 2010 only addresses two of these concerns and those only on a basic level. The storage needs a hardware solution to make it work. Exchange has done much to improve how it handles storage by allowing multiple copies of databases, mailboxes and data. E-discovery is only addressed on a basic level, and as we see indexing involves compromises. Also emails can only be copied to another mailbox, not extracted from the system and provided immediately.

Compliance isn’t even touched by the new platform, so many organizations, especially those regulated by the SEC will still need a third party solution.

Exchange a made great strides in increasing management, usability, scalability and seems to be trying to drive down the cost of ownership. There are compromises though, the initial installation will cost a lot, both in time, resources and money. A new infrastructure will most likely be needed, involving the hardware, software and network. Then training for the support staff, as the new platform has many new features, and ways of doing things.

So SaaS email archiving vendors don’t have too much to worry about just yet. It’s going to be a year or three before Exchange 2010 is rolled out across the globe.

It is always a better option to be safe than sorry. And in this tough economic era, people really don’t want to take any risks. That’s why many of you look for the trial version of Microsoft exchange 2010, in order to get themselves accustomed to all the features and concepts which this software includes. So you all can install the software, it is available at present. The installation process is simple and quite similar to the others software. You don’t need to do any thing new to get the task completed.

The basic requirement of this software is Windows Server 2008. Without the support of this Windows server, you may find some problem in the installation process of Microsoft exchange 2010. A good alternative to it is its Enterprise version. The basic reason behind it is that many of the Exchange 2010 features works only on these Windows system. So, there is not much option available to you in this respect.

Ok so after you successfully installed the software, now is the time to for you to install several pre requisites related to it. Such components including Web server, Web database, Web Net framework and so on. There is a whole lot of list for that. It will be better to install all the requisites for the proper functioning. However, a lot of components have been reduced in the Microsoft exchange 2010. You might have heard about Fail over clustering, you do not need to install it. Like this many other complex things have also been eliminated.

All these tasks will be performed by you only. You just need to select the options which you want in the Microsoft exchange 2010 and then all will be done. There is a feature in which you can dynamically install the mail lists along with the installation of the software’s requisites. So, this will save your lots of precious time. You need to click on various things before the actual install button appears. So, just have a little patience. If you will do all the thing with a cool mind, then your mind will not feel the tiredness. But once you get over with the installation process, it is time for you to start some serious work. Though it might take some time, but think of the benefits which you are going to experience afterwards.  It is really tempting to think about it.

Microsoft is a user friendly company and has always listened to the complaints of the users and this is the main reason why their products are so much in demand. They never hesitate to bring new innovation in their products and have often come out with some thing new. This can be easily seen from the Microsoft Exchange 2007 and now from Microsoft exchange 2010. They have always moved a couple of step ahead than us. This latest software has been recently released and from its first glance it seems to be the real gift for the people. Users will find all the complex task in Exchange 2007 in a simplified manner in exchange 2010.

In Microsoft exchange 2010, all the previous features have been updated and presented to you all in a new style. Most of the problems which administers used to face in its previous versions have been sorted out. Though the basic task of the Microsoft Exchange 2010 is still the same, but certainly there are various new things for you. The first novelty which you will find in this immense software is RBAC or Role based Exchange control. Most of the users demand of performing tasks independently. They do not want to kill their time each time with the interference of the Exchange interface. This demand has been granted in the form of RBAC. So have a good look at it.

Moving a bit forward, another interesting point for you all is Web based exchange control panel.  Microsoft exchange 2010 is a web based interface in which all the tasks can be completed with few clicks here and there. It will release the tension of administers a large extent. Management of messages, or the creation and deleting of distribution list can be easily accomplished in this Web based interface. Every thing will be taught to you like: how to use various features, how to operate them, and stuff like this can be easily understood with the help of the tutorial which they have for you. So just check it out.

But the significant development which took place is in the field of voicemails. In the previous version of Microsoft Exchange, users are only limited to access the mail box and check messages, but you can start a voice realm using exchange 2010. There is a feature named voice mail preview in which you can start the exchange of text and voice conversation with your client. This is extremely beneficial from the business perspective. What do you say about it?

Microsoft Exchange 2007 introduced a new concept to of log shipping. This log shipping feature allows you to replicate data to local disks, we more precisely say it Local continuous replication. You can also replicate your data and other files to a server situated else where. This same log shipping feature has been made the core characteristic of Microsoft Exchange 2010. Microsoft has presented the same with a new touch, in order to make this feature more productive and useful. Users will find using it more convenient as every thing has been organized correctly. We have listed four of the notable core features, which Microsoft have included in the Exchange 2010. Let’s see what they actually are:

• The foremost among them is the elimination of complex concepts, concept of storage group for instance. This feature has been found really significant as it allows the users to utilize the database more appropriately. Database will serve like a major management unit. As in log shipping, only one database is included in the storage group, so this action from Microsoft seems to be really a nice one. I am sure that users will appreciate it.

• Another good step taken by Microsoft is the elimination of copy clusters (single), from the Microsoft exchange 2010. This step makes us aware of the fact that there is a gradual change in the ideology of Microsoft. They have shifted from the storage of data in the single system to the multiple of copies of data in various different setups. This actually increases the reliability and performance of the Microsoft Exchange 2010. The LCR or Local continuous replication has also been eliminated from the core support, as it offers only a limited option to the users.

• A new core support of database availability groups (DAGs) can be found in exchange 2010. DAG allows a user to practically create a group of servers (depends upon you to determine the numbers) and one can mark or unmark various databases in this group for replication. In the long run, you will definitely be benefited from the feature. As such DAG is a very wide concept to understand. But we don’t need to go too deep right now.

• The client access has also been widened in Microsoft exchange 2010. This has been done by the introduction of RPC Client Access layer. If you are using this concept then you are allowed to decide that which hosts will serve the mailbox and keep you update of the messages. You just need to click some option here and there and then it is set. So don’t worry about its complexness.

In the previous versions of Microsoft Exchange, you all can access the portable computers and can exchange messages without a virtual private network. But with the advent of Microsoft Exchange 2010, there is a bit augment in that feature. Now you all can not only access the messages but can also send voice mails. No matter where you are, you can respond to every dialed calls or emails, till you have a net connected in your PC or laptop. A senior official of Microsoft have revealed that this version of Microsoft Exchange can save up to 50% of the company’s cost through its mailbox features. So, in this sense, you need to pay a lot less for using Microsoft Exchange 2010. Isn’t it great?

In practical life as well, the features of Microsoft exchange 2010 have been found really effective. Let’s understand this fact with the help of an example. In commercial life, a salesperson is required to revert to the dealer very quickly. So this problem can be efficiently tackled with the help of the text voice conversation over Microsoft exchange 2010. A message will be displayed on the salesperson’s mobile or PC, informing him about the dealer’s concern. And this all will be done within few seconds. People found this feature really awesome from the business prospective. One can access his mails and voice mails several times in a day. There is no limitations in using the Microsoft Exchange 2010, which was not so in its previous versions. The new interface on which Microsoft exchange 2010 works is a lot better than its previous versions since all the things are well organized and you will find accessing it very easy.

Now we should look at some technological benefits which Microsoft Exchange 2010 provides. In the field of Information Technology, PST files have been found quite hard to manage. You can ask about it from any IT expert and he will tell you that PST files are real nightmare to deal. But Microsoft exchange 2010 has made this task a lot easier with its extensive features. There is instant support available to you, when ever you find any difficulty in dealing with any of the files.

The users of the Microsoft Exchange 2010 have given awesome feedback relating to it. Microsoft Exchange 2010 has been found useful in all the spheres. There are various testimonials which will tell you the point of view of the people. The protection feature of Microsoft Exchange 2010 has also been found quite useful. In short, Microsoft Exchange 2010 is a reliable, cost effective and efficient tool for you all to have a proper communication. So, just check it out and have fun with its various vibrant features.

With the release somewhere on the horizon, it would be a good time to discuss the prerequisites for deployment. Those companies who are planning to be early adopters are probably already well aware of the list of requirements in order to launch it successfully.

There are two main categories of requirements for the new system. Active directory and the ones needed for Exchange itself.

For the active directory part, all the domain controllers in the organization will need to run 64 bit versions of Windows, preferably Server 2003 SP2 and above. If you use a forest, that should also be at least the same level. Exchange will only work with 64 bit architecture and has been built from the ground up to only use it. This may mean operating system upgrades before you even open the Exchange package.

The Exchange site of the migration also has its own prerequisites. The entire platform must be at a level higher than Exchange 2003 SP2. If they are running Exchange 2007, that also must have Service Pack 2 installed to work properly.

To transition effectively to Exchange 2010 it is best to build the new infrastructure beside the existing one. It is also best to start at the internet facing side, with a Client Access Server (CAS). To use Exchange 2010 you need to build new CAS servers, you can’t upgrade existing ones. The new CAS has to live alongside the existing one while the business still has mailboxes on the old system. The old CAS can be retired once the migration has completed.

To get them working, the certificate has to be propagated from the old CAS to the new one, then a new one has to be acquired for the new on and shared with the old. This will allow mail to be redirected between the two CAS servers depending on where the destination mailbox is housed. If a client connected to the Exchange 2010 CAS contacts a mailbox on the old CAS, the new CAS will redirect the data to the old to complete the transaction, and vice versa.

Next the new mailbox servers should be built and configured to sit alongside the legacy ones. Both servers will need to be running in order to move mailboxes between them. Once the mailbox transition is complete, the old mailbox server can be retired. Fortunately this once laborious task can now be automated with the new Online Move Mailbox tool. This process means the absolute minimum downtime for users as the data is replicated between servers and the active directory replication takes place.

The only server you can really replace at the outset is the edge server. Once you have subscribed it to the Exchange 2010 Hub Server it should work normally.

This is only an overview of what it to be a time consuming and complicated migration process. Proper planning should always be done before even removing the wrapping from the new hardware.

Microsoft  yesterday launched, in Tanzania,  a new suite of software products including  Windows 7 which is the company’s popular windows desktop operating system.

The introduction of Windows 7 and other products will enable any user to be able to use any language of his or her  own choice.

Microsoft Education and Citizenship Programme Manager Mark Matunga,  stated that the application of such local languages will be implemented in 18 to 24 months time when all the translation and localization work is completed.

“Today, we are launching our company’s new suite of software products Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2010. It is an opportunity for Microsoft customers and partners to gain first hand experience of the new products and connect with people already using the new technology,” Matunga said

Matunga added that Microsoft has developed language interface packs that translates English-language into local languages.

According to him, the process of translation is done in collaboration with National Swahili Council  (Bakita), University of Dar es Salaam and other Swahili professionals from Kenya and Uganda.

Concerning the Windows Server 2008 R2 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, Microsoft East and Southern Africa General Manager Louis Otieno, said: “the biggest challenge that many businesses in Tanzania have is the ability to get the most out of their new and existing technology investments and getting as much performance as possible without having to spend huge amounts of money to do so,”

Otieno also said that Windows 7 represents years of in-depth listening to customers and partners around the globe and is the most well-researched, planned windows released.

If you want to try before you buy, the beta of Exchange 2010 is still available online if you don’t already have it. Installation is fairly straightforward, but we will go through it step by step here.

This article won’t discuss the active directory side of the installation, as most organizations will have that configured already. We will instead concentrate on Exchange 2010 and getting it ready for first use.

To install the platform you will need a Server 2008 x64 system. There are and never will be a 32 bit version. It will support Server 2003 domain controllers, but the host machine must be Server 2008.

If the base system meets all the prerequisites and is fully updates, let’s get on with the install. For this guide we will use the GUI install, command line is quicker, but is harder to follow in print.

Launching Setup.exe will present you with an Exchange 2010 splash screen with three areas. Plan, Install and Enhance. Plan allows you do explore the system and read the deployment notes. Install speaks for itself, and Enhance is for existing installs that need ForeFront security.

Depending on how ready your system is, the Install option will have 2 or 5 steps highlighted. Step 1 is for .Net framework, step 2 is for Windows Remote Management and step 2 is for the Microsoft PowerShell. Once these are installed, step 4 is to install Exchange.

Click the Install Microsoft Exchange link and the screen will disappear. The machine will process the setup files for a bit then present you with an introduction page. Click next, select a language and click Next again.

Agree with the license agreement and click Next. Select the error reporting function you want and click Next. Then the Exchange Installation Type window will appear. The choice is yours but I would choose Custom so you can specify exactly what goes where, and how.

Next you should see the role selection. There are several options here, and a description of each on the right of the window. Select whichever is most appropriate and then click Next. You will now be presented with the Exchange Organization screen. Here you have to name your organization and click Next.

Next is the client settings where you choose what mail clients you want to be able to access Exchange 2010. If you have Outlook 2003 or earlier, select Yes, the Next. The next windows is for Readiness Checks. These will ensure that everything is in place in order to allow the system to run properly. It may take a few minutes to run, and you can only progress if it passes all of them.

Once passed, the Install button should be highlighted. Click it and let the real work begin. Let the installer do its work and sit back and relax.

Once completed the last window is the finalization. Check the box next to Finalize installation box then click Finish. You now have Exchange 2010 installed on your system.

With the launch of Exchange 2010 supposedly only days or weeks away, it’s perhaps time to ask the question, who is going to use it?

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that now the work is done on Exchange 2010 and it has the sign off, that it will be released soon. Especially as the Microsoft Exchange Connections coming up in November 9-12th in Las Vegas. A betting man wouldn’t put money on it not happening…

From the feedback seen so far Exchange 2010 is an excellent improvement on the previous versions. It offers much in the way of security, compliance and reliability. But it does come with the inevitable Microsoft complications. Bearing in mind the complexity and expense of migrating to Exchange 2010, it begs the question, who is going to do it?

The economy has yet to recover and confidence has yet to be instilled. Money is still tight and purse strings locked firmly shut. So who is going to spend a considerable amount of time and money on an infrastructure they probably already have?

Organizations who already have a version of Exchange are going to need new operating systems, in Server 2008, probably new hardware to run it. Considerable new IT infrastructure to support the new Exchange features and a team to install, configure, then manage it.

Likely adopters are going to be those companies who have a bit of money in the IT budget and who are on versions of Exchange 2003 and below. They are most likely to be prepared for renewal or the software, hardware and training needs that Exchange 2010 demands.

Not only are there significant hardware and software demands for a roll out of this platform, there are bound to be problems with integrating it with third party software and solutions. Those organizations with firewalls and anti-virus are going to be extra careful about integrating the new system. Also those custom applications that interface with exchange may need to be rewritten in order to work.

We in IT tend to give Microsoft some grief about how difficult their programs are to integrate into existing infrastructures. It can be a bit unfair though as I’m sure they don’t set out to cause trouble. They want to make things better, but by doing so they break a few rules and existing protocols.

Time will tell whether the move to Exchange 2010 will be a rising tide or a trickling stream. I would guess it would be somewhere in the middle, but only once the economy and overall prospects have picked up and those purse strings loosened a bit. After all, if the current version is working okay, why upgrade right now?

Microsoft unveiled Exchange Server 2010, which has been in beta testing since April, at its TechEd conference in Berlin today, and showed it working with Outlook 2010.  Exchange 2010 is the company’s latest server technology for on-premise software deployments, but it also incorporates many features aimed at web and online services. It has a new, integrated email archive designed to help companies increase compliance and respond quickly to legal and e-discovery concerns, and there are now previews of voice mails in Microsoft Outlook. It’s also very apparent that Microsoft officials are aware of the new kinds of competition that Exchange is facing.

It was clear from the product positioning that Microsoft is feeling the heat (GigaOm Pro, sub. req’d) from enterprise adoption of tools from Google, such as Gmail, many of which are free or available in low-cost versions for business use. Cisco — a long-time Microsoft partner — is also taking aim at Microsoft Exchange with a new enterprise email service, WebEx Email. Steve Elop, president of Microsoft’s business solutions division, made numerous mentions of cost savings that enterprises can purportedly reap with Exchange 2010, and there was much focus on the email archiving and legal compliance features to be found in both it and Outlook 2010. Among cost-saving citations, Elop noted that companies can now run Exchange Server on lower-cost storage platforms than SANs.

Indeed, Google CEO Eric Schmidt has been very vocal recently about that company’s “next billion-dollar opportunities” when it comes to delivering web-hosted applications and other tools that can serve as alternatives to Microsoft’s solutions — and its licensing fees. In fact, many of Schmidt’s recent comments are decidedly anti-Microsoft.

No doubt with Google’s focus on online-hosted applications in mind, many new features in Exchange and Outlook are designed to allow email inboxes and archives to migrate easily between on-premise deployments and online-hosted ones. For example, a demonstration at the Berlin event included taking an existing on-premise email inbox and transferring it to a web-hosted implementation. Exchange Server is available now for trial use, here (Microsoft Silverlight req’d.).

Microsoft officials also announced that the company is acquiring SourceGear’s Teamprise technology. Teamprise allows Java and Eclipse developers to create applications with Microsoft’s Visual Studio. We’ll be on the lookout for more announcements slated to arrive at TechEd this week and will update you as they come in. Stay tuned.