How to Create Routing Group Connectors from Exchange 2007 to Exchange Server 2003

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 will reach end of support on April 11, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.

 

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP3

This topic explains how to use the Exchange Management Shell to configure routing group connectors between the default routing group in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, and Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003 routing groups.

The first routing group connector between Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2000 is created and configured during installation of the first Hub Transport Server role in an existing Exchange organization. Perform this procedure if you have planned your routing topology and decided to create additional connectors between Exchange versions.

You must use the Exchange Management Shell to configure these connectors. The permissions that are required to enable mail flow between the server versions are automatically applied when the connector is created. Routing groups are not recognized by the Exchange Management Console in Exchange 2007. To support coexistence with Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003, all computers that are running Exchange 2007 are automatically put into a single routing group. The routing group in Exchange 2007 is recognized in Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003 Exchange System Manager as Exchange Routing Group (DWBGZMFD01QNBJR). You cannot use Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003 Exchange System Manager to manage the Exchange 2007 routing group or any routing group connectors that include an Exchange 2007 Hub Transport server as either a source server or target server.

Before You Begin

Important

Placement of Exchange 2007 and earlier versions of Microsoft Exchange in the same routing group is not supported.

Before you create the connectors between the Exchange 2007 routing group and Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003 routing groups, you must follow these steps:

  • Verify that Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003 Exchange System Manager is configured to display routing groups. Right-click the Exchange Organization object, and then select Properties. Confirm that the Display routing groups check box is selected.

  • Install the Exchange 2007 Hub Transport server role on a member server in a forest that currently has an Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003 organization.

  • Suppress minor link state updates on all Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003 servers. For more information about how to suppress link state updates, see How to Suppress Link State Updates.

  • Verify that the user account that you will use to configure the connectors is delegated the following:

    • Exchange Administrator role for the Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003 Administrative Group where the bridgehead server that will be designated as a source server or target server for the connector is located

    • Exchange Server Administrator role and local Administrators group for the Exchange 2007 Hub Transport server that will be designated as a source server or target server for the connector.

Note

By default, public folder referrals are enabled on the routing group connector between Exchange 2007 and earlier versions of Exchange Server. If you disable public folder referrals, end-users with mailboxes on Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2000 will not be connected to public folders that are located on Exchange 2007 Mailbox servers.

Procedure

To use the Exchange Management Shell to create a routing group connector

  • Run the following command to create reciprocal routing group connectors between the Exchange 2007 routing group and the routing group that is associated with the specified Exchange Server 2003 server, assign a cost of 100 to that connector, and enable public folder referrals:

    New-RoutingGroupConnector -Name "Interop RGC" -SourceTransportServers "Ex2007Hub1.contoso.com" -TargetTransportServers "Ex2003BH1.contoso.com" -Cost 100 -Bidirectional $true -PublicFolderReferralsEnabled $true
    

For More Information

For more information, see the following topics: