Simple Exchange Organization Model Detected

[This topic is intended to address a specific issue called out by the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool. You should apply it only to systems that have had the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool run against them and are experiencing that specific issue. The Exchange Server Analyzer Tool, available as a free download, remotely collects configuration data from each server in the topology and automatically analyzes the data. The resulting report details important configuration issues, potential problems, and nondefault product settings. By following these recommendations, you can achieve better performance, scalability, reliability, and uptime. For more information about the tool or to download the latest versions, see "Microsoft Exchange Analyzers" at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=34707.]  

Topic Last Modified: 2006-08-18

The Microsoft® Exchange Server Analyzer Tool queries the Active Directory® directory service to determine the number of mailboxes on the server. Each mailbox store object (msExchPrivateMDB class) has a multivalued attribute homeMDBBL that lists all the mailboxes in the store. The Exchange Server Analyzer counts these values to obtain the total number of mailboxes on the server.

The Exchange Server Analyzer also queries Active Directory to determine the number of Active Directory sites that contain Exchange Servers. In addition, the Exchange Server Analyzer queries Active Directory to determine the number of servers that are running either Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server or Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. Finally, the Exchange Server Analyzer queries the Win32_Service Microsoft Windows® Management Instrumentation (WMI) object to determine whether the Windows Cluster service is present and running.

The Exchange Server Analyzer categorizes the Exchange organization as a simple Exchange organization if the following conditions are true:

  • The total number of mailboxes in the organization is less than 1,000.

  • Exchange servers are installed only in one Active Directory site.

  • There are fewer than 3 computers running either Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003.

  • There are no clustered Exchange servers deployed.

Of the four defined organization models for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, the simple Exchange organization represents the most basic topology into which Exchange 2007 can be deployed. The simple Exchange organization contains either:

  • A single Exchange server that provides all Exchange services and stores all Exchange data for the whole organization.

  • Multiple Exchange servers in a topology that includes redundant directory servers and an Edge Transport server in a perimeter network.

To transition a Simple Exchange Organization to Exchange 2007

  1. Visit the Exchange 2007 product documentation online (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69434).

  2. Expand "Planning and Architecture," expand "Planning Your Deployment," and then click "Planning for a Simple Exchange Organization."