Selecting the Right Management Tools
Although both Exchange System Manager and Active Directory Users and Computers provide access to Exchange-related data in Active Directory, typically you do not use them interchangeably. Generally speaking, you:
Use Exchange System Manager for configuration data for the server and organization.
Use Active Directory Users and Computers for recipient data.
To clarify these usage differences, the following table provides specific examples of when you can use Exchange System Manager, and when you can use Active Directory Users and Computers.
Comparing Exchange System Manager and Active Directory Users and Computers
| Use Exchange System Manager to | Use Active Directory Users and Computers to |
|---|---|
Manage your Exchange organization. |
Manage Active Directory objects (recipients). |
Manage servers. |
Manage users. |
Move all mailboxes from one server to another server. |
Move an individual's mailbox from one server to another server. |
Create public folders. |
Create distribution groups. |
As this table shows, some tasks can be performed using either Exchange System Manager or Active Directory Users and Computers. For example, you can move mailboxes using either Exchange System Manager or Active Directory Users and Computers. The difference between the two approaches is whether you want to find all the users on a server or only a selected subset. When you want to quickly find all the users on a server, Exchange System Manager is the better choice. When you want to select users based on specific criteria, use Active Directory Users and Computers because by using this snap-in, you can create custom LDAP filters that can filter using virtually any criteria.
Tip
In newsgroups or conversations with other Exchange administrators, some people refer to Exchange System Manager as ESM. Active Directory Users and Computers may be referred to as ADU&C or DSA (Directory Server Agent).
Building on the previous overview of how Exchange System Manager and Active Directory Users and Computers work in the Exchange administration architecture, the next two sections explain Exchange System Manager and Active Directory Users and Computers in more detail. If you are already confident about using these tools, see "Deciding Where to Manage Exchange" for information about whether to use these tools through Remote Desktop, Terminal Server, or a dedicated management station.