Overview of Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Administration

Updated : September 11, 2001

from Chapter 1, Microsoft Exchange 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant by William R. Stanek.

Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server is designed to meet all the messaging and collaboration needs of any organization, no matter how large or small. Exchange Server has many features and offers wide support for industry-standard mail protocols.

Note: Throughout this book, I refer to Exchange Server in different ways, and each has a different meaning. Typically, I'll refer to the software product as "Exchange Server." If you see this term, you can take it to mean Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server. When necessary, I'll use "Exchange 2000 Server" to draw attention to the fact that I am discussing a feature that's new or has changed in the most recent version of the product. Each of these terms means essentially the same thing. If I refer to a previous version of Exchange Server, I'll always do so specifically, such as "Exchange Server 5.5." Finally, I'll often use the term "Exchange server" (note the lowercase s in "server") to refer to an actual server computer, as in "There are eight Exchange servers in this routing group."

Initially the key features you should focus on are those involving scalability, reliability, and availability, including

• Multiple message database support Exchange Server allows you to divide the message store into multiple databases that you can manage either individually or in logical groupings called storage groups. You can then store these message databases on one or more Exchange servers. Because you can manage transaction logging and recovery for each of these databases separately, the repair or recovery of one database doesn't affect other databases in the Exchange installation.

• Fault-tolerant SMTP support Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is the Internet standard for transferring and delivering e-mail. Exchange Server uses SMTP as the default transport protocol for routing messages. SMTP provides major performance and reliability improvements over remote procedure calls (RPCs), which previous versions of Exchange Server used for message routing. Also, the SMTP implementation for Exchange Server has been enhanced considerably to ensure that the message delivery system is fault tolerant. You'll find more information on fault tolerance in later chapters.

• Multiple protocol and virtual server support Exchange Server supports many industry-standard messaging protocols, and each of these protocols can be installed on one or more virtual servers. A virtual server is a server process that has its own configuration information, which includes IP addresses, port numbers, and authentication settings. Each messaging protocol configured for use on Exchange Server has its own virtual server. You can create additional virtual servers as well. You can use virtual servers to handle messaging needs for a single domain or for multiple domains. For large installations, you can install virtual servers on separate systems, dividing the workload on a per protocol basis.

• Active/Active Clustering support Exchange Server supports advanced clustering technologies that enable all systems in a cluster to actively process message requests. If a disk drive fails on one server, you can distribute the workload to the remaining servers and begin recovery on the failed server. This means that the failure of a single server doesn't halt message processing, and you don't need to have a dedicated failover server.

Exchange 2000 is tightly integrated with Microsoft Windows 2000, and many of the core features are fully integrated. As you get started with Exchange Server, the operating system integration is a key area that you should focus on. Other areas that you should focus on include hardware and component requirements, as well as the availability of administration tools.

On This Page

Exchange Server and Windows 2000 Integration
Hardware and Component Requirements for Exchange Server
Exchange Server Administration Tools

Exchange Server and Windows 2000 Integration

Exchange Server is designed for Windows 2000 and can be installed on

• Windows 2000 Server Windows 2000 Server is designed to provide services and resources to other systems on the network. Windows 2000 Server supports up to 4 CPUs and 4 GB of RAM.

• Windows 2000 Advanced Server Windows 2000 Advanced Server supports load balancing with up to 32 servers and 2-node clustering. It also supports up to 8 CPUs and 8 GB of RAM.

• Windows 2000 Datacenter Server Windows 2000 Datacenter Server supports 16 CPUs (32 through original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs) and up to 64 GB of RAM. It also supports load balancing with up to 32 servers and 4-node clustering.

In Exchange 2000 Server, e-mail addresses, distribution groups, and other directory resources are stored in the directory database provided by Active Directory. Active Directory is a directory service running on Windows 2000 domain controllers. When there are multiple domain controllers, the controllers automatically replicate directory data with each other using a multimaster replication model. This model allows any domain controller to process directory changes and then replicate those changes to other domain controllers.

The first time you install Exchange 2000 Server in a Windows 2000 domain, the installation process updates and extends Active Directory. The changes made to Active Directory allow you to centrally manage many Exchange functions, including user administration and security. Not only does centralized management reduce the administration workload, it also reduces complexity, making it easier for administrators to manage large Exchange installations.

The Exchange installation process also updates the Active Directory Users And Computers Snap-In for Microsoft Management Console (MMC). These updates are what make Active Directory Users And Computers the tool of choice for performing most Exchange administration tasks. You can use Active Directory Users And Computers to

• Manage mailboxes and distribution groups.

• Enable and disable messaging features, such as instant messaging and voice messaging.

• Set delivery restrictions, delivery options, and storage limits on individual accounts.

• Manage e-mail addresses associated with user accounts.

The main window for Active Directory Users And Computers is shown in Figure 1-1. If you're familiar with Windows 2000 administration, you'll note that the main window has been updated for Exchange Server. You'll find three new columns:

• E-Mail Address Shows the e-mail address of the user or group, such as williams@technology.domain.com.

• Exchange Alias Shows the e-mail alias for the user or group within Exchange, such as williams. For users, this is also the name of the Exchange mailbox.

• Exchange Mailbox Store Shows the identifier for the mailbox store in which the mailbox is stored. (Only users can have mailboxes, so this entry doesn't apply to groups.)

  

Figure 1-1. Use Active Directory Users And Computers to manage tasks for mailboxes and distribution groups.

While these changes to Windows 2000 are relatively minor, other changes to Windows 2000 have far-reaching effects. Security is a prime example. Exchange 2000 Server fully supports the Windows 2000 security model and relies on this security mechanism to control access to directory resources. This means you can control access to mailboxes and membership in distribution groups and you can perform other Exchange security administration tasks through the standard Windows 2000 permission set. For example, to add a user to a distribution group, you simply make the user a member of the distribution group in Active Directory Users And Computers.

Because Exchange Server uses Windows 2000 security, you can't create a mailbox without first creating a user account that will use the mailbox. Every Exchange mailbox must be associated with a domain account—even those used by Exchange for general messaging tasks. For example, the SMTP and System Attendant mailboxes that Exchange Server uses are associated by default with the built-in System user.

Use of Windows 2000 security also means that access to Exchange Server is controlled through standard Windows 2000 groups. The key groups are

• Domain Admins Members of Domain Admins can manage user accounts and related account permissions. They can create mailboxes, modify distribution groups, and perform other Exchange administration functions. They can also manage the configuration of Exchange Server.

• Enterprise Admins Members of Enterprise Admins have full access to Exchange Server. They can create mailboxes, modify distribution groups, and perform other Exchange administration functions. They can also delete trees and subelements (tasks that cannot be performed by Domain Admins).

• Exchange Domain Servers Computers that are members of this group can manage mail interchange and queues. All Exchange servers should be members of this group. This global group is in turn a member of the domain local group Exchange Enterprise Servers.

Like Windows 2000, Exchange 2000 Server also supports policy-based administration. You can think of policies as sets of rules that help you effectively manage Exchange Server. You can create two general types of policies:

• System policies You use system policies to manage Exchange servers, public data stores, and mailbox data stores.

• Recipient policies You use recipient policies to manage e-mail addresses for users.

You can use system and recipient policies to automate many administration tasks. For example, you can create a system policy to automate replication and maintenance of data stores. You could then apply this policy to multiple Exchange servers. This will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 6, "Implementing Directory Security and Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Policies."

Hardware and Component Requirements for Exchange Server

Exchange 2000 Server is unlike any version of Exchange you've used in the past. Consequently, before you install Exchange 2000 Server you should carefully plan the messaging architecture. Key guidelines for choosing hardware for Exchange 2000 are as follows:

• Memory Minimum of 256 MB of RAM. This is twice the minimum memory required by Microsoft. The primary reason for this additional memory is to enhance performance. That said, most of the Exchange installations I run use 512 MB of RAM as a starting point, even in small installations (and especially if you plan to run all Exchange services from a single server).

• CPU Exchange 2000 is designed for Intel x86 CPUs. Exchange 2000 Server achieves benchmark performance with Intel Pentium III 550 MHz and AMD Athlon 650 MHz. Both CPUs provide good starting points for the average Exchange 2000 server.

• SMP Exchange Server supports symmetric multiprocessors, and you'll see significant performance improvements if you use multiple CPUs. Still, if Exchange Server is supporting a small organization with a single domain, one CPU should be enough. If the server supports a medium or large organization or handles mail for multiple domains, you may want to consider adding processors. An alternative would be to distribute the workload to virtual servers on different systems.

• Disk drives The data storage capacity you need depends entirely on the number and the size of the databases that will be on the server. You need enough disk space to store all your data, plus workspace, system files, and virtual memory. Input/output (I/O) throughput is just as important as drive capacity. In most cases, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) drives are faster than Integrated Device Electronics/Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE/EIDE) and are therefore recommended. Rather than use one large drive, you should use several smaller drives, which allow you to configure fault tolerance with RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks).

• Data protection Add protection against unexpected drive failures by using RAID. RAID 0, 1, and 5 are supported by Windows 2000. Other RAID levels can be implemented using hardware RAID configurations. I recommend using RAID 1 or RAID 5 for drives containing messaging databases. RAID 1 (disk mirroring) creates duplicate copies of data on separate drives, but recovery from drive failure usually interrupts operations while you restore the failed drive from transaction logs or database backups. RAID 5 (disk striping with parity) offers good protection against single drive failure but has poor write performance.

• Uninterruptible power supply Exchange 2000 Server is designed to maintain database integrity at all times and can recover information using transaction logs. This doesn't protect the server hardware, however, from sudden power loss or power spikes, both of which can seriously damage hardware. To prevent this, connect your server to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). A UPS gives you time to shut down the server or servers properly in the event of a power outage. Proper shutdown is especially important on servers using write-back caching controllers. These controllers temporarily store data in cache, and without proper shutdown, this data can be lost before it is written to disk.

Before you install Exchange Server, you should ensure that the target server is configured properly. Most messaging and collaboration components of Exchange Server require that Internet Information Services (IIS) version 5.0 or later be installed. The Instant Messaging Settings also require IIS. To determine if IIS is installed or to add necessary IIS components, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, choose Settings, and then choose Control Panel.

2. Display the Add/Remove Programs dialog box by double-clicking Add/Remove Programs.

3. Start the Windows Components Wizard by clicking Add/Remove Windows Components. You should now see the Windows Components dialog box shown in Figure 1-2.

4. If IIS are already installed, the related entry should be selected in the Components list box. You can view the installed IIS components by selecting the Internet Information Services entry and then clicking Details.

   Note: Throughout this book, I refer to double-clicking, which is the most common technique used for accessing folders and running programs. With a double-click, the first click selects the item and the second click opens or runs it, or both. In Windows 2000 you can also configure single-click open/run. Here, moving the mouse over the item selects it and a click opens or runs it, or both. You can change the mouse click options with the Folder Options utility in the Control Panel. To do this, select the General tab, and then choose Single-Click To Open Item or Double-Click To Open Item as appropriate.

   

   Figure 1-2: Internet Information Services and Exchange Server are tightly integrated. You'll need to install IIS before deploying most messaging and collaboration services.

5. Otherwise, select the Internet Information Services check box in the Components list box. Then click Details.

   If necessary, select additional components, and then click OK. As a minimum, you should install these subcomponents of IIS:

   • Common Files

   • Internet Information Services Snap-In

   • SMTP Service

   • Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) Service (for newsgroups)

   • World Wide Web Service

6. Complete the installation process by clicking Next and then clicking Finish.

If you follow these hardware and component guidelines, you'll be well on your way to success with Exchange 2000 Server.

Exchange Server Administration Tools

Several types of tools are available for Exchange administration. The ones you'll use the most for managing local and remote servers are the graphical administration tools. With proper configuration, these tools let you centrally manage Exchange servers regardless of where they're located.

One of the key tools for Exchange administration is Active Directory Users And Computers, which was discussed previously in this chapter. Another key tool is System Manager. System Manager provides an integrated toolbox for managing Exchange installations, and it's the Exchange equivalent of the Exchange Administrator in previous versions of Exchange Server. As Figure 1-3 shows, you can use System Manager to manage

• Global settings for all Exchange servers in the organization.

• Policies, address lists, and address templates for recipients.

• Server protocols and information stores.

• System policies for servers, mailbox stores, and public folder stores.

• Connectors—including connectors for MS Mail, MS SchedulePlus, Lotus cc:Mail, Lotus Notes, and Novell GroupWise.

• Site replication, message tracking, and monitors.

• Public folders.

  

  Figure 1-3: . Use System Manager to manage Exchange sites, servers, and settings.

If you selected the Exchange System Management Tools component when you installed Exchange Server, you'll find that Active Directory Users And Computers and System Manager are already installed on your server. In this case, you can find these tools by clicking Start, choosing Programs, and then choosing Microsoft Exchange.

1. You don't have to run Active Directory Users And Computers or System Manager from the Exchange server. You can install these tools on any Windows 2000 Professional or Server system. Simply complete the following steps: Log on to the system using an account with administrator privileges. Then insert the Exchange 2000 Server CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.

2. If Autorun is enabled, an introductory dialog box should be displayed automatically. Select Exchange Server Setup and then in the Microsoft Exchange 2000 Installation Wizard window, click Next to continue. Otherwise, you'll need to start the Setup program on the CD-ROM.

3. Accept the end user license agreement by selecting I Agree. Click Next.

4. As Figure 1-4 shows, you should now see the Component Selection dialog box. You need to install the Microsoft Exchange 2000 component and the Microsoft Exchange System Management Tools. Once you've selected these options for installation, click Next, and then complete the installation process.

   

   Figure 1-4: . Use the Microsoft Exchange 2000 Installation Wizard to install the components labeled Microsoft Exchange 2000 and Microsoft Exchange System Management Tools.

Other administration tools that you may want to use with Exchange 2000 are summarized in Table 1-1.

Table 1-1. Quick Reference Administration Tools to Use with Exchange 2000 Server

Most of the tools listed in the table are accessible from the Administrative Tools program group. Click Start, point to Programs, and then point to Administrative Tools.

from Microsoft Exchange 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant by William R. Stanek. Copyright © 1999 Microsoft Corporation.

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