Welcome to the Exchange Watercooler

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Welcome to the Exchange Watercooler, my new monthly feature article. Each month, I will cover topics being discussed throughout the Exchange ecosystem. Exchange Server touches the lives of many people daily, and not just the millions of information workers who use Microsoft Office Outlook, Outlook Web Access, ActiveSync, and other clients to access Exchange Server. Indeed, hundreds of thousands of other individuals administer Exchange servers, and also develop tools and applications for, sell, support, and, of course, develop Exchange Server. When combined, this group of people makes up the Exchange ecosystem. You can find links to parts of the Exchange ecosystem in the article Online Resources for Exchange Server Optimization and Community.

At Microsoft, we work hard to engage the Exchange ecosystem to help drive design from today into tomorrow based on a fundamental understanding of user needs. We connect with Exchange ecosystem travelers through a variety of programs, events, and other methods. Each of these forums is customized to provide insights into our future technology directions and region-specific technical content. We also share our knowledge with fellow ecosystem travelers. This includes hardware and software designers and developers, IT professionals, and technical evangelists and specialists.

The Exchange Watercooler is here to share knowledge and information about happenings throughout the Exchange ecosystem. As with any ecosystem, the travelers in the Exchange ecosystem are in different stages, with different needs, questions, and resources. While one organization might be deploying their first messaging system based on Exchange Server, another organization might be a long-time user of Exchange Server. While one organization might be deploying solutions that enable its information workers to use their mobile devices to access Exchange data, another organization might be perfecting their anti-spam and antivirus strategies. Nevertheless, despite these differences, common themes or issues can permeate many parts of the ecosystem. Sometimes, these themes are the "hot topic of the day," and other times they are part of a larger strategy or solution.

This month, the following two themes are prominent in the Exchange ecosystem:

Intelligent Message Filter 2.0 Engine Updates

Not only is it a nuisance, but spam can also be expensive when you factor in the potential loss of productivity and the additional resources required to deal with it. Besides the built-in message hygiene features found in Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, we also released an anti-spam engine and filter for Exchange Server 2003 called Intelligent Message Filter version 1 (IMFv1). IMFv1 is based on SmartScreen Technology, which is patented machine learning technology from Microsoft Research. During its development, Intelligent Message Filter "learned" distinguishing characteristics of legitimate e-mail messages and unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE).

To succeed in the fight against unwanted messages, organizations must continuously integrate new spam definitions into production e-mail environments. Spammers and malicious senders change tactics, refine their approach, and think of new ways to send unwanted messages to users' mailboxes. Since its initial release, IMFv1 was updated with new filter definition files. Recently, a new version, Intelligent Message Filter version 2.0 (IMFv2), has been enhanced and integrated into Exchange Server 2003 SP2. For more information about these updates to Intelligent Message Filter, see the Exchange Server Team blog article Intelligent Message Filter Updates.

Note

The content of each blog article and its URL are subject to change without notice.

Besides the integration of IMFv2 with Exchange Server 2003, another component, Intelligent Message Filter Update, was also introduced. Any system on which IMFv2 is enabled can be configured to download regular updates from Microsoft Update. After it has been configured, the update mechanism will also work with the Automatic Updates feature in Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

There seems to be some confusion in the Exchange ecosystem about the overall process for enabling IMFv2 updates. To enable this functionality, follow these steps:

Note

Before you follow these steps, make sure that you review the Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 Release Notes.

  • Uninstall IMFv1. If IMFv1 is installed, you must remove it before you install Exchange Server 2003 SP2. If IMFv1 is detected when you start the upgrade, a dialog box appears that instructs you to uninstall IMFv1.
  • Install Exchange Server 2003 SP2. After the upgrade, IMFv2 is automatically installed on the Exchange server. However, you must enable IMFv2 for each SMTP virtual server instance on which you want Intelligent Message Filter to run.
  • Add a DWORD value to the registry. Before the update process can work, you must add and configure a DWORD registry value on the Exchange server on which IMFv2 is enabled. The DWORD value that you must add is ContentFilterState, and it must be configured to have a value of 1. Add the value to the following location in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange
  • Visit Microsoft Update. After you add the registry value, open a Web browser on the Exchange server, connect to Microsoft Update, and select Custom. If an update to IMFv2 is available, it will be listed under Recommended Updates.

IMFv2 is updated two times a month (every first and third Wednesday of the month). The updates are supported only on Exchange Server 2003 SP2 systems on which the IMF is enabled. The updates are supported on all Exchange server languages. Intelligent Message Filter Update supports uninstall through Add Or Remove Programs, and also manual rollback.

For more information about other changes in IMFv2, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 907747, How to update the Intelligent Message Filter version 2 in Exchange Server 2003 SP2, and the Exchange Server Team blog article Intelligent Message Filter Updates.

Note

The content of each blog article and its URL are subject to change without notice.

Messaging and Security Feature Pack Update

The Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) for Windows Mobile 5.0 provides a fast and familiar Outlook Mobile experience through the following new features:

  • Direct Push Technology   Enables Outlook information, including e-mail, calendar, contacts, and tasks, to be shared between a mailbox on a computer that is running Exchange Server 2003 SP2 and a Windows Mobile–based device.
  • Wireless support for contact information   Provides support for over-the-air lookup of global address list information, including full contact details.
  • Remote Wipe   Enables administrators and help desk professionals to delete sensitive data from a lost or stolen mobile device.
  • Policy Provisioning   Enables administrators to make device access more secure by enforcing policies, such as device PINs and PIN length, local wipe after a configurable amount of unsuccessful retries to unlock a locked device, and blocking of devices that do not support policy provisioning.

To use these great features, you need the following three components:

  1. Exchange Server 2003 SP2
  2. A Windows Mobile 5.0 device
  3. MSFP installed on the Windows Mobile 5.0 device

You can obtain Exchange Server 2003 SP2 either by ordering it on CD or by downloading it from the Web. For more information about how to download or order Exchange Server 2003 SP2, see Service Pack 2 for Exchange Server 2003.

To obtain a Windows Mobile 5.0 device, you can select from several devices that are available from various carriers and manufacturers. For more information about Windows Mobile 5.0 devices, see Windows Mobile.

You must use a different process to obtain the MSFP. You cannot download it from the Microsoft Web site. Just as we produce but do not ship the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system to customers, we produce but do not ship the MSFP to customers. Instead, we released the MSFP to OEMs and Operators (carriers and manufacturers) who in turn test it with their own devices and on their own networks before they make it available to customers. We released the final version of the MSFP to OEMs and Operators in late October 2005, and many vendors are in the final stages of conducting their tests. Some vendors currently have devices available that include the MSFP, or are offering limited downloads of MSFP to their Windows Mobile 5.0 device users.

If you are running Windows Mobile 5.0 and you are interested in obtaining the MSFP, contact your mobile carrier or device manufacturer. It is up to each carrier and manufacturer to decide whether and when they will release the MSFP to their customers, and to determine which devices will be supported.

To sign up to receive more information about the MSFP as it becomes available, see Learn More About Messaging and Security Feature Pack for Windows Mobile 5.0.

Conclusion

I hope you've enjoyed this first edition of the Exchange Watercooler.

For More Information

For more information about Exchange Server 2003 SP2, see the following resources: