· Core infrastructure of exchange 2000/2003 versus Exchange Server 2007 is same, both are using the same JET EDB database as the database store
· Exchange 2007 still has the concept of a Mailbox server where EDBs are stored; Storage groups remain the same where databases are created.
· Users can use the Microsoft Outlook client and can access Exchange using OWA.
· Exchange 2007 still uses the VSS Backup application programming interface (API) to freeze the state of the Exchange database to perform a backup of the Exchange database.
2. What’s missing in Exchange Server 2007 That Was in Previous Versions?
· Recovery Storage Group has been removed. Exchange 2007 comes with the high reliable and recoverable solution
· The STM database introduced in Exchange 2000 has been removed; Microsoft incorporated the streaming database into a new single EDB database file.
· From administration point, Administrative group and Routing Group introduced in Exchange 2000 have removed.
· Microsoft noted that Public Folder is deemphasized in Exchange 2007. Not completely removed. Replaced by SharePoint server 2007
· New Exchange Administration Tool
· Exchange Scripting Language
· Removal of Front end and Bridgehead Severs with new Server roles
· Runs on X64 bit platform
3. What’s new in Exchange Management console?
EMC looks similar to Exchange System Manager; Exchange 2007 now organizes objects as a whole. Administrator can see all users, all servers, and all resources in the Exchange organization in a single view. The Exchange administrator can regroup users, computers, and resources into smaller delegation groups.
4. What are the security features introduced in exchange server 2007?
Edge Transport Server – placed on the Edge of the Network replaced the frontend server, functionalities includes virus and spam blocking, perform antivirus and anti spam filtering, and route the messages internal to the organization.
Hub Transport Server – replaced the bridgehead server act as a policy compliance server,
TLS – includes server to server Transport Layer Security for server – server message transport with a secured manner. It’s an Encryption technology.
Encryption – by default Exchange 2007 encrypts the content between exchange server 2007 and outlook 2007 client. Provides full support for certificate based PKI.
5. Name the reliable and recoverable features in Exchange server 2007?
Exchange 2007 holds to copies of user information in the network with the help of reliable and recoverability features introduced.
Local Continuous Replication – Two copies of user information in another drive (same server)
Cluster continuous Replication – holds the replication of information across the server
Single Copy Cluster – configured in SAN, DAS, and ISCSI etc. NAS not supported
Snapshot Backup – supported by third party vendors
6. What is Exchange Management Shell?
It is a command line utility introduced in Exchange server 2007, which provides an administrator the ability to configure, administer, and manage an Exchange 2007 server environment using text commands instead of solely a graphical user interface (GUI).
7. Name the Exchange server 2007 Roles?
1. Edge Transport Server Role – replaced the frontend server, function as firewall
2. Hub Transport Server Role – replaced the bridgehead server, handles message routing
3. Client Access Server Role – introduced newly, handles the client connection
4. Mailbox Server Role – replaced the Backend server, holds the mailbox
5. Unified Messaging Server Role – messaging solution for mobile devices, OVA etc
8. Explain Edge Transport Role?
The Edge Transport Server Role is to transfer mails from inside of your organization to the outside world. This role installed on the edge of your network (perimeter Network). Main purpose is to prevent your exchange server from all kinds of Attack. Must have ports 25 (SMTP) and 50636 (LDAPS) open from it to the hub transport server on the internal LAN. Port 25 is to send mail in. Port 50636 is to replicate the Exchange information that it needs, such as changes to users’ safe and blocked senders lists
9. Explain Hub Transport Role?
The Main Purpose of the Hub Transport Server Role is to transfer the mails throughout you exchange, This server role is responsible for internal mail flow, This Server role replace the bridge head servers of Exchange server 2003. This can be used as an edge transport server in Smaller Organization. This must be the first role installed in Exchange 2007. You can install the client access server role and the mailbox server role at the same time as the hub transport role, but not before.
10. Explain Client Access Server Role?
The role that handles client requests for OWA, Outlook Anywhere, ActiveSync, OVA and offline address book distribution. This role must be installed after the hub transport role and before the mailbox server role. You can install the mailbox server role at the same time as the client access role, but not before.
11. Explain Mailbox Server Role?
Mailbox Server holds the Mailbox database and Public folder databases for your organization. It only retains the mailbox and it won’t transfer your mails. Transferring mails between your mailbox server are handled by Hub Transport servers. The mailbox server roles will be introduced only after the installation of Hub Transport Server and Client Access Server Roles. If we are installing Mailbox server with the clustering options Like CCR, SCC, or SCR, then no other server roles to be installed with this server role.
12. Explain Unified Messaging Server Role?
Functions as the interface point for the VOIP gateway or IP-PBX phone system. This Role uses the user mailboxes to be the single point for storage and access of voice mail and fax messages, in addition to their normal email.
13. Difference between Standard and Enterprise edition of Exchange server
If we choose Enterprise Edition, We can have
Exchange Server 2007
50 storage group / 5 Database in single storage group – Maximum of 50 Database, Recommended having 1 database per storage group
Exchange Server 2003
4 Storage Groups / 5 Database in single Storage group – Mailbox database and Public Folder Database can be combined
If we choose Standard Edition, We can have
Exchange Server 2007
5 storage group / 5 Database in single storage group – Maximum of 50 Database, Recommended having 1 database per storage group
Exchange Server 2003
1 storage group / 2 Database (Mailbox & public folder database) in single storage group – In which contain 1 Mailbox Database and 1 Public Folder Database
14. What are the supportable client connections available in Client Access Server?
· Outlook Web Access (OWA)
· Exchange ActiveSync
· Outlook Anywhere (formerly RPC over HTTP)
· Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3)
· Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP4)
15. What are the two special services available in CAS?
Auto discover service—The Auto discover service allows clients to determine their Synchronization settings (such as Mailbox server and so on) by entering in their SMTP address and their credentials. It is supported across standard OWA connections.
Availability service—The Availability service is the replacement for Free/Busy functionality in Exchange 2000/2003. It is responsible for making a user’s calendar availability visible to other users making meeting requests.
16. What is OWA?
OWA is to access the mail via browser from outside the corporate network. The Outlook Web Access (OWA) client is now nearly indistinguishable from the full Outlook client. The one major component missing is offline capability, but nearly every other Outlook functionality is part of OWA.
17. What is Exchange Active sync?
ActiveSync provides for synchronized access to email from a handheld device, such as a Pocket PC or other Windows Mobile device. It allows for real-time send and receives functionality to and from the handheld, through the use of push technology.
18. What is Outlook Anywhere?
Outlook Anywhere (previously known as RPC over HTTP) is a method by which a full Outlook client can dynamically send and receive messages directly from an Exchange server over an HTTP or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) web connection. This allows for virtual private network (VPN)–free access to Exchange data, over a secured HTTPS connection.
19. What is POP3?
The Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) is a legacy protocol that is supported in Exchange 2007. POP3 enables simple retrieval of mail data via applications that use the POP3 protocol. Mail messages, however, cannot be sent with POP3 and must use the SMTP engine in Exchange. By default, POP3 is not turned on and must be explicitly activated.
20. What is IMAP4?
Legacy Interactive Mail Access Protocol (IMAP) access to Exchange is also available, which can enable an Exchange server to be accessed via IMAP applications, such as some UNIX mail clients. As with the POP3 protocol, IMAP support must be explicitly turned on.
21. How Messages Get to Exchange from the Internet?
To follow the flow of messages in an Exchange 2007 environment with all of the various
Server roles, the following flow occurs:
1. An incoming message from the Internet first goes to the Edge Transport server.
2. The Edge Transport server performs first-level recipient validation as well as spam and virus filtering. The message is then passed on to the Hub Transport server.
3. The Hub Transport server performs compliance content assessment and then looks at the internal routing for messages and forwards the message to another Hub Transport server or directly to a Mailbox server.
4. The Mailbox server places the incoming message into the user’s mailbox and notifies the user that a message has arrived.
5. The user launches Outlook, OWA, their Windows Mobile device, or another client System and connects to the Client Access server. The Client Access server confirms the destination point of the user’s mailbox and provides the user access to their mailbox data.
6. In parallel, if a voice mail message comes in for a user, the Unified Messaging server processes the incoming voice message, and then takes the message and places the voice message into the user’s mailbox residing on the Mailbox server for the recipient.
22. What is Mail Exchange Record?
A mail exchange (MX) specifies a mail forwarder or delivery server for SMTP servers. MX records are the cornerstone of a successful Internet mail routing strategy.
23. File structures in exchange server 2007?
.CHK – check point file, keeps track of which transactional logs moves into database files. Keep on check the log file entering the database in a current order
.LOG - 2 types of transactional logs –
1. Current Transactional log – eoo.log file which write the current transactions into transactional logs. If it reaches 1 MB, it will rename the log file into E00000001.log
2. Transactional log - If Current Transactional log reaches 1 MB , it will rename the log file into E00000001.log
.EDB – Stores the database files
Temp.EDB – Temporary database file, which will process the transactional logs that are to be to write in .EDB Database file
.JRS – Reserved Log files – if the size of the disk is full and you can’t write any mails as transactional logs these files will help into action
24. Explain the difference between Exchange Management shell and windows Power shell?
The Exchange Management Shell is based on Microsoft Power Shell, which provides access to all .NET objects and classes. When the administrator installs Exchange Server 2007, the setup program automatically installs the .NET Framework and Power Shell. It also installs all the Exchange 2007 specific cmdlets.
The cmdlets were written by the Exchange 2007 team to perform Exchange-specific tasks.
There are over 350 cmdlets unique to Exchange and each cmdlet has its own set of help.
25. What is Viruses or Trojan horse messages?
Viruses have existed in the computer world long before the first email message was sent. However, just as email provides users with an easy method of communication, it also is an extremely efficient method of spreading malicious or troublesome code. Once considered the largest problem that email administrators had to face, viruses have been combated by an entire industry devoted to their prevention.
25. What is Spam?
The proliferation of unsolicited messages, often referred to as “spam” mail, has truly become the bane of the messaging world with recent estimates stating that spam accounts for 85%–90% of the messaging traffic on the Internet today. These unsolicited, usually unwanted, and often-offensive advertisements cost companies and users billions of dollars annually in lost time and productivity. Unfortunately, because sending bulk messages to thousands (or millions) of recipients can be accomplished with very little expense, offending companies do not need a large response to maintain profitability. It is sad to note that as long as this method of advertising is profitable and effective, spam will be with us to stay. Fortunately, Exchange 2007 has several features to help alleviate the problem.
27. What is Address spoofing?
One tool that is commonly used by the distributors of both viruses and spam is known as address spoofing. By changing the From line in a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) message, users can often be fooled into opening a message that they think is from a friend or co-worker, only to find that the message originated somewhere else entirely. This method has been especially effective in the distribution of email worms. Because the message appears to come from a known associate, and often has an intriguing Subject line, the unwitting recipient opens the message and, if not properly protected, becomes a distributor of the virus to others.
28. What is Phishing?
Over the past several years, a relatively new type of fraudulent email has emerged. Known as phishing, this attack comes in the form of an official looking email message, often appearing to be from a reputable organization, such as a credit card company or a large electronics retailer. The message usually contains a link that, once clicked, brings up an official looking website—often an exact replica of the official site that is being mimicked. However, the fraudulent site has one purpose, to fool you into giving away personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or Social Security numbers. With this information in hand, the offending party can steal your identity, make charges to your credit card, or otherwise profit from your loss.
29. What are the planning considerations in installing Edge transport Server?
1. Edge Transport Should not be included in Active Directory
2. Should be installed in a Standalone Server
3. Edge Transport Should not be Part of the domain
4. ADAM Should be installed
5. Pre requisites .Net framework, Windows Management Shell, MMC 3.0 to be installed
6. Two networks cards
30. What are the options available in Edge transport Server to configure?
1. Anti Spam / Anti Virus
2. Transport Rules and Accepted Domain
3. Address Rewriting
31. What is Edge Sync in Exchange Server 2007?
Edge Sync – it’s a one way replication from Hub Transport Server to Edge Transport Server, while Edge Sync happens the recipient configuration will be replicated from Active Directory to ADAM in Edge Transport Server
32. What is Address Rewriting?
Address Rewriting Agent runs in Edge Transport Server. The main purpose of Edge Transport Server is to rewrite the Address the address to some other address. This plays an important role, consider if there are 5 Sub domain inside a forest and the entire sub domain want send mail outside with a unique address space.
33. What happen if mails come into exchange server?
Once the mail comes into the exchange server it writes the mails as transactional logs and also the same in system memory simultaneously. What the transactional log will do in the sense, it will hold the mails for a while until the mailbox database is freed up. The transactional logs are 1 MB in size and if the mail comes with size of 5 MB, the transaction log will first write the 1Mb log and creates a another transactional log, it will write the log files until the mails have completed.
34. Suggest a good Storage solution for Exchange Server?
Operating System: System files to be backed up. RAID 0 or RAID1
Database Files: if we move the database to different disk and if you are making backup the transactional logs will be added into the Backup. Provides better recoverability, RAID5 (Stripe set with Parity)
Transactional Log Files: in order to handle load, it’s good to have Transactional log files in different disk. If both the log file and database file are in same disk, increase performance and reliability. RAID1 (Mirroring)
35. What are the preparation switches used in while installing exchange Server 2007? Why?
1. /prepare legacy exchange permissions – when we are having exchange 2000 or 2003 in our existing environment
2. /prepare schema – this will add various objects and attributes related to that object
3. /prepare AD – prepare the current domain and prepare a universal security group for the new exchange 2007 installation
4. /prepare domain “domain name”– only in the domain on the remote sites, or in the different domain going to have Exchange Server 2007
1. What are the pre requisites to install Exchange Server 2007?
1. Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0
2. Microsoft ASP .Net
3. World Wide Web Service
4. MMC 3.0
5. Windows power shell
6. SMTP & NNTP service should not be installed
2. What’s the order to install Exchange Server 2007 Roles in a exchange Server 2003 organization?
1. Client Access Server Role
2. Hub Transport Server Role
3. Mailbox Server Role
4. Unified Messaging Server role
3. What are the versions available in Exchange Server 2007?
There are two types of Exchange Server 2007 version release
· · 64 bit – for production environment
· · 32 bit – only for non-production environment
4. What are the Operating system requirements to install Exchange Server 2007?
Exchange Server 2007 can be installed on
· · Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit,
· · Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 64-bit or
· · Windows Server 2008 64-bit
5. What are the Active directory requirements to install Exchange Server 2007?
1. Domain functional level at least windows server 2000 native or higher
2. Schema Master must be run on windows 2003 server with sp1
3. At least one Domain Controller, in each domain with windows server 2003 sp1
4. At least one global catalog server in Active Directory Site which hosts exchange Server 2007
5. 4:1 ratio of Exchange processor to global catalog server processors
6. What are the hardware requirements to install Exchange Server 2007?
· Processor – 64 bit processor
· RAM – 2 GB + 5 MB per Mailbox
· Disk Space - At least 1.2 GB on the drive on which you install Exchange
· - 200 MB of available disk space on the system drive
· File Format – NTFS
7. What are the Software requirements to install Exchange Server 2007?
Following are the software prerequisites to install Exchange Server 2007
1. Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0
2. IIS
3. WWW
4. MMC 3.0
5. Microsoft Windows Power Shell
8. What is Transition in Exchange Server 2007?
Transition is the scenario in which you upgrade an existing Exchange organization to Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. To perform the transition, you must move data from the existing Exchange servers to new Exchange 2007 servers. For example, when upgrading from an Exchange Server 2003 or Exchange 2000 Server organization to an Exchange 2007 organization, you perform a transition
When transitioning to Exchange 2007, you cannot perform an in-place server upgrade on an existing Exchange server. Instead, you must install a new Exchange 2007 server into the existing organization, and then move data to the new Exchange 2007 server.
9. What is Migration in Exchange Server 2007?
Migration is the scenario in which you upgrade to Exchange 2007 by migrating data from a non-Exchange messaging system to Exchange 2007 or from an existing Exchange organization to a completely new Exchange organization, without retaining any of the Exchange configuration data in the first organization. For example, when merging with another company, you can perform a migration. In this scenario, you move mailboxes and data to the other company’s Exchange organization, without retaining any of the configuration data from your existing Exchange organization. Another example is when upgrading from Lotus Notes to Exchange 2007, you perform a migration. In this scenario, you must move mailboxes and data to the new Exchange 2007 organization, without retaining any of the data from the Lotus Notes organization.
The migration process includes installing a completely new Exchange 2007 organization, and then migrating mailboxes from the old messaging system to the new Exchange 2007 messaging system, using various tools for migration.
10. Is it possible to do in place upgrade from Exchange Server 2003 to Exchange Server 2007?
No in-place upgrade on existing Exchange server organization. Install new Exchange Server 2007 server into existing organization, and move data to new server.
11. What are the transition options available in Exchange Server 2007
We can make transition in following options
Single forest to single forest - you have an existing single forest Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2000 topology, you can transition to a single forest Exchange 2007 organization
Single forest to cross forest - If you have an existing single forest Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2000 topology, you can transition to a cross-forest Exchange 2007 topology
Cross forest to cross forest - If you have an existing cross-forest Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2000 topology with Exchange servers and mailboxes in each forest, you can transition to an Exchange 2007 cross-forest topology.
Resource forest to resource forest -
Single forest to resource forest -
12. What are the considerations for Exchange Server 2007 to co exists with Exchange server 2000 and Exchange Server 2003?
· Exchange Organization in Exchange Native Mode· Exchange Server 2007 routing group (DWBGZMFD01QNBJR) is created only for coexisting with earlier versions of Exchange.
· Routing Group Connector is required between Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2007 (created during setup).
· Exchange Server 2003 computers cannot interoperate with the Unified Messaging server role. Exchange 2003 mailboxes cannot be Unified Messaging–enabled.
· Exchange 2003 Front-ends cannot talk to Exchange Server 2007 Mailbox Server Roles.
· No in-place upgrade on existing Exchange server. Install new Exchange Server 2007 server into existing organization, and move data to new server
13. Will Front End server talk to Exchange Server 2007 Mailbox server in an Exchange organization having both exchange 2003 and exchange Server 2007?
Exchange Server 2003 Front-end server cannot talk to Exchange Server 2007 Mailbox Server Roles
14. What is the status of routing group connector in co existed of Exchange Server 2003 and 2007?
Exchange Organization in Exchange Native Mode· Exchange Server 2007 routing group (DWBGZMFD01QNBJR) is created only for coexisting with earlier versions of Exchange.
Routing Group Connector is required between Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2007 (created during setup).
15. Which service should not be installed in Exchange Server 2007 installation?
SMTP and NNTP service should not be installed
16. What are the Exchange Server editions available?
There are two types of Exchange Server 2007 editions available
1. Standard Edition
2. Enterprise Edition
17. What is the difference between standard and Enterprise Edition?
Exchange 2007 functions Standard Edition Enterprise Edition
Number of Data Stores Supported 5 includes Mailbox/Public Folder 50 combination of both
Clustering support No Yes
OS Support Windows 2003 64 bit Windows 2003 64 bit
18. What to do if exchange Server 5.5 in your organization in order to upgrade to Exchange Server 2007?
You cannot upgrade an existing Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5 organization to Exchange Server 2007. You must first migrate from the Exchange Server 5.5 organization to an Exchange Server 2003 or an Exchange 2000 Server organization. Then you can transition the Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2000 organization to Exchange 2007.
19. What are the Planning considerations for Client Access Server Role?
The Client Access server role supports the Outlook Web Access, Outlook Anywhere, and Exchange ActiveSync client applications, in addition to the POP3 and IMAP4 protocols. The Client Access server role also hosts several key services, such as the Auto discover service and Exchange Web Services.
In order to have better client access functionality we have to perform a Planning consideration on Exchange Active Sync. Outlook web Access, outlook anywhere, POP3 and IMAP4 protocols and also securing client access
20. What are the Planning Considerations of Hub Transport Server Role?
Hub Transport server role is a required role in a Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 organization that provides routing within a single organizational network by using the Active Directory directory service site. Hub Transport server role installed handles all mail flow inside the organization, apply transport rules, apply journal rules, and deliver messages to recipients’ mailboxes
We have to perform a Planning Consideration on
· Topology for mail flow inside and outside the Exchange organization
· Server capacity – determine how to perform performance monitor
· Security - includes delegation of administrative roles and verification that IP connections are only enabled from authorized servers
· Transport Features - determine the transport features that you will enable at the Hub Transport server and how they will be configured
21. What are the Planning Considerations of Mailbox Server Role?
The Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Mailbox server role hosts mailbox databases and provides e-mail storage and advanced scheduling services for Microsoft Office Outlook users The Mailbox server role can also host a public folder database, which provides a foundation for workflow, document sharing, and other forms of collaboration
We have to perform a planning consideration on
· Sizing the database,
· Planning for public folder,
· Co hosting with other server roles and
· Planning for clustered Mailbox server
22. What are the Planning Considerations for Edge Transport Server Role?
Exchange Server 2007 Edge Transport server role is designed to provide improved antivirus and anti-spam protection for the Exchange organization. Computers that have the Edge Transport server role also apply policies to messages in transport between organizations. The Edge Transport server role is deployed in an organization’s perimeter network.
· Edge Transport Should not be included in Active Directory
· Should be installed in a Standalone Server
· Edge Transport Should not be Part of the domain
· ADAM Should be Installed
· Pre requisites .Net framework , Windows Management Shell, MMC 3.0 to be installed
· Two networks cards
1. What is client Access Server Role?
The role that handles client requests for OWA, Outlook Anywhere, ActiveSync, OVA and offline address book distribution. This role must be installed after the hub transport role and before the mailbox server role. You can install the mailbox server role at the same time as the client access role, but not before.
2. What are the supportable clients?
· Outlook
· Outlook Web Access
· Exchange Active Sync
· POP3
· IMAP4
3. What are services that are used by Client Access Server Role?
Following are the important services that Client Access Server depends to function properly
1. Exchange Data Services
2. Auto Discover Services
3. Synchronization and Data Services
4. Availability Service
4. What is Auto Discover Service?
The Auto Discover service allows clients to determine their Synchronization settings (such as Mailbox server and so on) by entering in their SMTP address and their credentials. It is supported across standard OWA connections.
5. What is Exchange Data Service?
Exchange Data Service provides the read/write access to mailbox and public folders mails, contacts, tasks and calendar
6. What is Synchronization and Data Service?
Synchronization and Notification service alerts on changes in mailbox folders and public folders data and also it provides mailbox and public folder synchronization
7. What is Availability Service?
The Availability service is the replacement for Free/Busy functionality in Exchange 2000/2003. It is responsible for making a user’s calendar availability visible to other users making meeting requests, and also it retrieves the published free/busy information from public folders and meeting time suggestions
8. What is POP3?
The Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) is a legacy protocol that is supported in Exchange 2007. POP3 enables simple retrieval of mail data via applications that use the POP3 protocol. Mail messages, however, cannot be sent with POP3 and must use the SMTP engine in Exchange. By default, POP3 is not turned on and must be explicitly activated.
9. What is IMAP4?
Legacy Interactive Mail Access Protocol (IMAP) access to Exchange is also available, which can enable an Exchange server to be accessed via IMAP applications, such as some UNIX mail clients. As with the POP3 protocol, IMAP support must be explicitly turned on.
10. What is Exchange Active Sync?
ActiveSync provides for synchronized access to email from a handheld device, such as a Pocket PC or other Windows Mobile device. It allows for real-time send and receives functionality to and from the handheld, through the use of push technology.
11. What is Direct Push?
Direct Push is a Technology provides immediate message delivery to mobile devices. Mobile devices incorporating Exchange ActiveSync maintain a secure connection with Exchange Server 2007, receiving new or updated e-mail, calendar, contacts, and tasks as soon as they arrive on the server. This push method optimizes bandwidth usage while keeping users up-to-date
12. What is Remote wipe?
If your device is lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised, you can issue a remote wipe command from the Exchange Server computer or from any Web browser by using Microsoft Office Outlook Web Access. This command erases all data from the mobile device.
13. What are the configurable tasks that are allowed when managing Exchange Active Sync?
You can perform the following Exchange ActiveSync tasks:
· Enable and disable Exchange ActiveSync for users
· Set policies such as minimum password length, device locking, and maximum failed password attempts
· Initiate a remote wipe to clear all data off a lost or stolen device
· Run a variety of reports for viewing or exporting into a reporting solution
14. What is outlook anywhere in Exchange Server 2007?
Outlook Anywhere (previously known as RPC over HTTP) is a method by which a full Outlook client can dynamically send and receive messages directly from an Exchange server over an HTTP or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) web connection. This allows for virtual private network (VPN)–free access to Exchange data, over a secured HTTPS connection.
15. What are the benefits of using Outlook Anywhere?
There are several benefits to using Outlook Anywhere to enable Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007 clients to access your Exchange messaging infrastructure. The benefits are as follows:
· Remote access to Exchange servers from the Internet.
· You can use the same URL and namespace that you use for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and Outlook Web Access.
· You can use the same Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) server certificate that you use for both Outlook Web Access and Exchange ActiveSync.
· Unauthenticated requests from Outlook cannot access Exchange servers.
· Clients must trust the certification authority that issues the certificate.
· You do not have to use a virtual private network (VPN) to access Exchange servers across the Internet.
16. What is Outlook Web Access?
Outlook Web Access in Exchange Server 2007 lets you access your e-mail from any Web browser. Outlook Web Access has been redesigned in Exchange Server 2007 to enhance the user experience and productivity in many ways. New features, such as smart meeting booking, Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services and Universal Naming Convention (UNC) file share integration, and improvements in reminders and the address book, give you a rich user experience from any computer that has a Web browser.
17. What are the virtual directories created when installing Exchange Server 2007 CAS?
Following are the virtual directories created when installing Exchange Server 2007 CAS
\OWA - used by Outlook Web Access to access mailboxes on Exchange 2007 mailbox servers.
\Public - used to access public folders by using the Outlook Web Access application
\Exchange - used by OWA when accessing mailboxes on computers that are running Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2000
\Exchweb - used with the Outlook Web Access application for mailboxes on computers that are running Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2000
\EXCHADMIN - An access the same folders that are available through other virtual directories and is used to change administrative settings and properties, only users who have administrative permissions can access the /exadmin virtual directory
18. What are the OWA Authentication options?
1. Standard Authentication (Basic, Digest and Windows Integrated)
2. Forms Based authentication
3. ISA Server Forms Based authentication
4. Smart card and certificate
5. RSA secure ID
19. What are the new features in OWA with Exchange Server 2007 sp1?
· Users can create and edit personal distribution lists.
· Users can create and edit server side rules.
· WebReady Document Viewing has added support for some file formats of the 2007 Microsoft Office system.
· Users will have access to the dumpster from Outlook Web Access and will be able to use the Recover Deleted Items feature.
· A monthly calendar view has been added.
· Move and copy commands have been added to the Outlook Web Access user interface.
· Public Folders are supported through the /owa virtual directory.
· S/MIME support has been added.
· Additional customization features that have been added include the following:
· · The ability to integrate with custom message types in the Exchange store so that they are displayed correctly in Outlook Web Access.
· · The ability to customize the Outlook Web Access user interface to seamlessly integrate custom applications into Outlook Web Access.
20. Name the Two versions of OWA clients and explain them?
There are two versions of Outlook Web Access included in Exchange Server 2007: the full-featured Premium Outlook Web Access client and the new Outlook Web Access Light client. Outlook Web Access Light is designed to optimize your Outlook Web Access experience for mobile devices and slower connections.
Outlook Web Access Premium is designed especially for IE6 and IE7. It has the OWA full functionality
21. Where OWA configurations Settings are stored?
OWA configurations Settings are stored in Active Directory
22. What is web ready document viewing in Exchange Server 2007?
23. What is CAS proxy?
CAS in user’s mailbox AD site not available on Internet, OWA will proxy user request to the CAS in the Mailbox AD site
24. What is CAS redirection?
CAS in User’s Mailbox on the internet, but user accesses different OWA URL. OWA shows page telling user the correct OWA URL for their home site
25. What is outlook Voice Mail Form?
The Outlook 2007 voice mail form resembles the default e-mail form, but gives users an interface for performing actions such as playing, stopping, or pausing voice messages, playing voice messages on a telephone, and adding and editing notes.
The voice mail form includes the embedded Windows Media Player and a notes field. The embedded Player and notes field are displayed in either the preview pane when you are previewing a voice message or in a separate window when the voice message is opened by the user. If a user is not enabled for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging or Outlook 2007 has not been installed on the client computer, they receive voice messages only as attachments, and the voice mail form is not available
1. What is Hub Transport Server Role?
Hub Transport server role handles all mail flow inside the organization, applies transport rules, applies journaling policies, and delivers messages to a recipient’s mailbox. Messages that are sent to the Internet are relayed by the Hub Transport server to the Edge Transport server role that is deployed in the perimeter network. Messages that are received from the Internet are processed by the Edge Transport server before they are relayed to the Hub Transport server. If you do not have an Edge Transport server, you can configure the Hub Transport server to relay Internet messages directly
2. Where Hub Transport Roles must be deployed?
The Hub Transport server role stores all its configuration information in Active Directory. This information includes transport rules settings, journal rule settings, and connector configurations. Because this information is stored in Active Directory, you can configure settings one time, and then those settings are applied by every Hub Transport server in the organization.
3. What is categorizer?
The categorizer is a component of Exchange transport that processes all inbound messages and determines what to do with the messages based on information about the intended recipients.
4. What are the processes involved in categorizer?
The Hub Transport server uses the categorizer to expand distribution lists and to identify alternative recipients and forwarding addresses. After the categorizer retrieves full information about the recipients, it uses that information to apply policies, route the message, and perform content conversion
5. What to do to use the Anti-Spam features on Hub Transport Server Role?
Although these Built-in Protection features are designed for use in the perimeter network on the Edge Transport server role, the Edge Transport agents can also be configured on the Hub Transport server. By default, these agents are not enabled on the Hub Transport server role. To use the anti-spam features on the Hub Transport server, you must register the agents in a configuration file and enable the features that you want to use by running a provided Exchange Management Shell script
You can install the anti-spam agents on the Hub Transport server role by using the provided Install-AntiSpamAgents.ps1 script. The script is located in the %program files%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Scripts folder.
6. What is journaling Agent?
The Journaling agent is a compliance-focused agent that you can configure to journal e-mail messages that are sent or received by departments or individuals in your Exchange 2007 organization, to and from recipients outside your organization, or both, for use in the organization’s e-mail retention or archival strategy
7. What are the types of Journaling Agent?
Exchange 2007 provides the following two journaling options to meet your organization’s requirements:
Standard journaling Standard journaling enables the Journaling agent in Exchange 2007 to journal all messages that are sent to and from recipients and senders that are located on a specific mailbox database on a computer running the Mailbox server role. You must configure journaling individually on each mailbox database in your organization if you want to journal all messages to and from all recipients and senders
Premium journaling Premium journaling enables the Journaling agent in Exchange 2007 to use rules that you configure to match the specific needs of your organization. You can create journal rules for a single mailbox recipient or for entire groups within your organization. To use premium journaling, you must have the Exchange Enterprise Client Access License (CAL)
8. What are the features in premium journaling that won’t work with standard Journaling Agent?
· Per-recipient or distribution list journaling: With standard journaling, you can only enable journaling on a per-mailbox database basis. All recipients and senders on a journaling-enabled mailbox database will be journaled.
· Journal rule scope: All messages to and from recipients and senders on a journaling-enabled mailbox database are journaled.
· Journal rule replication: Because standard journaling is applied on a per-mailbox database basis, this configuration cannot be replicated throughout the organization.
9. What are the Transport rules?
Transport rules in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 let you apply messaging policies to e-mail messages that flow through an Exchange Server 2007 organization. In Exchange 2007, the following two transport rules agents can act on messages
1. 1. Transport Rules Agent
2. 2. Edge transport Rules Agent
10. What is Transport Rules Agent?
The Transport Rules agent runs on all computers that have the Hub Transport server role installed. This agent helps you apply compliance- and policy-based rules to all messages that flow through an Exchange 2007 organization.
11. What is Edge rules Agent?
Edge Rules agent The Edge Rules agent runs on all computers that have the Edge Transport server role installed. This agent helps you manage antivirus problems.
12. What is Store Driver?
Messages that are sent by users in your organization are picked up from the sender’s Outbox by the store driver and are put in the Submission queue on a server that runs the Hub Transport server role
13. Explain Internal Message flow in Exchange Server 2007?
When messages are submitted to the Hub Transport server, they are processed by the categorizer. The categorizer is a component of Exchange transport that processes all inbound messages and determines what to do with the messages based on information about the intended recipients. In Exchange 2007, the Hub Transport server uses the categorizer to expand distribution lists and to identify alternative recipients and forwarding addresses. After the categorizer retrieves full information about the recipients, it uses that information to apply policies, route the message, and perform content conversion. Messages are then delivered locally by the store driver to a recipient’s mailbox, or they are delivered remotely by using SMTP to send messages to another transport server. Messages that are sent by users in your organization are picked up from the sender’s Outbox by the store driver and are put in the Submission queue on a server that runs the Hub Transport server role
14. What is the function of pickup and replay directory?
By default, the Pickup Directory and the Replay directory exists on every Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 computer that has the Hub Transport server role or the Edge Transport server role installed.
Pickup Directory: A Directory that receives RFC-822 compliant files from the file system for the purpose of creating message objects that can be passed to the Submission queue.
Replay Directory: The Replay directory receives messages from foreign gateway servers and resubmits messages that administrators export from the queues of Exchange 2007 servers.
15. What is mail submission queue?
A persistent queue that is used by the categorizer in Exchange Server 2007 to gather all messages that have to be resolved, routed, and processed by transport agents. After categorization, the message is moved to a delivery queue or to the Unreachable queue. Users cannot take actions on the Submission queue.
16. What is the function of Mail Delivery Queue?
A group of temporary queues that hold messages that are being delivered to a Mailbox server by using encrypted Exchange RPC. Mailbox delivery queues exist on Hub Transport servers only. A different mailbox delivery queue exists for each Mailbox server destination. The destination Mailbox server must exist in the same Active Directory directory service site as the Hub Transport server. Mailbox delivery queues are dynamically created as needed and are automatically removed.
17. What is the function of SMTP Receive connector?
A connector that is used to receive mail from remote mail systems based on administrator-defined address spaces. Receive connectors apply a customized set of limits and other configuration options that apply only to messages received from remote mail systems that match the address space that is configured on the send connector
18. What is the function of SMTP send connector?
A connector used to send mail to remote mail systems based on administrator-defined address spaces. Send connectors apply a customized set of limits and other configuration options that apply only to messages destined for remote mail systems that match the address space configured on the Send connector.
19. What are Journaling and Archiving?
Journaling is the ability to record all communications, including e-mail communications, in an organization for use in the organization’s E-mail retention or archival strategy
Archiving refers to reducing the strain of storing data by backing up the data, removing it from its native environment, and storing it elsewhere
20. What is disclaimer?
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 includes the ability to add text disclaimers to e-mail messages that are processed on a computer that has the Hub Transport server role installed. Disclaimers are typically used to provide legal information, warnings about unknown or unverified e-mail senders, or for various other reasons as determined by an organization
21. What is Message classification?
Message classifications are a Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 feature that is intended to help organizations comply with their e-mail policies and regulatory responsibilities. When a message is “classified,” the message contains specific metadata that describes the intended use or audience of the message. Outlook 2007 or OWA may act on this metadata by displaying a user-friendly description of the classification to senders and receivers of a classified message. In Exchange 2007, the Microsoft Exchange Transport service may act on the metadata if there is a transport rule that meets specific criteria that are configured by the Exchange administrator.
22. What is policy in Hub Transport Server Role?
Organizations need an application-specific approach to coping with a growing number of legal, regulatory, and internal policy and compliance requirements. Administrators must filter, process, and store e-mail that flows between users in the organization, to or from the Internet, or between partner organizations. Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 provides a broad set of e-mail policy and compliance features to address this increasing requirement to protect and control the flow of information
23. Is it possible to install Forefront security in Exchange environment having only Hub Transport server for mail flow?
Yes, we can install Forefront security in Exchange environment having only Hub Transport server for mail flow
24. What is the post installation tasks involved on Hub Transport Server?
After install the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Hub Transport server role, you must enable and configure the agents that provide the messaging features that you want to deploy. An agent is a managed software component that performs a task in response to an Exchange 2007 event. Transport agents in Exchange 2007 perform tasks that support messaging policy and compliance and the Built-in Protection features that support anti-spam and antivirus prevention and management.
You can install the anti-spam agents on the Hub Transport server role by using the provided Install-AntiSpamAgents.ps1 script. The script is located in the %programfiles%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Scripts folder.
25. What is Message Records Management feature in Exchange Server 2007?
Administrators can use the MRM features in Exchange 2007 to help users and the organization retain the messages that they need for business or legal reasons and delete message that they don’t need. You do this by configuring managed folders, which are Inbox folders to which retention policies are applied.
Messaging records management (MRM) in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 helps you:
· Reduce the risks that are associated with e-mail and other communications by making it easier to keep what is needed to comply with company policy, government regulations, or legal needs.
· Remove content that has no legal or business value
26. Name the E-Mail Policy and Compliance features included in Exchange Server 2007?
1. Address Rewriting
2. Disclaimer
3. Journaling
4. Transport Rules
5. Message Records Management
27. What is Address Rewriting?
Address Rewriting Agent runs in Edge Transport Server. The main purpose of Edge Transport Server is to rewrite the Address the address to some other address. This plays an important role, consider if there are 5 Sub domain inside a forest and the entire sub domain want send mail outside with a unique address space
1. What is Mailbox Server Role in Exchange Server 2007?
Mailbox Server holds the Mailbox database and Public folder databases for your organization. It only retains the mailbox and it won’t transfer your mails. Transferring mails between your mailbox server are handled by Hub Transport servers. The mailbox server roles will be introduced only after the installation of Hub Transport Server and Client Access Server Roles. If we are installing Mailbox server with the clustering options Like CCR, SCC, or SCR, then no other server roles to be installed with this server role.
The Mailbox server role hosts mailbox databases, which contain users’ mailboxes. If you plan to host user mailboxes, public folders, or both, the Mailbox server role is required. The Mailbox server role also improves the information worker experience by providing richer calendaring functionality, resource management, and offline address book downloads
2. What are the planning considerations for Mailbox Server?
Sizing the database - When planning for the size of your databases, you should also plan for how you will enforce limits on database size, either at the database level or at the individual mailbox level
Planning for public folder - Exchange Server public folders are intended to serve as a repository for information that is shared among many users. You should use public folders when your business requires data replication to multiple servers. Make sure your organization needs Public Folders
Co hosting with other server roles - Provided that you are not deploying clustered Mailbox servers, the Client Access server role, Hub Transport server role, Mailbox server role, and Unified Messaging server role can coexist on the same computer in any combination. When considering what combination of server roles to deploy, you should base your decision on capacity and performance planning and on your security and availability requirements
Planning for clustered Mailbox server Role - The decision to deploy clustered Mailbox servers should be based on the availability goals and the available resources of your organization. Exchange 2007 offers two clustered solutions for Mailbox servers: CCR and single copy clusters (SCC).
3. Which server roles can be installed in a clustered environment?
Only the Mailbox server role can be installed in a failover cluster. Therefore, if you plan to deploy a clustered Mailbox server, you cannot install any other server roles on the same computer as the Mailbox server role.
4. Name the manageable features related to Mailbox Server?
In exchange Server 2007, we can manage the following things in mailbox server
· Resource scheduling
· Meeting item
· Out of office assistance
· Storage groups and databases
· Public folders
· Mailbox databases
· E-mail address policies
· Exchange Search
· Offline address book
· Address list
5. How mailbox server interactions will happen if all the server roles are installed in a single server
1. The Mailbox server accesses recipient, server, and organization configuration information from Active Directory.
2. The Store driver on the Hub Transport server places messages from the transport pipeline into the appropriate mailbox. The Store driver on the Hub Transport server also adds messages from the Outbox of a sender on the Mailbox server to the transport pipeline.
3. The Client Access server sends requests from clients to the Mailbox server, and returns data from the Mailbox server to the clients. The Client Access server also accesses offline address book files on the Mailbox server through NetBIOS file sharing. The types of data that the Client Access server sends between the client and the Mailbox server are messages, free/busy data, client profile settings, and offline address book data.
4. The Unified Messaging server retrieves e-mail and voice mail messages and calendar information from the Mailbox server for Outlook Voice Access. The Unified Messaging server also retrieves storage quota information from the Mailbox server.
5. Outlook clients that are inside your firewall can access a Mailbox server directly to send and retrieve messages. Outlook clients outside the firewall can access a Mailbox server using remote procedure call (RPC) over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
6. The administrator-only computer retrieves Active Directory topology information from the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service. It also retrieves e-mail address policy information and address list information.
6. What are the permissions available in mailbox database?
You can configure the following mailbox permissions:
· Full Access
· External Account
· Delete Item
· Read Permission
· Change Permission
· Change Owner
You can configure the following extended rights for a mailbox-enabled user in Active Directory:
· Send As
· Receive As
· View Information Store Status
7. What is Send on behalf permission in Mailbox database?
Granting the Send on Behalf permission to other recipients allows those recipients to send e-mail messages on behalf of a mailbox user. Specifically, recipients who are granted this permission can enter the mailbox user’s name in the From field for the messages that they send.
8. What is Send as Permission in Mailbox Database?
Granting the Send As permission to other recipients allows those recipients to send e-mail messages as that mailbox user. Like the Send on Behalf right, recipients who are granted this permission can enter the mailbox user’s name in the From field for the messages that they send.
9. What is full access in permission in Mailbox Database?
Granting this permission to a user for a mailbox allows that user to log on to the mailbox and gain access to the contents of the entire mailbox. Users with the Full Access permission to a mailbox cannot send messages as that mailbox.
10. Explain the storage and Database features involved in Exchange Server 2007 Standard and Enterprise Edition?
Feature Standard Edition Enterprise Edition
Storage groups Five storage groups are supported. 50 storage groups are supported.
Databases Five databases are supported. 50 databases are supported.
Single Copy Clusters Not supported. Supported.
Local Continuous Replication Supported. Supported.
Cluster Continuous Replication Not supported. Supported.
11. What are the high availability features involved in Exchange Server 2007 for Mailbox servers?
The following are the high availability features supported for Mailbox server
· Local Continuous Replication
· Cluster Continuous Replication
· Single Copy Replication
· Standby Continuous Replication
12. Explain the file structures in Exchange Server 2007?
.CHK – check point file, keeps track of which transactional logs moves into database files. Keep on check the log file entering the database in a current order
.LOG - 2 types of transactional logs –
1. Current Transactional log – eoo.log file which write the current transactions into transactional logs. If it reaches 1 MB, it will rename the log file into E00000001.log
2. Transactional log – If Current Transactional log reaches 1 MB , it will rename the log file into E00000001.log
.EDB – Stores the database files
Temp.EDB – Temporary database file, which will process the transactional logs that are to be to write in .EDB Database file
.JRS – Reserved Log files – if the size of the disk is full and you can’t write any mails as transactional logs these files will help into action
13. Suggest a good Storage solution for Exchange Server?
Operating System: System files to be backed up. RAID 0 or RAID1
Database Files: if we move the database to different disk and if you are making backup the transactional logs will be added into the Backup. Provides better recoverability, RAID5 (Stripe set with Parity)
Transactional Log Files: in order to handle load, it’s good to have Transactional log files in different disk. If both the log file and database file are in same disk, increase performance and reliability. RAID1 (Mirroring)
14. Explain the Transactional Log files in Exchange Server 2007?
5 MB for 2003 and 1 MB for 2007
Before changes are actually made to an Exchange database file, Exchange writes the changes to a transaction log file. After a change has been safely logged, it can then be written to the database file.
One of the most important components of Exchange server is the transaction logs. Exchange server was designed to write all transactions to these log files and commit the changes to the databases when the system allows. Users can send and receive messages without touching the database thanks to this write-ahead method of logging.
When a message is sent, the transaction is first recorded in the transaction logs. Until the transaction is committed to the Exchange database (EDB), the only existence of this data is in the system memory and the transaction logs. In the event of a crash, you lose the contents of the memory and all you are left with is the record in the transaction log. These transaction logs are crucial to the recovery of a failed Exchange server, whether it was a minor crash that required a reboot, or a more catastrophic failure requiring the deployment of your disaster recovery plans. The same goes for other transactions such as received messages, deleted items and messages moved to different folders
15. What are the recommendations for configuring Storage Groups and Databases?
Following are the recommendation consideration for storage groups and Databases
Database Sizing - Smaller databases are generally better because they can be backed up and restored more quickly than larger databases. However, database size should be balanced against other factors, especially capacity and complexity
Recommended Database per storage Group – We recommend that you place each new database in its own storage group until the maximum number of storage groups is reached. This recommendation allows you to spread the load of mailboxes across as many databases and storage groups as possible. It also creates an Exchange storage topology that can be managed more easily.
Disk Configuration - Because I/O to log files is sequential and I/O to database files is random, for increased performance, we recommend placing log files on a separate disk from database files. By using one log file for many databases, you can reduce the number of disks that are required. However, there are two disadvantages to this approach:
· If the disk that contains the log files fails, multiple databases are corrupted or lost instead of just one.
· Recovery from log files takes longer because the logs replay data for more databases.
16. What is Retention Period?
The retention period specifies how long Exchange will keep items that users have deleted. Upon deleting an item, Exchange marks the item for complete removal based on the retention period. The default retention period is set to 30 days
17. What is Managed Folder Mailbox policy?
A managed folder mailbox policy is a logical grouping of managed folders. When a managed folder mailbox policy is applied to a user’s mailbox, all the managed folders that are linked to the policy are deployed in a single operation, thereby making the deployment of messaging records management (MRM) easier.
18. What is Managed default Folder?
A managed default folder is a default folder in the mailbox (such as the Inbox, Calendar, or Contacts) that is linked to a managed folder mailbox policy. If a default folder in the mailbox is not linked to a managed folder mailbox policy, then the “entire mailbox” policy will apply to that default folder
19. What is E-Mail Address Policy?
For a recipient to receive or send e-mail messages, the recipient must have an e-mail address. E-mail address policies generate the primary and secondary e-mail addresses for your recipients (which include users, contacts, and groups) so they can receive and send e-mail. By default, Microsoft Exchange contains an e-mail address policy that specifies the recipient’s alias as the local part of the e-mail address and uses the default accepted domain. The local part of an e-mail address is the name that appears before the at sign (@). For e-mail address policies, you define how the recipients’ e-mail addresses will display
20. What is a Managed Content setting?
Managed content settings are applied to the managed folders in users’ mailboxes to control the retention and journaling of messages for messaging records management (MRM). Managed content settings define when messages that are no longer needed are to be removed or journaled (copied) to a separate storage location outside the mailbox
Managed content settings help you control how the contents of managed folders are handled. By applying managed content settings to managed folders, you can control the contents in ways that are not possible with folders that do not have managed content settings. For example, the managed content settings that you apply to a user’s Inbox folder could specify that its contents should be automatically deleted or moved to another folder after 60 days.
21. What is managed custom folder?
A managed custom folder is a managed folder that is created by an Exchange administrator and placed in a user’s mailbox for messaging records management (MRM) purposes. The retention and journaling of messages in managed custom folders are controlled by managed content settings that are applied to the folder.
1. What is unified Messaging?
Unified messaging is the handling of voice, fax, and regular text messages as objects in a single mailbox that a user can access either with a regular e-mail client or by telephone. The PC user can open and play back voice messages, assuming their PC has multimedia capabilities. Fax images can be saved or printed.
2. What is the function of Unified Messaging Server role in Exchange Server 2007?
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging Server role enables Unified Messaging for an Exchange 2007 organization. Unified Messaging lets users access their Exchange 2007 mailbox over any telephone for e-mail, voice mail, fax messages, and calendaring and contact information
3. What are the important services in Unified Messaging Server role?
There are two important Exchange Server Services in unified Messaging Server Role. They are
Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging service (UMservice.exe) - enables voice and fax messages to be stored in an Exchange 2007 mailbox and gives users telephone access to e-mail, voice mail, calendar, and contacts
Microsoft Exchange Speech Engine service (SpeechService.exe) – controls the
· The dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF), also known as touchtone, interface
· Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) that is used with the Voice User Interface (VUI) in Outlook Voice Access
· The Text-to-Speech (TTS) engine that reads e-mail, voice mail, and calendar items and plays the menu prompts for callers
4. What is Unified Messaging work Process?
A Unified Messaging worker process is a process that is created during the startup of the Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging service. UM worker processes interact with all incoming and outgoing requests that have been received by the Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging service.
The Unified Messaging Worker Process Manager is also a component of the Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging service. The UM Worker Process Manager handles the creation and monitoring of all the UM worker processes that are created.
5. What are the Unified Messaging Server consolidations?
To consolidate unified messaging server, place all the Unified Messaging Server Role in a central location and place IP gateways in branch offices.
6. How e-mail, voice and fax services are managed in UM?
Unified messaging puts all a UM-enabled user’s e-mail, voice, and fax messages into their Exchange 2007 mailbox and that can be accessed from a variety of devices.
7. What are the features of UM?
· One inbox for e-mail, voice and fax access
· Play on phone
· Outlook Voice Access
· UM Auto Attend
· Call Answering
· FAX call receiving
8. What is play on phone?
It is a Unified Messaging feature that users can use to play their voice messages or play and record personalized voice mail greetings, over a telephone or outlook 2007 or outlook web access
9. Explain the play on phone functionality in Exchange Server 2007?
1. User receives a voice access mail messages and select the Play on Phone option in outlook 2007 or outlook web access. They can either use the number already configured or enter a new number
2. Outlook uses https to communicate with the UM web service located on the client Access Server. The client access server talks via sip to the UM server.
3. Um server fetches the appropriate message from the mailbox server role
4. UM server puts the phone number the user entered through the UM outbound dialing rules and sends the call. The endpoint phone will then ring and play the voice message when the user picks up the phone
10. What is Unified Messaging Auto Attend?
UM Auto Attend service is a series of voice prompts or .wav files the callers hear, instead of a human operator, when they call an organization
UM auto attendants can be used to create a voice menu system for an organization that lets external and internal callers move through the UM auto attendant menu system to locate and place or transfer calls to company users or departments in an organization
Auto attend provides the following like,
· Provides corporate or informational greeting
· Provides custom corporate menus
· Provides directory search function that enables a caller to search the organizations directory for a name
· Enables a caller to connect to the telephone of, or leave a message for users
11. Explain call answering in UM?
1. Call initiated and call recipient does not answer
2. Call redirected to UM Server
3. UM server contacts active directory (using dial plan + extension number) to get e-mail address information
4. UM server contacts the user’s mailbox to play the individual’s greeting and captures voice mail message
5. Completed voice mail message sent to Hub Transport server for delivery
6. Voice mail message delivered to users mailbox
12. What is PBX and IP gateway?
PBX – Private Branch Exchange
PBX, sometimes known as a telephone switch or telephone switching device, is a device that connects office telephones in a business to the public telephone network. The central functions of a PBX are to route incoming calls to the appropriate extension in an office, and to share telephone lines between extensions. Users of the PBX share a certain number of outside lines for making telephone calls external to the PBX.
IP Gateway
IP gateway devices are integral to deploying Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging in your organization. There are two types of IP gateway devices that you can use with Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging: an IP PBX and IP gateway. Both types of devices can exist in a single organization. However, you must configure each IP gateway or IP PBX device correctly to successfully deploy Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging.
The IP PBX or the IP gateway devices in your organization are the intermediary components between your organization’s telephony network and your organization’s data network. IP PBXs and IP gateways act as a “translator” and are used to convert the circuit-switched protocols that are found in your telephony network to the packet-switched protocol, IP, that is found in your data network.
13. What are the Active Directory UM objects?
Following are the Active Directory UM objects
· UM Auto attend
· UM mailbox policy
· UM IP gateways
· UM hunt group
14. Explain Outlook Voice Access?
1. 1. UM-enabled user dials the subscriber access number configured on a dial plan
2. 2. UM server associated with the dial plan checks active directory for address and access information
3. 3. User logs onto mailbox
4. 4. Interaction with the user’s mailbox can occur using the voice user interface or the touch tone interface. The mailbox owner can
·
o
§ Listen to their voice mail messages
§ Play e-mail messages
§ Access their calendar
§ Takes action on meeting request
§ Get contact information
§ Locate and call a user in the directory
15. How Client Access Server helps unified Messaging Server to function?
16. What are the unified messaging Mailbox policies?
UM mailbox policies are required when you enable users for Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging. They are useful for applying and standardizing Unified Messaging configuration settings for UM-enabled users. You create UM mailbox policies to apply a common set of policies or security settings to a collection of UM-enabled mailboxes.
· PIN policies
· Dialing restrictions
· Other general UM mailbox policy properties - increase the level of PIN security by reducing the maximum number of logon failures
17. what is UM hunt group?
A hunt group describes a set of PBX or IP PBX resources or extension numbers that are shared by users. Hunt groups are used to efficiently distribute calls into or out of a given business unit. For example, a PBX or IP PBX might be configured to have 10 extension numbers for the sales department. The 10 sales extension numbers would be configured as one hunt group. In a PBX or IP PBX, hunt groups are used to efficiently locate an open line, extension, or channel when an incoming call is received
18. what is UM IP Gateway?
A UM IP Gateway object is a container object that logically represents a physical IP gateway hardware device, IP-PBX, or other SIP server that can interoperate with Exchange Unified Messaging. Before the IP gateway can be used to process Unified Messaging calls, it must be represented by an object in Active Directory.
1. What is Edge Transport Server?
The Edge Transport Server Role is to transfer mails from inside of your organization to the outside world. This role installed on the edge of your network (perimeter Network). Main purpose is to prevent your exchange server from all kinds of Attack. Must have ports 25 (SMTP) and 50636 (LDAPS) open from it to the hub transport server on the internal LAN. Port 25 is to send mail in. Port 50636 is to replicate the Exchange information that it needs, such as changes to users’ safe and blocked senders lists
Edge Transport Server Role placed on the Edge of the Network, functionalities includes virus and spam blocking, perform antivirus and anti spam filtering, and route the messages internal Exchange organization to external web.
2. Explain the Message flow from Edge Transport Server to Hub Transport Server?
The flow of messages in an Exchange 2007 environment with Edge Transport Server to the inside organization by the following ways
1. An incoming message from the Internet first goes to the Edge Transport server.
2. The Edge Transport server performs first-level recipient validation as well as spam and virus filtering. The message is then passed on to the Hub Transport server.
3. The Hub Transport server performs compliance content assessment and then looks at the internal routing for messages and forwards the message to another Hub Transport server or directly to a Mailbox server.
4. The Mailbox server places the incoming message into the user’s mailbox and notifies the user that a message has arrived.
5. The user launches Outlook, OWA, their Windows Mobile device, or another client System and connects to the Client Access server. The Client Access server confirms the destination point of the user’s mailbox and provides the user access to their mailbox data.
6. In parallel, if a voice mail message comes in for a user, the Unified Messaging server processes the incoming voice message, and then takes the message and places the voice message into the user’s mailbox residing on the Mailbox server for the recipient.
3. What are the planning considerations to install Edge Transport Server Role?
· Edge Transport Should not be included in Active Directory
· Should be installed in a Standalone Server
· Edge Transport Should not be Part of the domain
· ADAM Should be installed
· Pre requisites .Net framework, Windows Management Shell, MMC 3.0 to be installed
· Two networks cards
4. What are the important considerations to install Edge Transport Server?
· Edge transport Server is not required for small organization; Hub Transport Server will function as Edge Transport Server
· Edge Transport Server Role should not be a member of the Active Directory
· ADAM stores the configuration of Active Directory for Edge Transport Server
· Edge Synchronization to connect Hub Transport Server and Edge Transport Server
· Security Configuration Wizard, Important ports to be opened, Port 25, 50389, 50636
5. What are the options available in Edge transport Server to configure?
1. Anti Spam / Anti Virus
2. Transport Rules and Accepted Domain
3. Address Rewriting
6. What are the Port setting to be done between Edge Transport Server and Hub Transport Server?
Protocols and Port setting
The following ports are opened through SCW
Port 25 – Should be opened both internally and externally, mails flow takes place with this port
Internal Port setting (Edge Transport Server to Hub Transport Server)
Port 50389 – LDAP local connection to ADAM in Edge Transport Server
Port 50686 – SLDAP (Secure Light weight Directory Access Protocol) Edge Sync Synchronization
Port 3389 – RDP optional
7. What is Edge Sync?
Edge Sync – it’s a one way replication from Hub Transport Server to Edge Transport Server, while Edge Sync happens the recipient configuration will be replicated from Active Directory to ADAM in Edge Transport Server
8. How to establish Edge Sync?
Edge sync can be established by
1. Create a Edge Subscription file from Edge Transport Server ( XML file)
New-EdgeSubscription –file “c:\edge.xml, after entering this command it will ask for confirmation type “Y”
2. Move the file to Hub Transport Server - by using a pen drive or portable media.
1. Subscribe the file in Hub Transport Server
9. What are the settings available with Edge Transport Server?
With Edge Transport Server we can have the following configuration
1. Anti Spam / Anti Virus
2. Transport Rule, Accepted Domain and Email Address Policies
3. Address Rewriting
10. What are the post installation tasks to be done in edge Transport Server?
Following are the post installation tasks that we have to do
Post Master Mailbox - create a New Post Master Mailbox which is used to receive the Non delivery reports, Postmaster can be in Edge Transport Server and also in Edge Transport Server
DNS Setting - DNS setting is the most important setting for internal and external mail flow
Internal DNS – Host record for the Edge transport server has to be created
External DNS – MX Record pointing towards Edge Transport Server should be configured
11. Hot to create a post master Mailbox?
To create a Postmaster mailbox – (Set-TransportServer “server Name “ –Externalpostmaster Address “ Mail Address” After Creating a new email address for Postmaster and running the same command Get-Transport Server will shows the postmaster Mail Address
12. What is Viruses or Trojan horse messages?
Viruses have existed in the computer world long before the first email message was sent. However, just as email provides users with an easy method of communication, it also is an extremely efficient method of spreading malicious or troublesome code. Once considered the largest problem that email administrators had to face, viruses have been combated by an entire industry devoted to their prevention.
13. What is Spam?
The proliferation of unsolicited messages, often referred to as “spam” mail, has truly become the bane of the messaging world with recent estimates stating that spam accounts for 85%–90% of the messaging traffic on the Internet today. These unsolicited, usually unwanted, and often offensive advertisements cost companies and users billions of dollars annually in lost time and productivity. Unfortunately, because sending bulk messages to thousands (or millions) of recipients can be accomplished with very little expense, offending companies do not need a large response to maintain profitability. It is sad to note that as long as this method of advertising is profitable and effective, spam will be with us to stay. Fortunately, Exchange 2007 has several features to help alleviate the problem.
14. What is Address spoofing?
One tool that is commonly used by the distributors of both viruses and spam is known as address spoofing. By changing the From line in a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) message, users can often be fooled into opening a message that they think is from a friend or co-worker, only to find that the message originated somewhere else entirely. This method has been especially effective in the distribution of email worms. Because the message appears to come from a known associate, and often has an intriguing Subject line, the unwitting recipient opens the message and, if not properly protected, becomes a distributor of the virus to others.
15. What is Phishing?
Over the past several years, a relatively new type of fraudulent email has emerged. Known as phishing, this attack comes in the form of an official looking email message, often appearing to be from a reputable organization, such as a credit card company or a large electronics retailer. The message usually contains a link that, once clicked, brings up an official looking website—often an exact replica of the official site that is being mimicked. However, the fraudulent site has one purpose, to fool you into giving away personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or Social Security numbers. With this information in hand, the offending party can steal your identity, make charges to your credit card, or otherwise profit from your loss.
16. What is Address Rewriting?
Address Rewriting Agent runs in Edge Transport Server. The main purpose of Edge Transport Server is to rewrite the Address the address to some other address. This plays an important role, consider if there are 5 Sub domain inside a forest and the entire sub domain want send mail outside with a unique address space.
17. How to create an Address Rewriting?
To create a New Address Rewrite Entry, ( New-AddressRrewriteEntry – Name “ Internal to External” – InternalAdress – “Name” ExternalAddress –“name of the external address”
18. What happen if mails come into exchange server?
Once the mail comes into the exchange server it writes the mails as transactional logs and also the same in system memory simultaneously. What the transactional log will do in the sense, it will hold the mails for a while until the mailbox database is freed up. The transactional logs are 1 MB in size and if the mail comes with size of 5 MB, the transaction log will first write the 1Mb log and creates a another transactional log, it will write the log files until the mails have completed.
19. What are the available Anti spam and Antivirus feature in Edge Transport Server?
· · Anti-Spam Stamps
· · Attachment Filtering
· · Connection Filtering
· · Content Filtering
· · Recipient Filtering
· · Sender Filtering
· · Sender ID
· · Sender Reputation
· · Safelist Aggregation
· · Spam Quarantine
20. What is connection filtering?
The Connection Filter agent is an anti-spam agent that is enabled on computers that have the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Edge Transport server role installed. The Connection Filter agent relies on the IP address of the remote server that is trying to connect to determine what action, if any, to take on an inbound message. The remote IP address is available to the Connection Filter agent as a by-product of the underlying TCP/IP connection that is required for the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) session. Because the Connection Filter agent must evaluate the IP address of the remote server that is sending the message to be effective, the Connection Filter agent is typically enabled on the Internet-facing Edge Transport server
The Connection Filter agent compares the IP address of the server that is sending a message to any of the following data stores of IP addresses:
· Administrator-defined IP Allow lists and IP Block lists
· IP Block List providers
· IP Allow List providers
21. What is recipient filtering agent?
The Recipient Filter agent relies on the RCPT TO Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) header to determine what action, if any, to take on an inbound message.
When you configure anti-spam agents on an Edge Transport server, the agents act on messages cumulatively to reduce the number of unsolicited messages that enter the organization
22. What is sender filtering?
The Sender Filter agent relies on the MAIL FROM: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) header to determine what action, if any, to take on an inbound e-mail message.
When you configure anti-spam filters on an Edge Transport server, the filters act on messages cumulatively to reduce the number of unsolicited messages that enter the enterprise
23. What is sender ID filtering?
The Sender ID agent relies on the RECEIVED Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) header and a query to the sending system’s domain name system (DNS) service to determine what action, if any, to take on an inbound message.
24. What is sender reputation?
Sender Reputation is anti-spam functionality that is enabled on computers that have the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Edge Transport server role installed to block messages according to many characteristics of the sender. Sender reputation relies on persisted data about the sender to determine what action, if any, to take on an inbound message.
25. What is safe list aggregation?
The term safelist aggregation refers to a set of anti-spam functionality that is shared across Microsoft Office Outlook and Exchange. This functionality collects data from the anti-spam Safe Recipients Lists or Safe Senders Lists and contact data that Outlook users configure and makes this data available to the anti-spam agents on the computer that has the Edge Transport server role installed. Safelist aggregation can help reduce the instances of false-positives in anti-spam filtering that is performed by the Edge Transport server
26. What is spam quarantine?
Many organizations are bound by legal or regulatory requirements to preserve or deliver all legitimate e-mail messages. In Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, spam quarantine is a feature of the Content Filter agent that reduces the risk of losing legitimate messages. Spam quarantine provides a temporary storage location for messages that are identified as spam and that should not be delivered to a user mailbox inside the organization
27. What is attachment filtering?
Attachment filtering lets you apply filters at the server level to control the attachments that users receive. Attachment filtering is increasingly important in today’s environment, where many attachments contain harmful viruses or inappropriate material that may cause significant damage to the user’s computer or to the organization as a whole by damaging important documentation or releasing sensitive information to the public.
1. What is recipient in Exchange Server 2007?
In Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, recipients are comprised of mailbox users, mail-enabled users, mail contacts, distribution groups, security groups, dynamic distribution groups, and mail-enabled public folders.
2. What is a recipient objects?
1. Mailbox-enabled recipients
2. Mail-enabled
3. Contacts
4. Resource mailbox
3. How you manage recipients in Exchange Server 2007?
In previous versions of Exchange Server, you performed recipient management tasks in Active Directory Users and Computers. In Exchange 2007, you can perform these management tasks in both the Exchange Management Console and the Exchange Management Shell. However, although you can perform all recipient management tasks in the Exchange Management Shell, only some are performed in the Exchange Management Console.
4. What are the Exchange Recipient types? Explain them?
A recipient is any mail-enabled object in the Active Directory directory service to which Exchange can deliver or route messages.
User mailbox: A mailbox that is assigned to an individual user in your Exchange organization. It typically contains messages, calendar items, contacts, tasks, documents, and other important business data.
Linked mailbox: A mailbox that is assigned to an individual user in a separate, trusted forest
Shared mailbox: A mailbox that is not primarily associated with a single user and is generally configured to allow logon access for multiple users
Legacy mailbox: A mailbox that resides on a server running Exchange Server 2003 or Exchange 2000 Server.
Resource mailboxes are mailboxes that represent conference rooms or shared equipment. Resource mailboxes can be included as resources in meeting requests, providing a simple and efficient way to utilize resources for an organization.
Two types Room and Resource Mailboxes
Room mailbox: A resource mailbox that is assigned to a meeting location, such as a conference room, auditorium, or training room. Room mailboxes can be included as resources in meeting requests, providing a simple and efficient way of organizing meetings for your users
Equipment mailboxes are assigned to a resource that is not location specific, such as a portable computer projector, microphone, or company car
5. What is a mailbox-enabled object?
Users can log on to networks and access domain resources. Users can be added to groups and appear in the global address list (GAL).
Mailbox-enabled users can send and receive messages and store messages on their Exchange server.
6. What is mail-enabled object?
Mail-enabled users can receive messages at an external e-mail address only. They cannot send or store messages on Exchange.
7. What is mail contact?
Mail contacts are mail-enabled Active Directory directory service objects that contain information about people or organizations that exist outside your Exchange organization. Mail contacts are ideal for representing people external to your Exchange organization who do not need access to any internal resources
There are two types of mail contacts in Exchange 2007: mail contacts and mail forest contacts. Mail forest contacts are read-only recipient objects that are updated only through Microsoft Identity Integration Server (MIIS) or a similar custom synchronization. You cannot remove or modify a mail forest contact by using the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell.
8. What is the difference between Mail contact and Mail user?
Mail contacts are mail-enabled Active Directory directory service objects that contain information about people or organizations that exist outside your Exchange organization. Mail contacts are ideal for representing people external to your Exchange organization who do not need access to any internal resources.
Mail users are similar to mail contacts. Both have external e-mail addresses, contain information about people outside your Exchange organization, and can be displayed in the GAL and other address lists. However, unlike a mail contact, mail users have Active Directory logon credentials and can access resources to which they are granted permission. If a person external to your organization requires access to resources on your network, you should create a mail user instead of a mail contact
9. What is a Distribution group? What are the supported distribution groups in Exchange Server 2007?
Distribution groups are mail-enabled Active Directory directory service group objects that are created to expedite the mass sending of e-mail messages and other information within an Exchange organization.
Exchange 2007 supports the following types of distribution groups:
· Mail-enabled universal distribution groups These are Active Directory distribution group objects that are mail-enabled. They can be used only to distribute messages to a group of recipients.
· Mail-enabled universal security groups These are Active Directory security group objects that are mail-enabled. They can be used to grant access permissions to resources in Active Directory and can also be used to distribute messages.
· Mail-enabled non-universal groups These are Active Directory global or local group objects that are mail-enabled. In Exchange 2007, you can create or mail-enable only universal distribution groups. You may have mail-enabled groups that were migrated from previous versions of Exchange that are not universal groups. These groups can still be managed by using the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell.
· Dynamic distribution groups These are distribution groups for which membership is based on specific recipient filters rather than a defined set of recipients. Dynamic distribution groups were called query-based distribution groups in Exchange 2003.
10. How to view the members of the Dynamic distribution Group?
Open the Exchange Management Console to preview the list of members for a dynamic distribution group that uses a pre scanned filter
1. Start the Exchange Management Console.
2. In the console tree, expand Recipient Configuration, and then click Distribution Group.
3. In the result pane, select the dynamic distribution group for which you want to preview the list of members.
4. In the action pane, under the dynamic distribution group name, click Properties.
5. In
6. Click Preview
11. What permission is required to create a recipient type?
To create a Recipient in Exchange Server 2007, you should have the following permission
· Exchange Recipient Administrator role
· Account Operator role for the applicable Active Directory containers
12. What is Microsoft Exchange recipient?
The Microsoft Exchange recipient is a special Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 recipient object that provides a unified and well-known message sender that differentiates system-generated messages from other messages. The Microsoft Exchange recipient is functionally equivalent to an internal postmaster. The Microsoft Exchange recipient replaces the “System Administrator” sender that was used for system-generated messages in earlier versions of Microsoft Exchange Server. Messages from the Microsoft Exchange recipient display “Microsoft Exchange” as the sender. The types of messages that are sent by the Microsoft Exchange recipient include the following:
· DSN messages
· Journal reports
· Quota messages
· Agent-generated messages
13. How to manage Microsoft Exchange Recipient?
The Microsoft Exchange recipient isn’t a typical recipient object, such as a mailbox, mail user, or mail contact. The Microsoft Exchange recipient isn’t managed by using the typical recipient tools that are found in Microsoft Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell. However, you can use the Set-OrganizationConfig cmdlet in the Exchange Management Shell to perform the following tasks that define the characteristics of the Microsoft Exchange recipient:
· Allow or prevent the application of the default e-mail address policy to the Microsoft Exchange recipient. By default, the default mail address policy is applied to the Microsoft Exchange recipient.
· Configure a recipient object to receive messages that are sent to the Microsoft Exchange recipient. By default, no recipient is configured to receive messages that are sent to the Microsoft Exchange recipient.
· Configure the e-mail addresses of the Microsoft Exchange recipient. This includes specifying a primary Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) address.
14. What is a Recipient scope?
Recipient scope refers to the specified portion of the Active Directory directory service hierarchy that the Exchange Management Console and the Exchange Management Shell uses for recipient management. When you set the recipient scope to a specific location within Active Directory, you can view and manage all recipients stored in that location and all of the containers under it.
15. What is MIME and MAPI?
MIME = Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions It defines non-ASCII message formats. It is a coding standard that defines the structure of E-Mails and other Internet messages. MIME is also used for declaration of content from other Internet protocols like HTTP, Desktop environments like KDE, Gnome or Mac OS X Aqua. The standard is defined in RFC 2045.
With MIME it is possible to exchange information about the type of messages (the content type) between the sender and the recipient of the message. MIME also defines the art of coding (Content-Transfer-Encoding).
MAPI = Messaging Application Programming Interface It’s the programming interface for email. It is a Microsoft Windows program interface that enables you to send e-mail from within a Windows application and attach the document you are working on to the e-mail note. Applications that take advantage of MAPI include word processors, spreadsheets, and graphics applications. MAPI-compatible applications typically include a Send Mail or Send in the File pulls down menu of the application. Selecting one of these sends a request to a MAPI server
16. What are the client options available to access the mails?
1. Outlook 2003/2007
2. Outlook web access
3. Outlook Mobile access
4. Outlook voice access
5. IMAP4/POP3
17. What is OWA?
OWA is to access the mail via browser from outside the corporate network. The Outlook Web Access (OWA) client is now nearly indistinguishable from the full Outlook client. The one major component missing is offline capability, but nearly every other Outlook functionality is part of OWA.
18. What is Exchange Active sync?
ActiveSync provides for synchronized access to email from a handheld device, such as a Pocket PC or other Windows Mobile device. It allows for real-time send and receives functionality to and from the handheld, through the use of push technology.
19. What is Outlook Anywhere?
Outlook Anywhere (previously known as RPC over HTTP) is a method by which a full Outlook client can dynamically send and receive messages directly from an Exchange server over an HTTP or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) web connection. This allows for virtual private network (VPN)–free access to Exchange data, over a secured HTTPS connection.
20. What is POP3?
The Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) is a legacy protocol that is supported in Exchange 2007. POP3 enables simple retrieval of mail data via applications that use the POP3 protocol. Mail messages, however, cannot be sent with POP3 and must use the SMTP engine in Exchange. By default, POP3 is not turned on and must be explicitly activated.
21. What is IMAP4?
Legacy Interactive Mail Access Protocol (IMAP) access to Exchange is also available, which can enable an Exchange server to be accessed via IMAP applications, such as some UNIX mail clients. As with the POP3 protocol, IMAP support must be explicitly turned on.
22. What is RPC over HTTP?
The RPC over HTTP protocol allows your full Outlook 2003 MAPI clients to connect to Exchange 2003 Servers using HTTP/HTTPS. This solves the problem remote Outlook 2003 users have when located behind restrictive firewalls.
By using RPC over HTTP, users no longer have to use a virtual private network (VPN) connection to connect to Exchange mailboxes. Users who are running Outlook 2003 on client computers can connect to an Exchange server in a corporate environment from the Internet. The Windows RPC over HTTP feature enables an RPC client such as Outlook 2003 to establish connections across the Internet by tunneling the RPC traffic over HTTP.
23. What are the requirements to use RPC over HTTP?
Server Requirement
RPC over HTTP/S requires Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003. RPC over HTTP/S also requires Windows Server 2003 in a Global Catalog role.
Client Requirement
The client computer must be running Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later.
The client computer must be running Microsoft Office Outlook 2003.
24. What is the procedure to configure RPC over HTTP?
Verify that your server computer and your client computer meet the requirements to use RPC over HTTP/S.
· Configure Exchange to use RPC over HTTP/S.
· Configure the RPC virtual directory in Internet Information Services.
· Configure the RPC proxy server to use specific ports.
· Configure your client computers to use RPC over HTTP/S
25. What are the mailbox permissions available in Exchange Server 2007?
You can configure the following mailbox permissions:
· · Full Access
· · External Account
· · Delete Item
· · Read Permission
· · Change Permission
· · Change Owner
In addition to the standard Active Directory permissions that you can configure on any user object, you can grant permissions that apply only to mailbox-enabled users. These additional permission settings are known as extended rights. You can configure the following extended rights for a mailbox-enabled user in Active Directory:
· · Send As
· · Receive As
· · View Information Store Status
26. What is catch-all mailbox?
A catch-all mailbox is typically a mailbox in your organization that is used to collect all of the e-mail messages that are sent to your organization. Depending on your preferences, the catch-all mailbox may receive all messages or only messages that are sent to mailboxes that do not exist. Transport rules on Edge Transport servers are used to copy or redirect messages that are received by your organization to the catch-all mailbox.
1. What is high availability in Exchange Server 2007?
The basic premise of the Exchange 2007 high availability architecture is to introduce redundancy into the deployment. A failure is recovered using the remaining computing resources to support the Exchange services. As the failures are repaired, computing resources are again available to Exchange and its clients. In this context, the computing resources may be computers or storage for mailbox or other Exchange data.
2. What are the uses of high availability features available in Exchange Server 2007?
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 includes built-in features that can provide quick recovery, high availability, and site resiliency for Exchange Server 2007 Mailbox servers.
3. What are the high availability features available in Exchange Server 2007 for Mailbox server role?
1. Local continuous replication
2. Cluster Continues Replication
3. Standby Continuous Replication
4. Single Copy Cluster
4. What is LCR?
LCR is a single-server solution that uses built-in asynchronous log shipping technology to create and maintain a copy of a storage group on a second set of disks that are connected to the same server as the production storage group. LCR provides log shipping, log replay, and a quick manual switch to a secondary copy of the data.
5. What do you know about LCR?
1. Provides data redundancy without service redundancy·
2. Partition data for performance and recovery·
3. Ensure sufficient disk space,
4. CPU and memory resources should be considered
6. What is SCR?
SCR is a new feature introduced in Exchange 2007 SP1. As its name implies, SCR is designed for scenarios that use or enable the use of standby recovery servers. SCR extends the existing continuous replication features and enables new data availability scenarios for Exchange 2007 Mailbox servers. SCR uses the same log shipping and replay technology used by LCR and CCR to provide added deployment options and configurations. SCR can be used to replicate data from stand-alone Mailbox servers and clustered mailbox servers.
7. What is the function of source server in SCR?
The starting point for SCR is called the source, which is any storage group on any of the following:
· A stand-alone Mailbox server
· A clustered mailbox server in a single copy cluster (SCC)
· A clustered mailbox server in a CCR environment
As with LCR and CCR, SCR-enabled storage groups cannot contain more than one database. You cannot enable SCR for a storage group that contains more than one database, and you cannot add a second or subsequent database to an SCR-enabled storage group
SCR Source Server holds the active copy of Mailbox database
8. What is the function of Target Server in SCR?
The endpoint for SCR is called the target, and the target can be either of the following:
· A stand-alone Mailbox server that does not have LCR enabled for any storage group
· A passive node in a failover cluster where the Mailbox role is installed, but no clustered mailbox server has been installed in the cluster
An SCR target computer must have the Mailbox server role installed, even if it does not host production mailboxes. The Mailbox server role is required because it includes the Microsoft Exchange Replication Service and other components necessary for SCR functionality
The Target Server holds the passive copy of Mailbox database
1. What are the conditions to have target Server?
The Target server may be,
A stand-alone Mailbox server that does not have LCR enabled for any storage group
A passive node in a failover cluster where the Mailbox role is installed, but no clustered mailbox server has been installed in the cluster
10. Explain the functionality of SCR?
SCR is designed for scenarios that use or enable the use of standby recovery servers. SCR extends the existing continuous replication features found in the release to manufacturing (RTM) version of Exchange Server 2007 and enables new data availability scenarios for Mailbox servers running SP1. SCR uses the same log shipping and replay technology used by local continuous replication (LCR) and cluster continuous replication (CCR) to provide added deployment options and configurations
11. What is CCR?
CCR is a clustered solution that uses built-in asynchronous log shipping technology to create and maintain a storage group copy on a second server. CCR is designed to be either a one or two datacenter solution, providing both high availability and site resilience.
12. What is Witness File Share?
It is a new type of Majority Node Set (MNS) quorum in Windows Server 2003. In Exchange Server 2007, cluster continuous replication (CCR) uses the MNS quorum with file share witness instead of the traditional voter node.
This feature lets you use a file share that is external to the cluster as an additional vote to determine the status of the cluster in a two-node MNS quorum cluster deployment.
The file share witness uses a file share on a computer outside the cluster to act as a witness to the activities of the two nodes that are the cluster. The witness is used by the two nodes to track which node is in control of the cluster. The note board is only required when the two nodes cannot communicate with each other
13. What are the advantages of CCR over LCR?
· Has no single point of failure.
· Has no special hardware requirements
· Has no shared storage requirements
· Can be deployed in one or two datacenter configurations
· Can reduce full backup frequency, reduce total backed up data volume, and shorten the service level agreement (SLA) for recovery time from first failure.
14. What is SCC?
SCC is a clustered solution that uses a single copy of a storage group on storage that is shared between the nodes in the cluster. SCC is very similar to clustering in previous versions of Exchange Server, with some significant changes and improvements
15. Explain the high availability options for client Access Server Role?
You can use Network Load Balancing or a third-party hardware-based network load-balancing device for Client Access server high availability. For more information about Network Load Balancing
16. Explain the high availability options for Hub Transport Server Role?
You can deploy multiple Hub Transport servers for internal transport high availability. Resiliency has been designed into the Hub Transport, as well as the Mail Submission Service on Mailbox servers, for deployment of multiple Hub Transport servers. In Exchange 2007 SP1, you can also use NLB for the client connectors on Hub Transport servers.
17. Explain the high availability options for Edge Transport Server Role?
You can deploy multiple Edge Transport servers and use multiple DNS Mail Exchanger (MX) records to load balance activity across those servers
18. Explain the high availability options for Unified Messaging Server Role?
Unified Messaging deployments can be made more resilient by deploying multiple Unified Messaging servers where two or more are in a single dial plan. The VoIP gateways supported by Unified Messaging can be configured to route calls to Unified Messaging servers in a round-robin fashion. In addition these gateways can retrieve the list of servers for a dial plan from DNS. In either case, the VOIP gateways will present a call to a Unified Messaging server and if the call is not accepted, the call will be presented to another server, providing redundancy at the time the call is established.
19. What the requirements to configure SCR?
SCR allows an Exchange Admin to replicate a copy of Storage Group to a number of remote servers. Microsoft recommends a max of 4 target machines.
An SCR Source can be an LCR, CCR, SCC, or Stand alone mailbox server but requires only 1 Database per Storage Group which is already a requirement for LCR and CCR.
The target can be on the same subnet or in a remote datacenter unlike CCR which currently requires both nodes be on the same subnet
1. The paths must be the same for both machines
– If source server is c:\Server1\Data and C:\Server1\Logs then these paths must be available on the target server.
2. There is a hard coded 50 log lag between the Source and Target
– by default there is a 24 hour replay time which is configurable.
3. There can be only 1 database per storage group
4. The target server must have Exchange mailbox role installed, if this is a cluster it will be install as a passive node.
5. The target server must be in the same Active Directory domain
1. What are the requirements to configure LCR?
LCR does not have any special storage requirements. Any type of storage that is supported by Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 can be used with LCR, including direct attached storage, serially attached SCSI, and Internet SCSI (iSCSI)
21. What the requirements to configure CCR?
To setup a CCR-based cluster, the following are required
Software Requirements
· Windows 2003 Active Directory forest with at least one domain controller raised to windows 2003 forest functional level
· Two windows 2003 server R2 Enterprise Edition or windows server 2003 sp1 standard or enterprise edition
· One windows file share witness, which is recommended to be an exchange 2007 Hub transport Server in the existing Exchange organization; note the CCR-based cluster don’t use a shared quorum as traditional clusters do
· A cluster Service account in the Active directory forest
Hardware requirements
· Two NIC installed in each node, one for the public and one for the private cluster network
· Extra sets of disks or a DAS, SAN or Serial SCSI solution to hold the database and transactional log files
Other Requirements
· Only one database per storage group
· You cannot create public folder database in a CCR environment if you already have one
· Microsoft recommends the no more 30 storage groups and databases on clustered mailbox server
· The cluster on which Exchange Server 2007 is installed cannot contain Exchange Server 2000/2003 or any version of MS SQL server. Running Exchange Server 2007 in a cluster with any of these other application is simply not supported
22. What the requirements to configure SCC?
Windows 2003 Active Directory forest with at least one domain controller raised to windows 2003 forest functional level
Two windows 2003 server R2 Enterprise Edition or windows server 2003 sp1 standard or enterprise edition
At least one existing HT server, which is recommended to be an exchange 2007 Hub transport Server in the existing Exchange organization
Two machine with two NICS to create a Public and private network
23. Compare SCR with LCR and CCR?
SCR supports multiple replication targets per storage group. LCR and CCR support only one replication target per storage group (the passive copy).
SCR includes a built-in delay for replay activity, and it enables an administrator to specify an additional delay. This is useful in a variety of scenarios. For example, in the event of logical corruption of an active database, the built-in and additional administrator-configured delay could be used to prevent logical corruption of an SCR target database. LCR and CCR have no such delays.
SCR is completely managed using the Exchange Management Shell. The Exchange Management Console can be used to manage many aspects of LCR and CCR, but it cannot be used to enable or manage any aspects of SCR
You cannot back up an SCR target copy. LCR and CCR support backups from both the active and passive copy. SCR supports backups of the SCR source only
24. What is Replaylagtime and TruncationLagTime?
Replaylagtime - Time that the Microsoft Exchange Replication Service should wait before replaying logs. Default is 24 hours and max time is 7 days.
TruncationLagTime - Amount of time Microsoft Exchange Replication Service waits before truncating log files that have been copied to the target
25. What is seeding?
Seeding is the process whereby a database is added to a storage group copy, this can be a blank database or a copy of the database the storage group uses as the production database. When you enable the LCR on a storage group using the EMC, seeding normally takes place automatically.
26. Will seeding happens automatically? Then why should we care about it?
Seeding normally takes place automatically, in some situations manual seeding is required.
· After you have performed an offline defragmentation of the production database belonging to the storage group for which you have enabled LCR
· When exchange detects corrupted log, which the Microsoft Exchange Replication Service cannot replay into the database copy
· After a page scrubbing of a database on the active node in a CCR setup occurs, and you want to propagate these seeding
27. Explain the LCR operation?
The database type Exchange uses is Extensible Storage Engine (ESE). ESE employs transactional log files, which means that every time a modification is made, a transactional log file is generated (instead of the change being committed directly to database). This process is to make exchange always able to recover the lost data, which is in memory by using log files.
Each log file that is generated because of a modification in the database belonging to the active copy of the Storage is replicated from the source log folder to the target log folder associated with the passive copy of the storage group. This is not the entire truth, because each log file is first copied to an inspector log folder located beneath the target folder, where it is inspected to make sure it is correct. If it is not correct it will be re copied. Finally the file is copied to the target log folder and from there replayed into the database belonging to the passive copy of the Storage Group
A new Exchange Server 2007 service called the Microsoft Exchange Replication Service will be installed on any Exchange Server 2007 servers with the mailbox server role installed. These are responsible for replicating the log files to the target log folder
28. What is suspending in LCR? And how to achieve it?
Suspending LCR means that all log file shipping as well as log file replaying is halted.
Suspending LCR is a straight forward process, it is done by selected the respective Storage group in the EMC, and then clicking the Suspend Local Continuous replication in the Action pane.
29. What is log file shipping and log file replaying?
Log File Shipping
Log shipping allows you to automatically send transaction log backups from a primary database on a primary server instance to one or more secondary databases on separate secondary server instances. The transaction log backups are applied to each of the secondary databases individually. An optional third server instance, known as the monitor server, records the history and status of backup and restores operations and, optionally, raises alerts if these operations fail to occur as scheduled.
Log shipping consists of three operations:
1. Back up the transaction log at the primary server instance.
2. Copy the transaction log file to the secondary server instance.
3. Restore the log backup on the secondary server instance.
Log file replay
The transactional logs are generated on the active node are replicated to the information store on the passive node using log file shipping. These replicated log files are then posted into the databases on the passive node using the log file replay technology, this means that should the active node or a database on this node fails or for some other reason go offline, an automatic failover to the passive node will occur. Hence the passive node becomes the active node, the replication of log file will happen from the new active node to passive node.
30. Explain the CCR operation?
With CCR, the transactional logs are generated on the active node are replicated to the information store on the passive node using log file shipping. These replicated log files are then posted into the databases on the passive node using the log file replay technology, this means that should the active node or a database on this node fails or for some other reason go offline, an automatic failover to the passive node will occur. Hence the passive node becomes the active node, the replication of log file will happen from the new active node to passive node.
31. Explain the SCC operation?
SCC is more or less identical to the traditional active/passive clusters we know from the previous version of Exchange. This means that a SCC-based cluster only provides service failover and still has a single point of failure when it comes to databases, unless a shared storage solution that provides redundancy in other means is used in the environment. An SCC cluster using fault tolerant SAN is much more expensive than a CCR solution
An SCC is basically a clustered mailbox server that consists of two or more servers that share the same storage for database and log files. The shared storage subsystem is basically a SAN
32. What is the advantage of CCR over SCC?
Deploying CCR instead of SCC has several advantages,
· you no longer have a single point of failure regarding database
· Unlike SCC, CCR doesn’t require a shared storage subsystem such as SAN, because the nodes in a CCR don’t share the same disk
· You have the option of spanning the CCR between two locations
33. How many databases can I have in each storage group when I’m using either LCR or CCR?
You can only have one database in each storage group when using either LCR or CCR. In addition, you cannot have more than one Public Folder database in the organization if you want to replicate a public folder database using CCR technology
34. Explain LCR, CCR and SCR in short?
LCR requires that database replicas are stored locally; CCR lets you store database replicas on a different server that must exist in the same subnet as the primary database server. With this, you can have only one replica.
SCR allows your primary mailbox server (source) to replicate its database to multiple standby servers (targets). These target servers can exist on your LAN, but that isn’t necessary. The subnet limitation doesn’t apply to SCR.
35. What is a Standby Cluster?
A standby cluster is a Windows cluster that matches a production Exchange cluster in terms of hardware and software configuration, including Windows and Exchange versions and any updates or hot fixes that have been applied. In addition, a standby cluster has the Exchange program files installed but has not yet been configured with any Exchange Virtual Servers (EVS). Lastly, a standby cluster can only be used when all Exchange Virtual Servers on the production cluster are offline.
36. Will the standby cluster works with Exchange Server 2007?
The answer is no, but then it’s really not that useful anymore, since Exchange 2007 gives us the ability to recover an Exchange 2007 cluster using the new Exsetup/RecoverCMS switch (which is similar to the /DisasterRecovery switch we know from previous versions of Exchange).
Really Nice collection of questions. few are repeated but overall good one.
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