subject: exchange: maio 2008

30 de maio de 2008

Leitura de fim-de-semana

Update para Outlook 2007 permite suportar formato iCalendar

A Microsoft disponibilizou o update for Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 (KB950219) que introduz melhorias de compatibilidade com o formato Internet calendaring (iCalendar) e com servidores IMAP em geral.

Overview
This update extends Outlook 2007’s support for the iCalendar standards. The update also improves Outlook 2007’s compatibility with some IMAP e-mail servers.
This update adds support for the following iCalendar features:

Propose New Time for iCalendar Meetings: Users can now respond to a meeting invitation received in iCalendar format with a proposal for a new meeting time.
Extended Yearly Recurrence: Supports recurrence patterns for appointments or meetings that recur every N years, where N is greater than or equal to 1.

This update also includes miscellaneous improvements to IMAP compatibility.

Aqui fica o link para o correspondente artigo da Knowledge Base: An update is available for Outlook 2007 that improves Internet Calendar functionality and improves compatibility with IMAP servers.

29 de maio de 2008

Exchange Server Error Code Look-up

A Microsoft disponibilizou uma versão actualizada (v6.0.4011.0) da ferramenta Exchange Server Error Code Look-up.

Overview
Use the Error Code Lookup tool to determine error values from decimal and hexadecimal error codes in Microsoft Windows® operating systems. The tool can look up one or more values at a time. All values on the command line will be looked up in Exchange’s internal tables and presented to you. If available, informational data associated with the value or values will also be shown.

Aqui ficam 2 exemplos do output desta ferramenta:

C:\temp\Err>err 0x8004010f
# for hex 0x8004010f / decimal -2147221233 :
ecNotFound                                     ec.h
ecAttachNotFound                               ec.h
ecUnknownRecip                                 ec.h
ecPropNotExistent                              ec.h
MAPI_E_NOT_FOUND                         mapicode.h
# 5 matches found for "0x8004010f"

C:\temp\Err>Err.exe -528
# for decimal -528 / hex 0xfffffdf0 :
JET_errMissingLogFile esent98.h
# /* Current log file missing */
# 1 matches found for "-528"

O site TechRepublic tem um excelente artigo sobre esta matéria: Quickly identify problems using the Exchange Error Code Look-up tool.

Webcasts de Exchange em Junho 2008

Informação tirado do blog da Eileen Brown:

TechNet Webcast: Forefront Security for Exchange Deployment Best Practices (Level 300)
Tuesday, June 03, 2008 - 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Pacific Time
Mike Chan, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft Corporation
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032377121&Culture=en-US

MSDN Webcast: Building Asynchronous Contextual Collaboration with Exchange Web Services (Level 300)
Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific Time
Chris Mayo, Technical Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032378675&Culture=en-US

Momentum Webcast: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Mailbox Role Memory Characterization Using HP BladeSystem (Level 200)
Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Stuart Ladd, System Engineer, HP
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032378658&Culture=en-US

MSDN Webcast: Behind the Scenes with Communications Server 2007, Communicator 2007, and Exchange Server 2007 (Level 300)
Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Pacific Time
Chris Mayo, Technical Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032378646&Culture=en-US

28 de maio de 2008

Outlook 2007 demos

A Microsoft disponibilizou algumas demos de Outlook 2007. Passados estes meses desde que comecei a utilizar o Outlook 2007, ainda há tanto para aprender!

Work with SharePoint calendars: Multiple calendars giving you multiple headaches? Stop juggling back and forth and start seeing your calendars all together — in Outlook 2007. When you link your calendar from a Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 site to Outlook 2007, you can view and work with the SharePoint calendar right alongside your Outlook calendar. When you make changes in one calendar, the two calendars are synchronized automatically. You can overlay the calendars to make viewing your complete schedule even easier. You can download the demo here any time you like.
Stay on top of things with Outlook flags: Don't play catch-up — let Outlook flags help you keep up. Flags are colorful reminders for items you need to follow up on, whether tasks, messages, or contacts. Outlook 2007 offers several options for setting flags to complement the way you work. Flags can give you pop-up reminders and they also appear in the To-Do Bar, where you can easily see what actions you need to take each day. The demo shows you how to get started using flags and stay on top of your job. You can download the demo here any time you like.
Add creativity to your e-mail: You can make your e-mail messages stand out with a few touches from the tools in Outlook 2007. Go from plain white to exciting with eye-catching features like page colors and textures, shading styles, and shapes. You can apply WordArt styles like shadows or 3-D, as well as highlighting and font colors. While you experiment with various graphic effects, you'll see instant previews of your choices in the e-mail message. Watch the demo for quick tips on adding fresh looks to your e-mail! You can download the demo here any time you like.
3 ways to share your Outlook Calendar with others: Sharing calendars can make it easier to collaborate with people both inside and outside your company. This demo shows you three ways that Outlook 2007 offers for sharing your calendar. If your company uses Microsoft Exchange Server, you can share your calendar within the organization by using that feature. You can also send a snapshot of your calendar in e-mail to people outside your company. And you can publish your calendar on the Microsoft Office Online Web site and restrict how much detail is shown and who can access it. You can download the demo here any time you like.
Take inches off your workspace with the updated Navigation Pane: Are you using the Outlook 2007 Navigation Pane as your communications launching pad — where you can get to your most important folders and views with just a click or two? This demo shows you how to change the size of the pane to free up more space, customize the buttons and icons so you see what you want first, and arrange the folders for your convenience. You'll also see how easily you can change the organization whenever you want. Watch the demo and see how to make the Navigation Pane work better for you. You can download the demo here any time you like.

Microsoft Online Migration Toolkit

A Microsoft está verdadeiramente empenhada na promoção dos seus serviços online.

O Microsoft Online Migration Toolkit é composto por alguns materiais que pretendem auxiliar o planeamento da migração de uma infra-estrutura Exchange Server para os serviços Exchange Online. O toolkit inlcui vários documentos, tais como: project plan, communication plan, tracking spreadsheet, procedures, e-mail templates, Known Issues e FAQ.

Aqui fica um excerto do Migration Project Checklist:

Planning

Identify migration project manager.
Build migration project team.
Build migration Support team.
Develop migration project plan.
Develop migration procedures.
Develop migration communication plan.
Develop migration tracking process.

Pre-Migration

Configure Microsoft® Online for your organization.
Establish e-mail coexistence.
Establish directory synchronization.
Validate your migration plan and procedures.
Communicate.
Qualify people for migration.
Identify and track people to be migrated.
Users perform Before Migration procedures.

Migration Day

Activate the Microsoft Online accounts.
Migrate mailbox content.
Perform post migration validation.
Send Welcome communication.

Post Migration

Users perform After Migration procedures.
Users complete post-migration survey.
Delete local Microsoft Exchange Server mailboxes.
Enable incoming e-mail.

A Microsoft espera que metade das mailboxes de Exchange migrem para um modelo hosted durante os póximos 5 anos.

25 de maio de 2008

Leitura de fim-de-semana

23 de maio de 2008

Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter

A Slipstick Systems foi fundada em 1994 pela Sue Mosher, MVP de Outlook, e é hoje gerido pela Diane Poremsky, também MVP de Outlook.

Em 1996 decidiram criar a Exchange Messaging Outlook (EMO) newsletter, dedicada ao Microsoft Exchange Server. Esta newsletter pode ser subscrita na página principal do site, mas o mais interssante é que todos os números anteriores podem ser consultados desde a primeira edição (Abril, 1996).

Sabem quais eram os destaques em Agosto de 1996?

Where has Sue been?
Windows NT 4.0 released
Exchange Service Pack 2 released*
Exchange Deployment Conference
Technet tools for Exchange
The Boldon James Microsoft Exchange Client Auto Correlator
Address export client extension
Exchange on the Digital Bookshelf
Internet Mail (and News) and Exchange

*Estamos a falar de um SP para o Exchange 4.5!!!

21 de maio de 2008

PowerShell Scriptomatic

Conhecem o Scriptomatic, a ferramenta que escreve scripts de WMI? É que existe uma nova versão da mesma, Windows PowerShell Scriptomatic, que tem as mesmas funcionalidades, mas em que o resultado são scripts de PowerShell.

Agora já podem utilizar mais frequentemente o WMI para gerir o Exchange Server.

Overview
A new utility that writes Windows PowerShell scripts that harness the power of WMI (Windows Instrumentation Management) for use in system management and administration. This tool was created by Microsoft consultant and author Ed Wilson.

System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2003; Windows Server 2008; Windows Vista; Windows XP
Requires Windows PowerShell 1.0 or later to run the scripts created by the Scriptomatic.

16 de maio de 2008

Leitura de fim-de-semana

Quick Reference for Outlook Voice Access

A Microsoft disponibilizou a versão 3 do documento Quick Reference for Outlook Voice Access.

Brief Description
This download contains a quick reference sheet that can be used when navigating the menu system found in Outlook Voice Access.

Overview
Outlook Voice Access lets UM-enabled users to access their Exchange 2007 mailbox using analog, digital, or cellular telephones. By using the menu system found in Outlook Voice Access, UM-enabled users can read e-mail, listen to voice messages, and interact with their Outlook calendar. This quick reference sheet shows the navigational tree and the options that are available to UM-enabled users when they are using Outlook Voice Access.

13 de maio de 2008

TechNet Magazine - Junho 2008

A edição de Junho da TechNet Magazine já está disponível online ou, se preferirem, podem fazer o download do ficheiro HTML Help (.chm) para leitura em offline.

Este número é inteiramente dedicado à segurança.

Para quem o interesse são sobretudo artigos relacionados com o Exchange Server, posso recomendar apenas estes 2:

Secure E-Mail Using Digital Certificates - Secure Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extensions let you hide information in transit, validate senders, and authenticate messages. Learn how to secure e-mail using digital certificates and how to troubleshoot problems you may encounter on your S/MIME system. Matt Clapham and Blake Hutchinson
Looking Good - Discover how the object-oriented nature of Windows PowerShell allows you to apply formatting to its output. Don Jones

Actualização do filtro Junk Email do Outlook (Maio 2008)

Está disponível uma nova actualização para o filtro Junk E-mail do Outlook 2003/2007.

"This update provides the Junk E-mail Filter in Microsoft Office Outlook with a more current definition of which e-mail messages should be considered junk e-mail."

O download está disponível para as versões Outlook 2003 e Outlook 2007, ou através do Microsoft Update. Como é habitual, está acompanhado pelo respectivo artigo da Knowledge Base:

12 de maio de 2008

Slides da conferência Exchange Connections

Devin Ganger, Exchange MVP e technical writer da 3Sharp, disponibilizou recentemente os slides das suas apresentações na Conferência Exchange Connections 2008.

Aqui ficam os respectivos links. Como bónus, incluí também os slides da conferência anterior.

9 de maio de 2008

Leitura de fim-de-semana

Novos white papers de Exchange

Hoje é dia de "Leitura de fim-de-semana", mas para aperitivo gostaria de recomendar estes 2 novos white papers de Exchange:

Understanding Client Throttling: RPC Client Throttling is a new feature in Exchange Server 2007. It helps to prevent client applications from affecting overall server performance, allowing administrators to better manage the end-user performance experience
White Paper: Outlook Anywhere Scalability with Outlook 2007, Outlook 2003, and Exchange 2007: This white paper provides an analysis of the scalability of the Outlook Anywhere feature for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, and Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, and an analysis of expected client network traffic between enterprise e-mail clients and Exchange Server 2007 SP1 in non-Outlook Anywhere scenarios.

Para uma lista mais detalhada dos novos conteúdos técnicos de Exchange, leiam este post no blog You Had Me At EHLO: Exchange Server Documentation Updates - May 2008.

8 de maio de 2008

Update Rollup 2 for Exchange Server 2007 SP1 (KB948016)

O Update Rollup 2 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB948016) está disponível para download.

Overview
Update Rollup 2 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) resolves issues that were found in Exchange Server 2007 SP1 since the software was released. This update rollup is highly recommended for all Exchange Server 2007 SP1 customers.

For a list of changes that are included in this update rollup, see KB948016.

This update rollup does not apply to Exchange Server 2007 Release To Manufacturing (RTM). For a list of update rollups applicable to Exchange Server 2007 RTM, refer to the section Update rollups for Exchange Server 2007 RTM in the Knowledge Base article KB937052.

This is a cumulative update rollup and replaces the following:

KB945684 Update Rollup 1 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB945684)

System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-Bit x86); Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 editions; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 x64 Edition; Windows Server 2008; Windows Vista; Windows XP Service Pack 2
Exchange Server 2007 SP1 must be installed prior to installing this update rollup.
This update rollup cannot be installed if you are using Exchange Server 2007 RTM.
Any Interim Updates for Exchange Server 2007 must be uninstalled prior to installing this update rollup.
32-bit editions of Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server 2003 R2 with SP2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista and Windows XP with SP2 are only supported for Exchange Server 2007 management tools.

Exchange Server 2007 Management Tools (32-Bit)

Embora o Exchange Server 2007 só seja suportado em plataformas de 64 bit, isso não quer dizer que não possa ser gerido a partir de sistemas operativos de 32 bit (incluindo Vista!). Para tal, é apenas necessário utilizar as Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Management Tools (32-Bit), que foram recentemente actualizadas para a versão 685.25.

Brief Description
Exchange Server 2007 is a native 64-bit application that includes 64-bit management tools. You can use the management tools to administer your Exchange Server environment remotely. If the remote computer is running a 32-bit operating system, you will need to download the 32-bit management tools.

Overview
The Exchange management tools include the Exchange Management Console, the Exchange Management Shell, the Exchange Help file, the Microsoft Exchange Best Practices Analyzer Tool, and the Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant Tool.
The new Exchange Management Console (formerly named Exchange System Manager) provides Exchange administrators with a graphical user interface (GUI) to manage the configuration of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 organizations. For more information about the improvements to the Exchange Management Console, see New Administration Functionality in the Exchange Management Console.
The Exchange Management Shell is a new Exchange-specific command-line interface based on Microsoft Windows PowerShell, formerly codenamed “Monad”. You can use the Exchange Management Shell to run a single command or a series of multiple commands for managing your Exchange Server 2007 servers and objects. For more information about the Exchange Management Shell, see Using the Exchange Management Shell.

6 de maio de 2008

You cannot resume setup by performing the action "BuildtoBuildUpgrade"

Recentemente tomei 2 importantes decisões no que respeita ao meu ambiente de testes:

Mover todas as VMs para Hyper-V;
Instalar o Exchange 2007 SP1.

A transição para Hyper-V é relativamente simples:

Remover as VM Additions;
Criar uma nova VM em Hyper-V VM, utilizando o VHD prévio.

Os problemas começaram quando iniciei a instalação do Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1. Ao lançar o Setup, e após a verificação dos pré-requisitos, recebi um aviso que deveria primeiro instalar o .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 (como pude esquecer-me das minhas próprias recomendações?), pelo que interrompi o processo.

Instalado o referido update, retomei o setup, mas desta vez fui presenteado com o seguinte erro:

Setup previously failed while performing the action "install". You cannot resume setup by performing the action "BuildtoBuildUpgrade"

O artigo KB947281 da Knowledge Base da Microsoft descreve este problema e apresenta uma solução. Infelizmente, o artigo está um pouco incompleto. A solução descrita passa por apagar os valores Watermark e Action que poderão estar numa destas chaves de Registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\v8.0\ClientAccessRole
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\v8.0\HubTransportRole
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\v8.0\MailboxRole

No meu caso particular, para ultrapassar a situação, os valores Watermark e Action encontravam-se na chave HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\v8.0\UnifiedMessagingRole.

A solução completa deverá ser, portanto, a remoção dos valores Watermark e Action, que poderão estar em qualquer uma destas chaves:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\v8.0\ClientAccessRole

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\v8.0\HubTransportRole

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\v8.0\MailboxRole

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\v8.0\UnifiedMessagingRole

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\v8.0\ClusteredMailboxServer

5 de maio de 2008

Visio - Exchange Server Connector

Está disponível para download o Visio - Exchange Server Connector.

Brief Description
This Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Connector is an add-in for Microsoft Office Visio 2007 that you can use to diagram a Microsoft Exchange Server site topology, including sites, servers, and connections for an organization.

Overview
Although Exchange Management are invaluable tools for managing, monitoring and administer networks, computers, services, and other system components. It does not provide a graphical view of user mailbox details. The administrator has to sift through a tree view and use embedded data to figure out the details
Microsoft Management Console (MMC) hosts administrative tools that you can use to administer networks, computers, services, and other system components. Exchange Management Console and Exchange Management Shell are used to administer and configure specific settings for Mailbox servers and create and manage Mailbox objects.
The Mailbox server role hosts mailbox databases, which contain users' mailboxes. If you plan to host user mailboxes or public folders, or both, the Mailbox server role is required.
Administrators have to sift through a tree view to view the members of the Distribution group in an organization unit.
The Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Connector makes it easy for Exchange administrators to visualize, explore, and communicate complex information. Instead of viewing single user data at a time, administrators can create data-connected Visio diagrams that display data at a glance and dramatically increase productivity.
The Microsoft Office Visio 2007 Connector is an add-in for Microsoft Office Visio 2007 that you can use to diagram a Microsoft Exchange Server site topology, including sites, servers, and connections for an organization.