Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Beta 2

Agora que a versão Beta do Exchange Server 2010 está disponível publicamente, é bom saber que também já podemos contar com o seu par perfeito no que toca a segurança, o Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Beta 2 também está disponível para download.

“Forefront Security for Exchange Server (FSE) provides fast and effective protection against malware and spam by including multiple scanning engines from industry-leading security partners in a single solution. This second public beta of the next generation of FSE provides customers with updates to the easy-to-use interface, further integration with the Stirling management console, additional scanning and filtering options, new monitoring features, and antispam protection. Future versions will provide additional features and enhancements.”

Todos os conteúdos técnicos, instruções de instalação e outra informação relevante está disponível nos seguintes links:

• Announcing the beta 2 public release of Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Server
• Introducing Forefront Security for Exchange Beta 2 Antispam Technologies
• New documentation for FSE and FSSP beta 2 releases
• Protect E-Mail with Forefront Security

Microsoft Office SP2 disponível para download!

O 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 2 (SP2) foi disponibilizado ontem, por isso despachem-se a fazer o download do ficheiro de 290MB!

Overview
The 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 2 (SP2) provides customers with the latest updates to the 2007 Office suite (the products that are affected by this update are listed below). This download includes two types of fixes:

• Previously unreleased fixes that were made specifically for this service pack.
  • In addition to general product fixes, this includes improvements in stability, performance, and security.
  • You can find out more information in Knowledge Base Article 953195, where product-specific changes are described.
• All of the Public Updates, Security Updates, Cumulative Updates, and Hotfixes released through February 2009.

Before installing this service pack, you are strongly encouraged to read 953195, which describes some big improvements introduced by SP2, and also calls out some important information that you should be aware of before installing.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you attempt to install this update and get a message saying that the update failed, please refer to Knowledge Base Article 968173. It describes a set of requirements and other issues that may cause the installation to fail, and gives instructions on how to fix them.
Install SP2 for Other Office Products
If you have other Office products installed, please be sure to update them as well. A full list of SP2 releases for Office products is available in the Knowledge Base Article 968170.
To Remove this Download
Service Pack 2 is the first service pack to support uninstall of client patches through both the command line and the use of the Microsoft Service Pack Uninstall Tool. The Service Pack Uninstall Tool is available as a separate download. For more information about this tool, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 954914.

Mas para mim, e certamente para a maioria dos leitores deste blog, as novidades mais interessantes são as relacionadas com o Outlook. Aqui fica um resumo das melhorias introduzidas no Outlook, retirado do KB 953195:

Microsoft Office Outlook

• Performance improvements that apply to the following general responsiveness areas:
  • Startup - Removes lengthy operations from initial startup.
  • Shutdown - Makes Outlook exit predictably despite pending activities.
  • Folder View and Switch - Improves view rendering and folder switching.
• Calendar improvements
  Improves underlying data structures and the general reliability of calendar updates.
• Data file checks
  Greatly reduces the number of scenarios in which you receive the following error message when you start Outlook: The data file 'file name' was not closed properly. This file is being checked for problems.
• Search reliability
  Improves search reliability when you use SP2 with Windows Desktop Search 4.
• Improvements to Really Simple Syndication (RSS)
  There are now fewer duplicated items.
• Object Model improvements
  Now contains many customer-driven fixes.

For more information about these improvements and details about other Outlook fixes, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Outlook 2007 improvements in the 2007 Microsoft Office suite Service Pack 2.

Links relacionados:

• Description of 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 2 (SP2) and of Microsoft Office Language Pack 2007 SP2
• Office Service Pack 2 A Significant Stability, Performance and Interoperability Upgrade
• Microsoft Office 2007 SP2 Released
• Responsiveness of Outlook 2007 SP2 vs. previous Outlook versions
• Announcing the Release of Office 2007 Service Pack 2!

Leitura de fim-de-semana

• Integrating Windows Small Business Server 2008 with Exchange Online
• Can you find the enhancements in Exchange 2010?
• Configuring Exchange 2007 as an Authenticated or Anonymous SMTP Relay
• The mystery of the missing Microsoft Exchange recipients
• Exchange 2010 Step by Step Install
• Using the EWS Managed API via PowerShell
• Microsoft fortifies Exchange Server with archiving
• Troubleshoot IIS metabase corruption in Outlook Web Access
• Exchange 2010 and The Exchange Web Services Managed API
• Ian Hameroff talks to me about Exchange 2010 features
• Exchange Server 2010 Features
• Outlook and Exchange 2010 – The Next Wave
• Using Exchange 2010 Windows PowerShell Command Log
• Paged and Non-paged Pool Issues on Exchange 2000/2003
• Exchange 2010: What are your Admins doing?
• Exchange 2010: Hub Transport Role Installation Fails
• Database Availability Group (DAG) -Exchange 2010
• Exchange 2010 Installing the mailbox role
• Exchange 2010 from Beta to Final All in 2009
• Using Outlook's Instant Search on Windows Server 2008
• Exchange 2010 Database Availability Groups
• Connecting to a remote Exchange 2010 Organization using Remote PowerShell
• Installing E2K7 and E2K10 Management tools on the same machine
• Exchange 2007: The sequence of predicates is invalid
• A Practical Look at Migrating From Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2007 (Part 8)
• VIDEO: Registering Exchange Extensions for Security Configuration Wizard
• Configuring Exchange 2010 Certificates
• Stop Spamming Yourself!, Part 2
• Exchange Server 2010 Beta Tips
• Exmon for Exchange 2007 SP1? Check!
• "Can I install Exchange 2010 Beta in production?"
• Beta Update & Your Questions

Mailbox Server Role Storage Requirements Calculator v16.8

O Ross Smith IV anunciou no Microsoft Exchange Team Blog que a ferramenta Mailbox Server Role Storage Requirements Calculator foi actualizada para a versão 16.8.

De acordo com a página de updates no blog You Had Me At EHLO, estas são as correcções/melhorias:

• To aid you in your designs where you know this impact, we are introducing a new input field in the Mailbox and Client Configuration of the storage calculator.  The way this value is used is as follows: ((db reads + db writes) * Multiplication Factor) + (db reads + db writes) = new IOPS value.
• The Disk Space and Requirements table was updated to remove confusion around space requirements vs. LUN requirements as they are two separate entities.  The space requirements fields simply state the space required for the Logs or database while LUN requirements fields include the content index capacity, the LUN free space requirement, restore/maintenance capacity (if restore LUN is disabled).
• On the Storage Design tab, the Total Number of SCR Disks Required for the Single Mailbox Server row was updated to include the correct count of SCR disks when the source solution is CCR and the SCR target configuration is designed to match the source configuration.
• 7.2K SAS disks were added to the Storage Design Disk Type field.  These disks provide 60 random IOPS at the controller when under a 4K/8K 1:1 read:write ratio with latency under 20ms with 80% capacity utilized (essentially they are about 20% faster than 7.2K SATA disks from a random I/O perspective).
• The User Mailbox Configuration table on the Storage Requirements tab now exposes the calculated database cache / mailbox (which is based on the recommended memory configuration and is used in the I/O prediction formula calculations) as opposed to the desired database cache based on the message profile.
• Updated various comment fields.

Para obter instruções detalhadas sobre a utilização da ferramenta, consultem Exchange 2007 Mailbox Server Role Storage Requirements Calculator.

Exchange Server 2003 entra em Suporte Estendido

O Exchange Server 2003 entrou em Suporte Estendido no passado dia 14 de Abril de 2009. Todos os detalhes da política de suporte da Microsoft e do ciclo de vida dos produtos podem ser consultados em Support.com.

Para quem ainda está a utilizar esta versão de Exchange, talvez seja uma boa altura para migrar para Exchange Server 2007… Ou até começar a planear o recentemente anunciado Exchange Server 2010..

What does this mean for customers?
The major differences between the Mainstream Support phase and the Extended Support phase are the following:

• No-charge Problem Resolution Support is not available
• Microsoft no longer accept product design change requests (CDCRs) or provide new feature functionality
• Microsoft no longer provide new non-security hotfixes without enrollment in Extended Hotfix Support

Customers have 90 days after 4/14/2009 to purchase an Extended Hotfix Support Agreement. One exception - customers who have Software Assurance can opt in for the Extended Hotfix Support Agreement at any time.

One of the important things to note is that Extended Support is still a publicly supported phase and no separate agreement is needed to obtain support.  As long as customers are opening paid incidents, they will still be able to receive support. In fact, many Premier and Pro customers who already open paid cases with Microsoft will notice little difference in the support that is provided in this phase. They will continue to be able to open paid cases, receive security updates, obtain support assistance from their TAM, etc.

Leitura de fim-de-semana

• ExMerge gotchas to watch for when migrating Exchange 2003 mailboxes
• Understanding Microsoft Outlook 2007 data file usage tutorial
• Configuring and using the E-Mail protection feature in Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway Beta 2 (Part 1)
• Outbound Filtering
• Site Resiliency for Exchange 2007
• Single certificate for OCS/Exchange firewall usage
• Exchange 2010 Permissions and Security Groups
• Announcing the public release of Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Server Beta 2
• Updated Version of Outlook Connector 12.1 Available
• SP2 for Office 2007 and MOSS Arriving April 28
• Exchange 2010 beta & high availability strategies
• The Environmental Impact of Spam
• Exchange 2010 and PowerShell
• Introducing the EWS Managed API!
• Exchange 2010 How to join a Group
• Using the EWS Managed API with powershell
• Online Mailbox Moves with the Exchange Management Shell
• Cross-forest Mailbox Moves using the Exchange Management Console
• Sign-up addresses (aka revocable addresses) in Exchange 2010
• New Exchange Management Shell command icon in EMC
• New Certificate Wizards in the Exchange 2010 Management Console
• Diagnostic Logging is back in the EMC UI
• Accessing multiple Exchange organizations from one EMC
• OWA Exchange 2010 and new futures quick look.
• 530 5.7.1 Client was not authenticated Exchange 2010
• Exchange 2010 and Active Directory Data
• Managing Outlook 2007 through Group Policies (Part 2)
• Fix for Duplicate Contacts Lists in Outlook
• One thing not to do when Exchange 2007 cluster setup fails…
• Presenting Exchange Server 2010

Notícia da semana: Exchange 2010 Beta disponível publicamente!

Para qualquer pessoa que não tenha vivido em Marte durante os últimos dias, a disponibilização pública da versão beta do Exchange Server 2010, anteriormente conhecido por Exchange “14”, não constituirá qualquer surpresa.

Aqui ficam os links para fazer download do software:

• Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Beta
• Exchange Server 2010 Beta UM Language Packs
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Beta Language Pack Bundle

O que há de novo:

• What's New in Exchange Server 2010
• Exchange 2010 Feature Summary
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 - Comprehensive Feature list

Quem quiser instalar imediatamente esta nova versão, poderá consultar toda a informação técnica nestes links:

• How to Install Exchange Server 2010 Beta
• Installing Exchange 2010 Beta 1 Part 1 and Part 2
• TechNet Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 (Beta)
• Exchange 2010 forums

E, como não podia deixar de ser, este facto gerou uma enorme quantidade de notícias. Aqui vos deixo os links de algumas delas:

• Microsoft Exchange 2010 Beta Looks Solid from Core to Cloud
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Includes Welcome Improvements
• Microsoft Brands Office 2010, Releases Exchange Beta
• Microsoft Exchange 2010 to address annoyances & mobility
• Next Exchange features e-mail 'mute' button
• Microsoft Unveils Exchange 2010 With Public Beta
• First look: Exchange 2010 beta shines
• Microsoft Exchange 2010 Takes Aim At E-Mail Overload
• MS Exchange 2010 beta arrives and it's not all about the cloud
• Microsoft fends off Google with Web browser-friendly Exchange 2010
• Microsoft to unveil test version of new e-mail server
• Hands On with Exchange 2010 Beta
• Microsoft Exchange 2010 to feature MailTips: Clippy for email
• Exchange Server 2010 Beta Now Available
• Microsoft Unveils Exchange 2010 With Public Beta

Forefront Security for Exchange Capacity Planning Tool

AMicrosoft disponibilizou hoje a ferramenta Forefront Security for Exchange Server SP1 Capacity Planning Tool.

Brief Description
The Forefront Security for Exchange Server SP1 capacity planning tool helps customers understand what hardware, architecture, and configuration settings will produce recommended system performance and message throughput results for comprehensive protection of their Exchange Servers.

Overview
The new Forefront Security for Exchange Server SP1 capacity planning tool helps customers understand what hardware, architecture, and configuration settings will produce recommended system performance and message throughput results for comprehensive protection of their Exchange Servers. This tool, an excel spreadsheet with built in workflow, applies to the Forefront Security for Exchange Server SP1 product. The user will be able to plan the details for a new deployment or understand the impact of adding security protection to an existing deployment. In short, the user will choose their CPU and memory tolerances for deployment, their target reference architecture, their desired protection settings, and their targeted supported user load. Once this is defined, the tool will either recommend scaling up or out on the base recommended hardware for each server role.
For additional details, please read the “Directions” and “Readme” tabs. A “Resource” tab is also provided with links to obtain additional data to help make an informed decision during the planning stage.

Thread Compressor for Microsoft Outlook

Thread Compressor é um add-in para o Microsoft Outlook, desenvolvido pelo Ewan Dalton, que permite poupar algum do valioso espaço disponível para a mailbox.

“Thread Compressor is an add-in to Microsoft Outlook, which removed unnecessary emails from a "thread" - reducing the amount of storage required (maybe keeping your mailbox within its size quota) and reducing the number of emails you need to read.

TC was developed inside Microsoft from 1999 onwards, and attracted a large following (up to 30,000 users) but has never (officially) been made available externally, due to the fact that it will delete data unless it is configured not to. I've decided to share it more widely now.

Let me say that again: Thread Compressor, as it is configured by default, WILL DELETE DATA FROM YOUR INBOX.

If you choose to download it and use it from here, you do it with the author's blessing, but it's completely at your own risk and Microsoft cannot be held responsible for what it does.”

Leitura de fim-de-semana

• Microsoft: 3% of e-mail is stuff we want; the rest is spam
• I'm trying to install the Microsoft Exchange Server Clustered Mailbox Role, but I get a Microsoft IIS error related to a dependency not being available. What's wrong?
• Third Party High Availability and Disaster Recovery Tools for Microsoft Exchange Server
• Beta of native Exchange 2007 Management Pack available
• Performing a remote wipe on ActiveSync devices in Exchange Server 2007
• Opening Microsoft SharePoint document libraries in Outlook 2007
• Two Minute Drill: Performance Analysis of Logs Tool (PAL)
• “My Hotmail account has been hacked”
• Entry Level eMail Admin
• Backing Up Exchange 2007 on Windows 2008
• Increasing timeout values for engine definition updates
• Where should I place my Exchange UM server?
• How to locate and dial a mail-enabled contact using the Directory Search functionality in Unified Messaging
• You got Voicemail!
• You, too, can Master Exchange
• Exchange 2007 Single Copy Cluster Changes
• MOM Exchange Management Pack alerts
• Move Mailbox from a CSV Import file
• Office Communicator client shows “Outlook Integration Error”
• Full OAB downloads caused by mis-configured anti virus software settings
• Some Public Folder content is not replicating from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2007
• Considerations for Exchange 2007 CCR Stretch Clusters
• Changing the IP Address of an Exchange Cluster
• Part 19 - I used to do it this way… Now how do I do it? Administering Exchange 2003 vs. Exchange 2007
• Part 20 - I used to do it this way… Now how do I do it? Administering Exchange 2003 vs. Exchange 2007
• Part 21 - I used to do it this way… Now how do I do it? Administering Exchange 2003 vs. Exchange 2007
• Google Partners Exchange Comparison Document
• A Practical Look at Migrating From Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2007 (Part 7)
• VIDEO: How to configure Outlook Anywhere to work with a wildcard certificate
• Out of Office not working...due to .Net Framework version on Exchange 2007
• The Power of Exchange Management Shell
• Exchange 2007 Single Name SSL Certificate
• Quick Tip: Removing the Client Access Server Role from a Mixed Role Server…
• How to Move Exchange 2007 Log Files on a CCR Cluster
• Exchange 2007: Renaming the default storage group / mailbox database or deleting and recreating.
• Move-DominoGroupToAD: How to migrate SMTP addresses with groups
• Troubleshooting an Autodiscover Certificate Error
• Named Properties, X-Headers, and You

Leitura de fim-de-semana

• Exchange Server Virtualization: Is It Time?
• Big Changes Promised for Future Exchange Server UI
• On the bleeding edge of Enterprise email server UI...
• Assess the damage after a catastrophic Exchange 2007 server failure
• Understand data file storage in Outlook 2007 Roaming and Local folders
• Determining MS Exchange Disk Performance
• April fool's: Automatic Misspellings
• A Month of Exchange Server 2007 Tips - Week 4
• How to enable ‘broadcast’ functionality for voice mail messages in Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging
• ExMon released (no joke!)
• This is why you get spam emails
• That Old SeSecurityPrivilege Error
• Why You Should Attend Tech·Ed North America 2009
• Create Bulk Users Exchange 2007
• Managing Exchange Server 2007 log files (Part 3)
• Introduction to Exchange Online- Uncovering BPOS (Part 5) - Migrating on-premise mailboxes to Microsoft Online
• Mail rejection from Sendmail organisation sent via Forefront Security for Exchange
• Exchange 2007 SP 1 - Roll Up 7 - Delivery Status Notifications
• Quick Tip: Exchange 2007 – Using Template Databases…

Microsoft TechNet | Troubleshooting Tools

No próximo dia 15 de Abril vai acontecer mais uma sessão Microsoft TechNet | Exclusive Sessions. Desta vez o tema é Troubleshooting tools para AD, SQL, Exchange.

Local: Auditório Microsoft, Porto Salvo
Hora: 9h00 – 12h45

Agenda:
Durante uma manhã serão abordadas as questões relacionadas com a Active Directory, analisando problemas causados por lingering objects, cenários de USN Rollback, Backup/Restore, Time Sync e replicação em geral.
As diferentes técnicas de troubleshooting de performance em SQL Server 2000/2005 por comparação com novas funcionalidades disponíveis no SQL Server 2008 que facilitam este processo, simplificando-o.
Sobre o Exchange Server 2007 serão abordados métodos de diagnóstico dando a conhecer a metodologia e técnicas aplicadas na resolução de problemas, tais como, Mailflow, Performance e Setup.

Registe-se para participar!

TechNet Magazine – Maio 2009

A edição de Maio da TechNet Magazine já está disponível para leitura online ou, se preferirem, podem fazer download em formato  HTML Help (ficheiro .chm) para consulta posterior.

O tema principal de capa é a segurança, mas 2 das nossas colunas favoritas estão de volta em grande: Exchange Queue & A: Recovering a Clustered Mailbox Server, Offline Address Book Issues, and More e Windows PowerShell: Automating User Provisioning, Part 3.

Próximos webcasts/labcasts de Exchange 2007

Aqui fica uma lista dos próximos webcasts e labcasts de Exchange 2007:

• TechNet Labcast: Exchange Server 2007 Labcast (Part 1 of 4) (Level 200)
  Thursday, March 26, 2009
  11:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M. Pacific Time
• TechNet Labcast: Exchange Server 2007 Labcast Series (Part 2 of 4) (Level 200)
  Thursday, April 2, 2009
  11:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M. Pacific Time
• TechNet Labcast: Exchange Server 2007 Labcast Series (Part 3 of 4) (Level 200)
  Thursday, April 9, 2009
  11:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M. Pacific Time
• TechNet Labcast: Exchange Server 2007 Labcast Series (Part 4 of 4) (Level 200)
  Thursday, April 16, 2009
  11:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M. Pacific Time
• Microsoft Certification Coaching Session: Preparing for your Exchange Server 2007, Configuring exam (70-236)
  Tuesday, April 28, 2009
  10:00 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada)

Podem consultar a lista completa neste link: Exchange Server 2007 Webcasts and Podcasts.

Microsoft Exchange Server User Monitor v06.05.7543

A ferramenta Microsoft Exchange Server User Monitor foi recentemente actualizada para a versão 06.05.7543.

Brief Description
Enables system administrators to view and evaluate individual users' usage and experience with Microsoft Exchange Server.

Overview
Use the Microsoft Exchange Server User Monitor to gather real-time data to better understand current client usage patterns, and to plan for future work. Administrators can view several items, including IP addresses used by clients, versions and modes of Microsoft Office Outlook, and resources such as CPU usage, server-side processor latency, and total latency for network and processing with Outlook 2003 version MAPI.