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:

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

A transição para Hyper-V é relativamente simples:

  1. Remover as VM Additions;
  2. 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.

    3 de maio de 2008

    Leitura de fim-de-semana

    30 de abril de 2008

    Exchange Load Generator v.08.02.0045

    A Microsoft disponibilizou uma versão actualizada do Exchange Load Generator (v.08.02.0045).

    Brief Description
    Exchange Load Generator is a simulation tool to measure the impact of MAPI, OWA, IMAP, POP and SMTP clients on Exchange servers.

    Overview
    Use Microsoft Exchange Load Generator (LoadGen) as a simulation tool to measure the impact of MAPI, OWA, IMAP, POP and SMTP clients on Exchange servers. LoadGen allows you to test how a server running Exchange responds to e-mail loads. To simulate the delivery of these messaging requests, you run LoadGen tests on client computers. These tests send multiple messaging requests to the Exchange server, thereby causing a mail load. LoadGen is a useful tool for administrators who are sizing servers and validating a deployment plan. Specifically, LoadGen helps you determine if each of your servers can handle the load to which they are intended to carry. Another use for LoadGen is to help validate the overall solution.

    Important! LoadGen should be used only in laboratories that have no connection to the production environment. This tool should not be used in any way in a production environment or an environment that is mission critical or contains important information of any kind anywhere in the network.

    Note: The XML configuration file schema in this release has changed from previous versions. You will need to create a new XML configuration file with the Load Generator UI. The existing topology will be marked as un-editable if there are users created by previous versions of Microsoft Exchange Load Generator. Add your remote client machines again, and then save the updated configuration XML.

    Note: If you use the recipient management features of this release to create users or other recipient objects and you have one or more Exchange Server 2007 servers in your test topology, you must run the Load Generator application with user credentials that have permission to manage Exchange recipients. The directory access account specified in the application configuration will not be used for this purpose.
    Note: This version includes scripted module functionality which enables load generation for OWA, IMAP, POP, SMTP

    29 de abril de 2008

    Exchange Server 2007 Protocol Documentation

    No seguimento do compromisso que a Microsoft fez em que disponibilizou alguns dos seus protocolos, por forma a melhorar a interoperabilidade dos seus produtos, chegou agora a vez dos protocolos utilizados pelo Exchange Server 2007 serem disponibilizados ao público: Exchange Server 2007 Protocol Documentation.

    Overview
    The Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Protocol technical documentation set provides detailed technical specifications for Microsoft protocols and extensions to industry-standard or other published protocols that are implemented and used in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 to interoperate or communicate natively with Microsoft Office client and other server products.
    The documentation set includes a set of companion overview and reference documents that supplement the technical specifications with conceptual background, overviews of inter-protocol relationships and interactions, and technical reference information.

    Para quem não puder dispensar os 45MB de espaço em disco, toda esta informação pode ser consultada online no site da MSDN.

    25 de abril de 2008

    Leitura de fim-de-semana

    22 de abril de 2008

    TechNet Magazine - Maio 2008

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

    Olhando para a capa, parece claro que o tema principal deste número é sobre a Active Directory e como proteger este bem tão valioso.

    Para além de alguns artigos bem interessantes sobre computação sustentável, que se tornarão uma coluna online regular (o tema do ambiente está tão em voga nos dias de hoje), uma vez que a AD e o Exchange são tão próximos, existe uma colecção de artigos que gostaria de destacar:

    Storage Design for Exchange Server 2007

    Acaba de ser mais um documento técnico da colecção Microsoft IT Showcase, desta feita o assunto tem a ver com o desenho e dimensionamento de storage: Storage Design for Exchange Server 2007 - How Microsoft IT Exceeds High-Availability Targets with Large Mailboxes at Low Costs Based on New Storage Designs.

     

    Executive Summary

    More than 18 months after the first Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007 deployment in the corporate messaging environment and more than 12 months after completing the full production rollout across the entire company, the Microsoft Information Technology (Microsoft IT) group is able to report significant benefits such as:

    • Messaging service levels exceeding high-availability targets of 99.99 percent.
    • Cost reductions in excess of $10 million per year.
    • Increased mailbox quotas by up to a factor of 10.
    • Consolidation of the initial Exchange Server 2007 base by nearly a factor of two.

    Microsoft IT was able to achieve these results by taking full advantage of new storage features and input/output (I/O) improvements in Exchange Server 2007, the latest advancements in 64-bit processor technology, and direct-attached storage (DAS)–based storage solutions.

    [...]

     

    Se quiserem saber mais sobre o assunto, está também disponível uma webcast relaccionada: TechNet Webcast: How Microsoft IT Implemented New Storage Designs for Exchange Server 2007 (Level 300).

    11 de abril de 2008

    Communicator Add In para Outlook 2007

    Foi recentemente disponibilizado o Communicator Add In para Outlook 2007.

    Description
    An Add-In for Outlook 2007 which allows you to view and interact with your entire contact list from Office Communicator 2007.
    Business users spend a majority of thier day in Outlook, why should they have to toogle back and forth from Outlook & Communicator?
    This Add-In allows those business users to keep working in Outlook as well as view presence, call or instant message thier contacts.

    A próxima geração do Forefront Server Security

    Querem testar a próxima geração dos produtos Forefront Server Security e comprovar a sua integração com a plataforma de gestão de nome de código “Stirling”? Então leiam este porst: Take a First Peek at the Next Generation of Forefront Server Security Products.

    "Yesterday, we released beta versions of the next generation of Forefront Security for Exchange Server and Forefront Security for SharePoint products.  We’ve made significant investments in improving how you can deploy, manage, protect, monitor and troubleshoot your messaging and collaboration environments with Forefront, and these beta releases are meant to give you an idea of what to expect with the next versions of these products."

    Leitura de fim-de-semana

    5 de abril de 2008

    TechNet Magazine - Março 2008 & Abril 2008

    O feed RSS da TechNet Magazine mudou recentemente, razão pela qual eu deixei passar a edição de Março. Entretanto saiu o número de Abril, o que quer dizer que temos agora o dobro da leitura (e não se esqueçam da longa lista de leitura de fim-de-semana que publiquei ontem!).

     

    A edição de Março foi, sem surpresa, dedicada ao Windows Server 2008.

    Embora não se encontrem artigos dedicados ao Exchange, recomendo uma leitura atenta deste número, uma vez que o Exchange Server 2007 SP1 e o Windows Server 2008 fazem uma combinação perfeita.

    Como já é habitual, a revista está disponível para download em formato HTML Help file (.CHM).

     

    A edição de Abril tem como tema central o SQL Server 2008. Mais uma vez, sem surpresa, uma vez que a Microsoft foca-se nos produtos que foram recentemente anunciados a nível mundial: Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 e Visual Studio 2008.

    Não esperem encontrar artigos relacionados com o Exchange, para além da habitual coluna de PowerShell.

    Para quem preferir ler a revista em offline, está disponível para download como um ficheiro HTML Help (.CHM).

    4 de abril de 2008

    Leitura de fim-de-semana

    27 de março de 2008

    Precisa-se feedback: Exchange Shell Help

    A minha lista de feeds não pára de aumentar! Recentemente, enquanto lia um dos meus sites preferidos de Exchange, Pro-Exchange, descobri mais um blog bastante interessante: David Strome's Blog.

    O David é um Technical Writer na equipa de Exchange Server da Microsoft e está a pedir feedback sobre o Exchange Management Shell Help:

    "As you know we're working on Exchange 14, the next version of Exchange Server. As part of that work we're taking a look at how we write content for all of the features of Exchange. I'm working on defining the guidelines for how we write the content for the Exchange Management Shell - what overview and procedural topics need to be written to what content we put into the individual cmdlet topics and how its displayed to you.

    I'm really interested in what you think of the Exchange Management Shell help in Exchange Server 2007. What do you like about it? What do you, well, hate? Is it how it's displayed? Or are we missing something important that would make your life easier if we'd included it? Or did you discover something that just made things 'click' for you?

    I want to know about it. Put together a wish list or list of things you love (or both!) and send them to me. I'll be taking your feedback and seeing how it can help us to improve the E14 product documentation."

    Continua na fonte.

    18 de março de 2008

    Techdays 2008 - balanço final

    Os Techdays 2008 já lá vão, a maior conferência técnica organizada pela Microsoft Portugal terminou na passada Sexta-Feira, dia 14.

    Eu tive a oportunidade de participar como delegado (assisti a algumas sessões), como patrocinador (a Unisys foi Platinum sponsor) e como orador (sessão MGT01).

    Pessoalmente, o balanço que faço do evento é o seguinte:

     

    PONTOS POSITIVOS

    • Networking pessoal e profissional
    • Espaço alargado do evento
    • Algumas sessões técnicas
    • Site do evento
    • A oferta do Vista Ultimate, do Windows Server 2008 e do Visual Studio 2008
    • Preço do registo no evento
    • O stand de uma conhecida marca de telemóveis :-)

     

    PONTOS A MELHORAR

    • Qualidade (e quantidade!!!) das refeições
    • As longas filas para almoço
    • O processo de credenciação
    • Algumas sessões técnicas
    • Desempenho dos PCs para apresentações (como é que se correm VMs com 2GB de RAM???)
    • Mapa das instalações (alguém conseguiu descobrir as salas???)
    • O desaparecimento da àrea das comunidades
    • Os formulários de avaliação das sessões

     

    FLOPS

    • A recolha de material electrónico para reciclar
    • A partilha de agendas entre participantes

     

    Para os mais saudosistas, alguns vídeos do evento estão disponíveis em http://videos.techdays.pt/.

    Para o ano há mais!

     

    Technorati :

    17 de março de 2008

    ActiveSync IIS Log Tool (GUI)

    O Glen Scales desenvolveu uma ferramenta gráfica para extrair informação dos logs de IIS referente ao tráfego ActiveSync.

    O aspecto desta ferramenta desenvolvida em PowerShell é o seguinte:

    Para fazer download do código e para saber mais informações, leiam por favor ActiveSync IIS Log Tool / Powershell GUI Version 1.

    14 de março de 2008

    Leitura de fim-de-semana

    10 de março de 2008

    Techdays 2008 - a minha agenda

    Sabia que o site do Techdays 2008 lhe dá a possibilidade de construir a sua agenda e partilhá-la com o Mundo? E se o fizer fica habilitado a ganhar um livro técnico à escolha?

    Pois bem, aqui fica a minha agenda para o evento e o respectivo feed.

     

    O lançamento é já amanhã! Vemo-nos por lá ;-)

    Technorati :

    7 de março de 2008

    Leitura de fim-de-semana

    5 de março de 2008

    TechDays 2008 | Aproxima-se a data de fecho de registo!

    A dois dias da data de fecho dos registos, 7 de Março, deixamos-lhe alguns factos de interesse:

    • Cerca de 2.000 registos
    • Mais de 100 sessões técnicas
    • Cerca de 45 Laboratórios
    • Pavilhão de Exposição com 3.800m2 e 40 Expositores
    • Iniciativas complementares: Recycle WEEE, Best Innovation Technology e Concurso de Fotografia sobre Ambiente


     

    Se ainda não procedeu ao seu registo, faça-o agora, e participe no evento técnico mais relevante da Microsoft Portugal!

    Technorati :

    1 de março de 2008

    Bug do ano bissexto no Exchange 2007

    Existe um problema no Exchange Server 2007 que pode gerar o seguinte erro, quando se realizam algumas operações de configuração, tais como new-mailbox ou enable-mailbox:

    "The Exchange server address list service failed to respond. This could be because of an address list or email address policy configuration error."

    Para quem estiver a passar por isto, existe informação detalhada no blog You Had Me At EHLO: Exchange Server 2007 and leap year day Feb 29 2008...

    A Microsoft está neste momento a trabalhar numa resolução deste possível bug.

    Mailbox Server Role Storage Requirements Calculator - v13.7

    A equipa de Exchange da Microsoft acaba de disponibilizar a Mailbox Server Role Storage Requirements Calculator - v13.7. Esta folha de Excel é absolutamente fundamental para dimensionar o storage de servidores Exchange 2007 com o papel de Mailbox.

    De acordo com o post no blog the You Had Me At EHLO, algumas das novas funcionalidades são:

    • Projected Number of Mailboxes Growth
    • Network Failure Tolerance
    • Multiple Mailbox Server Support

    Para uma lista completa das actualizações, consultem Updates to the Mailbox Server Role Storage Requirements Calculator.

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

    29 de fevereiro de 2008

    Leitura de fim-de-semana

    Update Rollup 1 for Exchange Server 2007 SP1

    Depois da disponibilização do Update Rollup 6 for Exchange Server 2007 RTM, a Microsoft lançou finalmente o Update Rollup 1 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1.

     

    Overview
    Update Rollup 1 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 KB945684.
    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.

     

    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.

    26 de fevereiro de 2008

    Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and System Center

    Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and System Center é uma datasheet técnica que descreve os principais benefícios da utilização da família de produtos System Center para gerir o Exchange Server 2007.

     

    Brief Description
    Managing, deploying, and protecting Exchange Server 2007 with System Center
    Read this datasheet and find out how System Center benefits planning for, deployment of, and management of Exchange Server 2007.

    Overview
    Using System Center products with Exchange Server 2007 improves the operation of your computing environment and improves your business workflow. Read this datasheet and find out how System Center Operations Manager 2007, Configuration Manager 2007, Data Protection Manager 2007, and Capacity Planner can benefit planning for, deployment of, and management of Exchange Server 2007.

     

    A tabela seguinte foi tirada desta datasheet (clique na imagem para uma versão maior):

    24 de fevereiro de 2008

    Script de PowerShell para migrar utilizadores de Lotus Notes

    Há algum tempo atrás eu escrevi um post sobre a minha experiência de utilização do Transporter Suite na migração de Lotus Notes para Exchange Server 2007.

    Nesse post eu mencionava que tinha tido alguns problemas na fase de migração de utilizadores e que por isso tinha feito um script em VBScript para realizar essa tarefa.

    Não sei se está relacionado ou não com o mesmo erro que eu tive, mas o  'The CollabTools' Blog disponibilizou um PowerShell script que faz mais ou menos a mesma coisa:

    # The script below provides the same functionality as move-dominoUser but does not enable
    # the email address policy generator [RUS]. The default behavior of move-dominoUser is to
    # mailbox enable the user object, apply email address policy as primary addresses and
    # then add email addresses from contacts as secondary email addresses. If you intend to
    # persist contact email addresses as primary email addresses of the mailbox enabled user,
    # then this script is for you.

    O script de PowerShell está disponível neste link.

    22 de fevereiro de 2008

    Leitura de fim-de-semana

    Update Rollup 6 for Exchange Server 2007 RTM

    Update Rollup 6 for Exchange Server 2007 resolves issues that were found in Exchange Server 2007 since the software was released. This update rollup is highly recommended for all Exchange Server 2007 customers.
    For a list of changes that are included in this update rollup, see KB942846.

    This is a cumulative update rollup and replaces the following:

    • KB930809 Update Rollup 1 for Exchange Server 2007 (KB930809)
    • KB935490 Update Rollup 2 for Exchange Server 2007 (KB935490)
    • KB935999 Update Rollup 3 for Exchange Server 2007 (KB935999)
    • KB940006 Update Rollup 4 for Exchange Server 2007 (KB940006)
    • KB941421 Update Rollup 5 for Exchange Server 2007 (KB941421)
    This update rollup does not apply to Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack (SP1). For a list of update rollups applicable to Exchange Server 2007 SP1, refer to the section Update rollups for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 in the Knowledge Base article KB937052.

    System Requirements

    • Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-Bit x86); Windows Server 2003 R2 x64 editions; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1; Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2; Windows Server 2003 x64 editions; Windows XP Service Pack 2
    • Exchange Server 2007 must be installed prior to installing this update rollup.
    • Any Interim Updates for Exchange Server 2007 must be uninstalled prior to installing this update rollup.
    • 32-bit editions of Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Server 2003 R2, and Windows XP SP2 are only supported for Exchange Server 2007 management tools.

    21 de fevereiro de 2008

    Sincronização da GAL entre organizações Exchange 2007

    Tal como mencionei previamente, a sincronização da GAL em ambientes 100% Exchange 2007 não era suportado até à disponibilização do Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007 Feature Pack 1.

    Para quem está a pensar implementar um mecanismo destes, há boas notícias: a Microsoft acaba de disponibilizar o documento técnico Synchronizing a Global Address List in an Exchange 2007 Environment.

    Brief Description
    ILM 2007 FP1 provides a solution to synchronize the global address list (GAL) between two Active Directory forests in a Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1(SP1) infrastructure. The goal of a GAL synchronization solution is to synchronize users, groups, and contacts from one forest with contact objects to another forest.

    What This Document Covers
    This document outlines the necessary steps to implement a simple GAL synchronization solution between two forests in an Exchange 2007 environment. This document guides you to:

    • Populate the initial Active Directory and Exchange 2007 SP1 infrastructures for both forests using scripts provided in the Appendix.
    • Assign the necessary permissions to the accounts used in the management agents for GAL synchronization,
    • Configure ILM 2007 FP1 to perform GAL synchronization between the two forests.
    • Verify that the contacts have successfully synchronized between the two forests.

    18 de fevereiro de 2008

    MS Exchange Team Blog: Feliz 4º Aniversário!

    O Microsoft Exchange Team Blog, aka You Had Me At EHLO, está a celebrar o seu 4º aniversário. Para comemorar estão a fazer um pequeno concurso..

    Todos os detalhes podem ser obtidos neste  link.

    15 de fevereiro de 2008

    Leitura de fim-de-semana

    ActiveSync Web Administration Tool (Exchange 2003)

    Está disponível uma nova versão (v08.01.0240.006) da ActiveSync Web Administration Tool, para utilização com o Exchange Server 2003 SP2.

    Brief Description
    The Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Administration tool is designed for administrators who want to manage the process of remotely erasing lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised mobile devices.

    Overview
    The Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Administration tool enables administrators to manage the process of remotely erasing lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised mobile devices.
    By using the Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Administration Web tool, administrators can perform the following actions:

    • View a list of all devices that are being used by any enterprise user
    • Select/De-select devices to be remotely erased
    • View the status of pending remote erase requests for each device
    • View a transaction log that indicates which administrators have issued remote erase commands, in addition to the devices those commands pertained to

    The Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Administration Tool is designed for use With Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 and compatible mobile devices.

    9 de fevereiro de 2008

    Leitura de fim-de-semana

    4 de fevereiro de 2008

    Webcasts de Exchange em Fevereiro

    TechNet Webcast: Exchange Server 2007 in Depth (Part 7 of 8): Key Scenarios, Examples, Demos, and How-to's (Level 300)
    Friday, February 01, 2008 - 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Pacific Time
    John Weston, TechNet Presenter, Microsoft Corporation
    http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032363579&Culture=en-US

    TechNet Webcast: Exchange Server In Depth (Part 8 of 8): Master Concepts and Optimize Your Server Environment (Level 300)
    Monday, February 04, 2008 - 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Pacific Time
    Chris Avis, TechNet Presenter, Microsoft Corporation
    http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032363581&Culture=en-US

    Momentum Webcast: Simplifying Collaboration and Communication Using Microsoft Office, Exchange Server, and Communications Server (Level 100)
    Thursday, February 07, 2008 - 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Pacific Time
    Jennifer Kim, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft Corporation
    Rachel Clay, Information Worker Solutions Specialist, Microsoft Corporation
    http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032365002&Culture=en-US

     

    Fonte: Eileen Brown's WebLog

    2 de fevereiro de 2008

    Leitura de fim-de-semana

    31 de janeiro de 2008

    Notes from the field: como actualizar o Exchange 2007 para o SP1*

    *Eu sei que estou a subverter um pouco a ideia de ter um blog em Português ao publicar posts em Inglês, mas a verdade é que fruto do meu pouco tempo disponível, vou ter que mais uma vez fazer um cross-post do meu outro blog. Se alguém se sentir menos confortável com a língua de Shakespeare, podem contactar-me via e-mail.


    So far, I did a couple of clean Exchange Server 2007 SP1 installations and they went really, really smoothly. I can say that the setup experience is much better than the RTM version.

    Meanwhile, I also had the chance to upgrade existing Exchange Server 2007 RTM version to Service Pack 1. The experience was not so good compared with clean installations, nothing serious, but there are some caveats I would like to share with you.

    1. Read the Release Notes for Exchange Server SP1 and How to Upgrade to Exchange 2007 SP1.
    2. SP1 requires a Schema extension (again). Although the Setup Wizard will do it for you, I strongly recommend that you do it separately. Just follow the instructions from this link: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb125224(EXCHG.80).aspx. The process is identical to the RTM version.
    3. Install .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 *before* running the Exchange 2007 SP1 setup. Remember that you must also install it on your Schema Master in order to extend the Schema from this server.
    4. If you are currently using Forefront Security for Exchange, install Forefront SP1 *before* upgrading Exchange Server 2007 to SP1 (I'll write another post about this subject). Forefront for Exchange SP1 is backward compatible with Exchange 2007 RTM. Read more details at http://blogs.technet.com/fss/archive/2007/11/29/forefront-security-for-exchange-server-with-service-pack-1-is-now-available.aspx.
    5. Upgrade server roles in this order: CAS > HT > UM > Edge > Mailbox.
    6. Before running the SP1 setup, perform the following actions on that server:
      1. Restart the server (this is very important, especially on cluster nodes, since the Setup can run for ages before finishing (the problem has to do with time it takes to register the new performance counters).
      2. Stop all services/processes that can have open handles to performance counters such as MOM Agents.
      3. Restart the Remote Registry service.
      4. Stop all Exchange and Forefront services.
      5. Disable Forefront by running FSCUtility /disable (don't forget to run FSCUtility /enable afterwards).
      6. Start the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service. This service is disabled by default in Windows, and you must set its Startup type to Manual or Automatic for the service to be started
      7. Run the SP1 setup.
    7. If you're installing SP1 on an SCC cluster, follow the procedures from this link: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb691226(EXCHG.80).aspx (start by doing a restart on each passive node).
    8. If you have previously customized an OWA theme, you'll need to copy the modified files to the new version of OWA (there will be a new folder on each CAS). You may need to do some further customization, since there are new features, such as the monthly view on Calendar.
    9. You cannot uninstall Exchange 2007 SP1. After you install SP1, the only way to remove it is to uninstall Exchange 2007 from the computer

    I would also like to share the SP1 setup behavior when it is interrupted:

    • On one occasion (when the Performance counters were taking ages to register) I had to restart the server. Luckily for me, the setup resumed from the stage it was before.
    • On another occasion, I forgot to copy the Scripts folder (it's part of the setup files) to the server where I was installing SP1. The setup stopped because it couldn't find the necessary files. There was no option to retry the operation. When I run setup again, I had the following error:

      The World Wide Web (W3SVC) service is either disabled or not installed on this computer. You must exit Setup, install the required component, then restart the Setup process.

      Setup cannot continue with upgrade because 'C:\Program
      Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\bin\ExchHelp.chm' is open. Close the file and restart setup.


      I found the solution on this link: http://www.expta.com/2007/10/installing-exchange-2007-sp1-notes-from.html.

    TechNet Magazine - Fevereiro 2008

     

    A edição de Fevereiro da TechNet Magazine já está disponível para consulta online ou para download no formato HTML Help (.chm) file.

    Neste número, o tema central é o Sharepoint, mas também estão lá outros artigos com temáticas mais relacionadas com o Exchange Server, tal como Unified Communications ou PowerShell.

    Aqui fica uma pequena lista com os artigos mais interessantes:

    • How Presence Powers OCS 2007 (Rajesh Ramanathan) - Office Communications Server 2007 uses information about user availability to route communications to the most appropriate place—whether it’s sending a voice call, a video conference, an e-mail message, or an IM. See how the OCS 2007 system uses presence to connect endpoints.
    • Plan Your OCS 2007 Voice Deployment (Jochen Kunert and Rui Maximo) - Integrating Office Communications Server 2007 with an existing PBX system can be a challenging task. You need to select an integration scenario, understand call routing, know how to configure user settings, deal with number plans, and more. But don’t worry. This overview will show you what you need to know.
    • Windows PowerShell (Don Jones) - Shell Permissions

    30 de janeiro de 2008

    1 podcast, 1 white paper, 2 datasheets

    A informação técnica disponível na àrea de messaging continua a aumentar. Desta vez, a Microsoft disponibilizou-nos 1 podcast, 1 white paper e 2 datasheets:

    • Podcasts: How Microsoft IT Implemented New Storage Designs for Exchange Server 2007 - How does Exchange Server 2007 enable a large enterprise to increase mailbox quotas globally by a factor of ten and still lower storage costs, reduce maintenance complexities, and simplify data recovery processes? Microsoft IT was able to take advantage of Cluster Continuous Replication (CCR) in new mailbox server designs based on direct attached storage (DAS). Advantages of CCR and DAS over alternative configurations will be discussed along with how MSIT was able to eliminate storage as a single point of failure while at the same time lowering costs to two dollars per gigabyte.
    • HMC 4.0 - Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 White Paper - This white paper introduces the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) new features related to the Microsoft Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration version 4.0. In particular, it addresses key features in anywhere access, built-in protection, and operation efficiency.
    • Exchange Hosted Services Archive Datasheet - Today’s business demands the need for a centralized, easily accessible and multi-functioning mail repository. Exchange Hosted Archive (EHA) assists with this enterprise goal.
    • Exchange Hosted Services Continuity Datasheet - Microsoft® Exchange Hosted Continuity is a business continuity solution that helps protect and provide continuous access to e-mail for a business and its employees. This datasheet outlines the details and benefits of the Continuity service.