23 de abril de 2009

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.

18 de abril de 2009

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.

17 de abril de 2009

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Notícia da semana: Exchange 2010 Beta disponível publicamente!

Home

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:

O que há de novo:

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

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

Forefront Security for Exchange Capacity Planning Tool

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

forefront-security-capacity-planning

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.

13 de abril de 2009

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.

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3 de abril de 2009

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Microsoft TechNet | Troubleshooting Tools

Microsoft Technet Exclusive Sessions

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

May2009A 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.

1 de abril de 2009

Próximos webcasts/labcasts de Exchange 2007

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

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.

28 de março de 2009

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19 de março de 2009

Update Rollup 7 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1

O Update Rollup 7 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 está disponível para download.

Overview
Update Rollup 7 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
KB960384.
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)
  • KB948016 Update Rollup 2 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB948016)
  • KB949870 Update Rollup 3 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB949870)
  • KB952580 Update Rollup 4 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB952580)
  • KB953467 Update Rollup 5 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB953467)
  • KB959241 Update Rollup 6 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (KB959241)

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.

Algumas notas importantes retiradas do blog You Had Me At EHLO:

  • Since the release of update roll-up 6, we have fixed about 50 issues and wanted to go ahead and provide them to customers.
  • First off, we fixed the SCR issue which have caused everyone some pain and which did not get completed in time to be included in the last update roll-up.
  • We have also fixed two issues which caused intermittent crashes in the IMAP4 service and resulted in event 4999 being logged in the event logs. The following KBs have more information on the scenarios which are fixed:  KB 957504 and KB 960292.
  • Additionally we have also done a design change to address encapsulation and the way it is handled by Exchange Server 2007.
  • And finally, from the installation perspective, a friendly reminder that the roll-up installer will overwrite any OWA script files if required to ensure proper operation of OWA. So if you have customized the logon.aspx page or other similar OWA pages, you will need to redo any customization after installation of the roll-up.

Já instalei este pacote nas minhas máquinas de teste (Hyper-V) e, até agora, tudo parece estar OK!

e2k7sp1-ru7

Links:

11 de março de 2009

Actualização do filtro Junk Email do Outlook (Março 2009)

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:

7 de março de 2009

TechNet Magazine – Abril 2009

April2009A edição de Abril 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 central da capa é o Internet Explorer 8, mas o Office Communications Server 2007 R2 também tem reservado um lugar de destaque: Stay Connected with Office Communicator Web Access, How Voice Conferencing Powers OCS 2007 R2.

2 de março de 2009

Microsoft TechNet | Exclusive Sessions

Microsoft Technet Exclusive Sessions 

As Microsoft TechNet | Exclusive Sessions são sessões técnicas para técnicos, apresentadas por técnicos.

Agenda

As Comunicações Unificadas da Microsoft não podiam faltar, pelo que estão incluídas 3 sessões webcast de 28 a 30 de Abril, sendo precedidas por um seminário a 31 de Março.

Não percam!