Exchange and SBS 2003

[J741]

I have a number of users who already use Microsoft outlook for e-mail, task lists, and calendar functions. I will be installing a Windows Small Business Server 2003 to this network (which is currently peer-to-peer). The idea is that canlendars and task lists can then be shared with other users on the network VIA Exchange Server, and e-mails to each other within the office will not travel through the normal internet routing, but will be routed by Exchange Server instead. These are my assumptions.

Now, I just installed SBS 2003 on a test configuration (using VMware Workstation 5.5 to create a virtual test network) so that I can familiarize myself with what to expect during the live setup this Friday morning. Everything seems to be as I expect, but I have some questions as follows:

1) What is the difference between using "personal Folders" (where the mail is currently) and the "Exchange Mailbox" as the default for incoming mail?

2) Should I use the "POP3" connector in Exchange Server for each user's individual public e-mail, or leave it as it is now with Microsoft Outlook connecting to the POP3 e-mail server? Why or why not?

3) Are there any other common problmes / mistakes / concernes that I should be aware of when adding existing Microsoft Outlook user's to Exchange Server?

- James.





My memory is not as good as it should be, and neither is my memory.

I have forgotten more than I can remember

 

[58sniper]

There's a HUGE difference. Personal Folders (.pst) is a local copy of the mailbox. You can't natively share ANYTHING out from that. It's prone to MANY problems. Here is why .pst is bad:

Most info courtesy Ed Crowley. Items 11, 12 and 13 courtesy of Stephen Gutknecht. Based on input from the many PST=BAD proselytizers in the Exchange Discussion List and personal experience. This list is a combination of several others, and I don't take credit for them.

1. They're fragile, especially as they get big. They get corrupted too easily. Users aren't the best at ensuring that their systems are properly shut down.
2. You have to run the Inbox Repair Tool on them way too often.
3. Your users don't back them up. Presumably you do back up the server.
4. Your users don't compact them. They just get bigger and bigger.
5. Your users forget their PST passwords. Even though there are unsupported tools to crack them, it can take a significant amount of time to do so.
6. You lose single instance store (SIS).
7. Messages take up more space in a PST than in an Exchange store.
8. It's simply nuts to store PSTs on a network drive. They just end up taking up more space. Is disk space on your file server cheaper than disk space on your Exchange server?
9. One might think that it will be easier to restore a single mailbox by using server-based PSTs. However, with proper implementation of the Ed Crowley Never Lose a Mailbox Procedure, it should never ever be necessary to restore a mailbox.
10. For road warriors, OSTs are a much superior storage technique, especially with the improvements made with Outlook 98. They allow untethered computing at a higher level than with PSTs, plus with the added security of a backed-up information store on the server.
11. A PST can be opened by only one machine at a time. This precludes a manager and assistant from working from the same PST simultaneously, and precludes team access.
12. You cannot use Outlook Web Access to read your downloaded messages.
13. Future applications, such as unified messaging, will be poorly implemented when using PSTs. Groupware applications that work with the mailbox probably won't work at all.
14. PST files are not secure. Anyone with access to the PST file can open it using the right tools.
15. You cannot clean up PST files after virus infestations.
16. PSTs have a hard limit of 2 gigs.
17. PSTs store information in TWO formats -- the Information Store only one.

As to your other questions:
2. No, the smallest interval you can set it for is 15 minutes, which usually isn't acceptable. If you can use direct delivery via MX record (preferred), then use a third party solution like GFI's Mail Essentials.
3. Upgrade everyone to Outlook 2003, and use the cached mode.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[dkediger]

I would also encourage a full implementation of Exchange, otherwise you just bought a Lexus to make trips to the lumber yard. Fully implement SBS/Exchange; coming from a peer to peer setup, they will think you're an IT god.

The message store is designed to be robust and operate in a shared, collaborative environment. You can host your own mail via SMTP as Pat outlined. Outlook Web Access and Outlook via HTTP is 'da bomb.

As for general tips, with SBS I would encourage loading up on disk space and RAM at the start. It increases your acquisition cost, but pays dividends by delaying a performance rolloff in years 2, 3, 4.

Decide on a backup solution now. Exchange has a different backup procedure than simply grabbing the inofrmation store database files. The NTBackup utility in Windows is capable of dealing with this, however, 3rd party tools like Backup Exec put a much better user interface to the process and have better media management. Most major backup software vendors have SBS specific versions.

Same goes for anti-virus. Most vendors make an SBS specific product that will integrate with Exchange and scan the incoming message streams before they get to the mailboxes.

 

[trojanman]

Enforce mailbox restrictions. The admin before me didnt regulate his exchange box too well and now some people have 2GB mailbox sizes! Getting those users to archive or delete down to 500MB is the equivalent to eating shards of glass covered with gasoline.

 

[J741]

O.K. Good info.

Now, I know how to change the 'Default Store' in Outlook to be the 'Exchange Store' instead of the 'personal folders', but what I don't know is how to quickly and efficiently move the contents of the user's current personal folders to the 'Exchange Store' for multiple users. I know I can manually log in as the user, open Outlook, and drag-n-drop each e-mail, calendar entry, and task list items from the personal folder to the Exchange Store, but this will be a VERY time consuming method. Is there a easier, more automated way to do this?

- James.

My memory is not as good as it should be, and neither is my memory.

I have forgotten more than I can remember

 

[dkediger]

From Outlook, File/Import and Export/Import from another program or file/Personal Folder File (.pst)

 

[58sniper]

No - don't do that. That's prone to problems.

Rename the .pst file to the user's name and copy to a network location. Set Outlook to use the Mailbox instead, and remove references to the Personal Folders (.pst).

Then, use Exmerge to import the mail into their mailboxes:

How to configure an account to use the ExMerge utility in Exchange 2000 Server and in Exchange Server 2003

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/292509

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt