Exchange Server Newbie Admin Tips

[Architect2375]

Hi all, I have been given the opportunity to work as an Exchange 2003 Administrator at my new job. There is an existing Exchange Admin that I will be working with but I would like to "get smart" as much as possible so that I am not totally useless in the beginning of me working at my new job.

What daily tasks and routines are critical to supporting and managing Exchange?

What key components of Exchange should I be very familiar with?

What are somethings that are assumed that every Exchange 2003 Admin should know?

Any good books, white papers, etc do you recommend that are very good for beginning Exchange Admins?

For starters I have successfully setup my own Exchange 2003 mail server at home, I've got mailboxes setup everything works as far as sending and receiving mail for internal and external networks. I just want to really gain good knowledge of the basics and some intermediate and advanced functions. I know it will take time and experience in working with Exchange but any tips you Exchange gurus could provide would be much appreciated!!!

 

[58sniper]

Messaging hygiene is very important.
Disaster recovery is SERIOUSLY important.
Performance monitoring...

the list is quite long.

But the Tony Redmond book and read it. Twice.

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

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

 

[paulha]

A couple of good online resources :

http://msexchangeteam.com/

http://www.msexchange.org/

Also there are a couple of free Microsoft Exchange 2007 courses here, which have content that is potentially useful to know for the future :

https://www.microsoftelearning.com/catalog/itproDev.aspx#exchangeServer

Paul

 

[Architect2375]

Thanks guys!! Excellent tips and links. I'm going to go check out the Tony Redmond book today see if my local bookstore has it. I have the Microsoft Exchange 2003 Resource Kit and that seems pretty good.

 

[ShackDaddy]

I'd add that you should get to know the terminology behind the world of spam and anti-spam measures. Knowing how things are behaving in the SMTP world in this new age of anti-spam measures has become critical.

Read articles at

http://www.vladville.com

and at

http://www.petri.co.il.

http://www.vladville.com/articles.asp

http://www.vladville.com/wiki/

http://www.petri.co.il/exchange.htm

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[58sniper]

The Resource Kit is ok as reference materials. But Tony's book (his last has been released to cover SP1), as well as anything by Jim McBee, Paul Robichaux or any of the other Exchange MVPs (except mine, which isn't out yet) is better as a reading book and a reference book.

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

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