CHAPTER 14
MANAGING SERVER
CONFIGURATION
Managing a large Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server implementation can be an overwhelming task.
To make this task more manageable, you can split complex
configuration objects into smaller units.
Lesson 1:
Management of Server Resources
When you examine the content of the Servers container in Exchange System Manager, you will
notice one or many server objects each representing one server within the selected administrative
group.
System Manager MUST have RPC.
Storage Management in Exchange System Manager
Exchange System Manager can connect to any Microsoft Windows 2000 domain controller
for retrieval of Exchange 2000 configuration information from Active Directory directory
services. Yet, when adjusting information store settings, you need to communicate directly
with the selected Exchange server via remote procedure calls (RPCs). You cannot go on
the Internet unless you have
installed IIS.
Storage Groups and Information Stores
The First Storage Group, which provides access to one mailbox and one public store. You can
add additional storage groups on a
single computer running Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server.
Storage groups define the boundaries for mailbox and public store databases. Within a single
storage group, all stores share a
common set of transaction log files.
For storage groups, the following settings are available:
Transaction Log Location. Specifies the directory where the database transaction log files are
located.
System Path Location. This is typically the same as the Transaction Log Location.
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Log File Prefix. This read-only parameter indicates the name of the active transaction log. For
instance, the default First Storage Group uses the prefix E00, which results in a log filename of E00.LOG.
Additional storage groups would be assigned the prefixes E01, E02, and so on.
Zero Out Deleted Database Pages. Helps to increase the security of the server system by clearing deleted
data entries form the database file.
Enable Circular
Logging. Allows
reuse of existing log files for new transactions.
Keep these types of .CHK files, E00.chk. Exchange needs them, do not delete them!!!!!
Configuring Information Store
You can manage information stores in storage groups individually or maintain them ore conveniently
through system policies. Mailbox stores also give you the option to change the Default Public Store
in their General tab, which is the public store that users connect to when browsing through the hierarchy
of public folders in Outlook 2000
or when they create top-level folders.
The MDBDATA Directory is where the E-Mails are stored.
Configuring Dedicated Servers
Large organizations might want to distribute their mailbox resources across multiple servers. This
increases the overall system scalability because multiple servers can share the workload of mailbox
access.
To prevent the creation of public folders on the mailbox servers, you might want to delete their public
store. This corresponds to a configuration of
dedicated mailbox servers.
Creating Additional Storage Groups and Information Stores
It would not be advisable to place all resources in a single mailbox or public store because the size
of the database files could grow beyond reasonable limits. Huge databases can turn backup and
restore procedures and regular
maintenance routines into nightmares.
Multiple information stores can bring you a performance gain, provided that you place their transaction
logs and database files on separate
physical disk systems.
Full-Text Indexing
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By default, Exchange 2000 Server supports attribute-based searches for messages and documents.
You could also locate documents by searching for subject, author, keywords and other document
properties. However, full-text searches across documents
and attachments in messages were not supported.
If you add Full-Text Indexing it can eat up 20% of resources and space. But, all the searches you
perform will be quicker.
Full-text indexing can be enabled per individual mailbox and
public store.
By default, item body, subject, sender and recipient
information are indexed.
Because the full-text catalogs are queried instead of the actual message items and documents,
searches are performed with
increased efficiency, especially if numerous items are involved.
Activating a Full-Text Index
At this point, you have created and populated the full-text index, but your users are still unable to
use it because it isn’t included in full-text searches. Right-click VIP Mailbox one more time and
select Properties. You will see the status as Crawling and Idle.
Updating and Rebuilding a Full-Text Index
Changes to folder contents within an indexed store trigger a synchronization event, which
informs the Microsoft Search service to update the index correspondingly. By default,
however, the index is not updated. You will need to specify an explicit update and rebuilt
interval in the Full-Text Indexing tab. For Automatic Updates, under Update Interval,
select Always Run.
The documents are purged one by one.
Supported File Types and Gathers Logs
Supported file
types are recognized by their filename extensions, such as .doc or .xls.
\ProgramFiles\Exchangsrvr\Exchange
Server_<ServerName>\Gather Logs directory.
NOTE: The default size of an Event Log is 512K.
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Lesson 2:
Management of Administrative Groups
Exchange 2000 Server supports two means of server grouping. Physically, servers can be set in
routing groups, which define areas
of high network bandwidth where direct message delivery is possible.
Configuration at the Administrative Group Level
Administrative Groups primarily server the purpose of permission management. When you
right-click and administrative group container in Exchange System Manager, you can select the
Delegate Control command to launch the Exchange Administration
Delegation Wizard.
Adding Servers to an Administrative Group
You can add servers to an administrative group only during setup. It is not possible to move servers
between administrative groups, and it is likewise impossible to move mailboxes conveniently
across administrative group
boundaries.
Not suggested by Microsoft, you can use ADSI Edit to move
them later, but is sort of a pain.
Remove a Server from Active Directory Directory
Services
Before removing a server, move existing mailboxes to mailbox stores on other servers
and replicate existing public folders. This is similar to the preparation of a dedicate server
configuration.
The second is right-clicking the server object in Exchange System Manager, pointing to
All Tasks, and clicking Remove
Server.
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Lesson 3:
Management of Server Address Lists
An address list allows you to arrange mailbox- and mail-enabled user accounts, contacts
and groups, as well as public folders in virtual containers based on attributes they have in
common. Works with the Global
Catalog.
Domain Information and Global Catalog
A validate users, using his or her client’s address book to examine the address details
of a recipient, can retrieve all
available attributes replicated to the Global Catalog.
ANR (Ambiguous Name Resolution). This allows a user to simply enter the principal name
in the To line and let the client
perform the name resolution when sending the message.
Server-Based Address Lists
The Default Global Address List object doesn’t hold any recipient objects. When you
display its property sheet, you can determine that the most important configuration
parameter is a filter rule in LDAP
Search Filter syntax.
NOTE: You can use the Copy & Paste function in Exchange System Manager to
conveniently create multiple
address lists and adjust their settings afterward.
Offline Address Lists [Only E-Mail Address]
The Offline Address Lists container holds a Default Offline Address List object that
provides the information form the Default Global Address Lists to remote users.
Usually for Laptop users.
Address and Details Templates
Underneath the Recipient Update Services container in the console tree of Exchange System
Manager, you can find the Address Templates and Details Templates containers, which are
filled with numerous sublevel
containers that correspond to supported client languages.
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Customizing Address Templates. When you change the instructions to strip down the
complexity of address book dialog boxes for your users or add additional fields required
in your organization, Outlook 2000 will change its user interface. Templates are language
dependent, as the number of sublevel containers suggest.
Template Property Page. To add dialog box controls or to reposition existing ones, you
need to select the desired template and display its properties. You can click Add to insert
new items, and you can click Modify if you want to rearrange positioned controls.
Details Template. Are used to display
detailed recipient information within Outlook 2000.
Address Templates. A one-off address corresponds to a recipient address that does not
exist in
the server’s Global Address List or in any of the user’s personal address
books.
Extension Attributes
If you need additional attributes, you can specify them per recipient in the Active Directory
Users and Computers snap-in.
Chapter Summary:
configurations. You can manage storage groups and message stores, arrange servers in
administrative groups for central management, and define
global settings for the entire organization.
full-text indexing feature.
other things.