Exchange 2007 SP3 is released

What’s New in SP3 for Exchange 2007


Windows Server 2008 R2 Support

Exchange Server 2007 SP3 supports all Exchange 2007 roles on the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system.

Windows 7 Support

Exchange 2007 SP3 supports the installation of the Exchange 2007 management tools on a computer that is running Windows 7. Additionally, Exchange 2007 SP3 provides support for the installation of the Exchange 2007 Management Tools together with the Exchange Server 2010 Management Tools on the same Windows 7-based computer.

Improved Password Reset Functionality

Exchange 2007 SP3 introduces password reset functionality for Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.

To enable the password reset feature

  1. Log on to the Exchange server that is running the CAS role by using an account that has local administrator rights.

  2. Start Registry Editor, and then locate the following registry subkey:

    HLKM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchange OWA

  3. Create the following DWORD value if it does not already exist:

    Value name: ChangeExpiredPasswordEnabledValue type: REG_DWORDValue data: 1

  4. Exit Registry Editor.

 Updated Search Functionality

Exchange 2007 SP3 includes updates to the Exchange Search (MSSearch) component. MSSearch provides support for creating full text indexes for Exchange stores. Exchange 2007 SP3 updates the MSSearch binary files to MSSearch 3.1.

Schema Changes

Exchange 2007 SP3 includes Active Directory schema changes for certain Unified Messaging (UM) mailbox attributes. For more information, see Active Directory Schema Changes (SP3).

Support for Right-to-Left Disclaimer Text

Exchange 2007 SP3 includes support for Right-to-Left text in e-mail message disclaimers in a right-to-left language, such as Arabic. In earlier versions of Exchange, when you use a transport rule to create a disclaimer in a right-to-left language on an Exchange 2007 Hub Transport server, the text appears incorrectly when you view it from Outlook 2007.

Exchange 2007 SP3 adds functionality to the transport rule setting to fully support right-to-left text in disclaimers.

Download here SP3 for Exchange 2007

Certificate Manager for Exchange 2007

Exchange 2007 enables SSL within IIS by default. Using PowerShell commands, certificate creation and management is quite confusing and often results with incorrect results due to the nature of the syntax. U-BTech Solutions is providing Certificate Manager for Exchange Server 2007 freely, to ease the process with a simple, easy to use GUI which enables you to:

1) Manage your current server certificates.
2) Enable certificates for Exchange 2007 Services (POP, IMAP, SMTP, IIS, UM).
3) Generate an Exchange 2007 Certificate Signing Request and process the Certificate Authority answer.
4) Generate an Exchange 2007 Self-Signed certificate (not for production use).
5) Easily include additional subject names in a single certificate.
6) Import & Export ability for existing certificates.
To read more about Certificate Use in Exchange 2007 at Microsoft TechNet follow the link:

Certificate Manager for Exchange Server 2007 is currently offered by U-BTech Solutions free of charge

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Certificate Manager for Exchange Server 2007 Flash Demonstration

Download – Certificate Manager for Exchange 2007

SOURCE

Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager for Free

Microsoft has released a new free tool named Remote Desktop Connection Manager.
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Features:
– You can set user, password and domain on a group and every server in that group you add they inherit the same settings this is very handy when you have a lot of servers.
– Bulk import servers is possible with txt files.
– Export the settings

You can Download Remote Desktop Connection Manager Here

VMware Workstation 7.1 is available

VMWare has released VMware Workstation 7.1.

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What’s New in VMware Workstation 7.1

  • Support for 8 virtual processors (or 8 virtual cores) and 2 TB virtual disks.
  • Support for OpenGL 2.1 for Windows Vista and Windows 7 guests.
  • Greatly improved DirectX 9.0 graphics performance for Windows Vista and Windows 7 guests. Up to 2x faster than Workstation 7.
  • Launch virtualized applications directly from the Windows 7 taskbar to create a seamless experience between applications in your virtual machines and the desktop.
  • Optimized performance for Intel’s Core i3, i5, i7 processor family for faster virtual machine encryption and decryption.
  • Support for more Host and Guest Operating Systems, including: Hosts: Windows 2008 R2, Ubuntu 10.04, RHEL 5.4, and more Guests: Fedora 12, Ubuntu 10.04, RHEL 5.4, SEL 11 SP1, and more.
  • Now includes built in Automatic Updates feature to check, download, and install VMware Workstation updates.
  • Ability to import and export Open Virtualization Format (OVF 1.0) packaged virtual machines and upload directly to VMware vSphere, the industry’s best platform for building cloud infrastructures.

    Download VMware Workstation HERE. You need a valid VMware Account to download.

  • Outlook 2007 Autodiscovery Warning when using SRV record for Autodiscover

    Sometimes when you open Outlook 2007 using a autodiscover srv record for Exchange 2007 you wil get de following error:

    autodiscover_warning_message 

    Solution 1:

    1. Close Outlook 2007
    2. Start Registry Editor
    3. In Windows 7, click Start –> RUN
    4. type regedit in de box and then click OK
    5. Collapse this imageExpand this image
    6. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\AutoDiscover
    7. Click the Edit menu, point to New, and then click String Value.
    8. Type RedirectServers, and then press ENTER
    9. Right-click RedirectServers, and then click Modify.
    10. In the Value data box, type a semicolon delimited list of the HTTPS servers to which AutoDiscover can be redirected without prompting for confirmation from the user, and then click OK.
    For example, you want to allow for the following list of servers:
      – https://wardvissers.nl
      – https://wardvissers.local
    11.Type the following in the Value data box: wardvissers.local;wardvissers.nl
    12. On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor

    Solution 2:
    Setting the registry key with group policy preferences.
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    Migrate a DFS Namespace to Windows Server 2008 Mode

    When you plan to use to upgrade your DFS domain namespace to 2008 Mode there are some requirements:
    – The forest uses the Windows Server 2003 or higher forest functional level
    – The domain uses the Windows Server 2008 or higher domain functional level
    – All namespace servers are running Windows Server 2008 or (2008 R2)

    1. Installing latest DFS Hotfix on servers where Distributed File System (DFS) technologies is installed
    2. Dfsutil root export \\domain\namespace path\filename.xml
    3. Remove all Namespace Servers
    4. Dfsutil root remove \\domain\namespace
    5. Dfsutil root adddom \\server\namespace v2
    6. Dfsutil root import merge path\filename.xml \\domain\namespace
    7. Add all Namespace servers
    8. Tuning replication performance in DFSR (especially on Win2008 R2)

    MDT 2010 Update 1 Beta Released

    The Solution Accelerators Team have released Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 Update 1 Beta and would like your feedback.

    Download the beta now at https://connect.microsoft.com/site14/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?DownloadID=8689

    MDT 2010 Update 1 provides new capabilities, such as:

    · Support for Microsoft Office 2010.

    · A new User-driven Installation (UDI) deployment method (formerly known as “Modena”) for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007. UDI gives information technology (IT) staff control over the deployment experience while empowering users to interact with and customize their operating system deployment through an easy-to-use wizard.

    · Improvements to the Deployment Workbench driver import process, detecting each driver’s true supported platforms.

    · Many bug fixes and other small improvements.

    This release supports the deployment of the Windows® 7; Windows Vista®; Windows XP; Windows Server® 2008 R2; Windows Server 2008; and Windows Server 2003 operating systems. See the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Documentation Library, which is included with MDT 2010 Update 1, for the complete documentation for this release.

    BitLocker to Go & Save the Recovery key in Active Directory

    Before you start wit Bitlocker to Go your domain controllers must be 2008 R2. You must upgrade your Schema.

    After done that I made a group policy named Bitlocker to Go.
    You can find the Bitlocker Policy under: Computer Configuration | Policies | Administrative Templates: Policy Definitions | Windows Components | BitLocker Drive Encryption | Removable Data Drives.

    I enabled the following policies:

    Choose How BitLocker Removable Drives Can Be Recovered

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    At first you must select the Allow Data Recovery Agent option. This option should be selected by default, but since this option is what makes the entire key recovery process possible, it is important to verify that the option is enabled.

    Next, you will enable the Omit Recovery Option From The BitLocker Setup Wizard option. This prevents users from saving or printing their own copies of the recovery key.

    Next, you will have to select the Save BitLocker Recovery Information to AD DS for Removable Data Drives. This is the option that actually saves the BitLocker recovery keys to the Active Directory.

    Finally, you should select the Do Not Enable BitLocker Until Recovery Information Is Stored To AD DS For Removable Data Drives option. This option forces Windows to confirm that the recovery has been written to the Active Directory before BitLocker is allowed to encrypt the drive. That way, you do not have to worry about a power failure wiping out the recovery key half way through the encryption process.

    Windows XP SP2 & SP3 can only read the bitlocker usb stick.

    Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT)

    The Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) 5.5 is a free tool from Microsoft. It helps customers understand their application compatibility situation by identifying which applications are compatible with the Windows 7 RC and Windows Vista® operating system and which require further testing. ACT helps customers lower their costs for application compatibility testing, prioritize their applications, and deploy Windows more quickly. You can use the ACT features to:

    • Verify an application’s compatibility with a new version of the Windows operating system, or a Windows Update, including determining your risk assessment.
    • Become involved in the ACT Community, including sharing your risk assessment with other ACT users.
    • Test your Web applications and Web sites for compatibility with new releases and security updates to the Windows® Internet Explorer® Internet browser.

    Software Requirements:

    Type of Software Type of Software
    Operating Systems – Windows 7
    – Windows Vista
    – Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (SP1)
    – Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Service
       Pack 3 (SP3)
    – Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 (SP2)
    – Windows Server 2008 R2
    Database Components – Microsoft SQL Server 2008
    – Microsoft SQL Server 2005
    – Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express
    – Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express
    .NET Framework – ACT requires the .NET Framework 2.0 or newer.

    Download HERE
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    Configuring Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server 2010

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    For the best performance for Forefront Protection 2010 download Microsoft Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server Best Pratices Analyzer.

    Want to check if you have enough Capacity. Read the Following blog post: Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server (FPE) Capacity Planning Guidance v. 2

    When you deploy  Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server the next table is very handy

    Maintain the Submission Queue Length at zero.

    Apply the following script:
    \MSExchangeTransport Queues(_total)\Submission Queue Length

    Maintain CPU utilization at less than 75%.

    Plan and conserve amount of resources required to maintain acceptable level of service.

    Light-emitting diode (LED) light needs to be monitored for blinking.

    The hard drive LED should maintain a blinking state. Any other state (light always on) indicates thrashing. It is important to maintain adequate disk input/output and utilize memory swapping to prevent thrashing.

    FPE (or FSE) databases should be monitored and routinely maintained.

    Clean/purge database to reduce size.

    Enable retention policies.

    Note: If you are expecting the incident database to grow soon, it is a good idea to allocate more free space for the database.

    Apply service packs as required.

    Perform update for all required service packs on a regular basis.

    Note: Exchange Server fixes are distributed in service packs. Service packs keep the product current. Service packs include updates, system administration tools, drivers, and additional components. If you do not stay up to date on service packs, performance and product functionality are seriously compromised.

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