Microsoft has released some new sizing calculators for DPM 2010.
DPM_2010_Storage_Calculator_for_Exchange_2010.xlsx
Author: Ward
Passed the 70-663 Designing and Deploying Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Exam
Last Friday I passed the 70-663 Designing and Deploying Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Exam with 981 points.
So I am very pleased with it. Last month’s I’m working a lot with Exchange 2010. I love the product. Last Friday evening I updated a customer DAG cluster to SP1. Next moth starting moving the 2000 mailboxes from Exchange 2007 tot Exchange 2010.
Exchange 2010 SP1 Prerequisites
Some day’s ago Microsoft Releases Exchange 2010 SP1. When you install Exchange 2010 SP1 you need to install some hotfixes. The Exchange Team have made a nice over view witch hotfixes you need for the OS.
| Hotfix | Download | Windows Server 2008 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows 7 & Windows Vista |
| 979744 A .NET Framework 2.0-based Multi-AppDomain application stops responding when you run the application |
MSDN or Microsoft Connect |
Windows6.0-KB979744-x64.msu (CBS: Vista/Win2K8) | Windows6.1-KB979744-x64.msu (CBS: Win7/Win2K8 R2) | N. A. |
| 983440 An ASP.NET 2.0 hotfix rollup package is available for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2 |
Request from CSS | Yes | Yes | N.A. |
| 977624 AD RMS clients do not authenticate federated identity providers in Windows Server 2008 or in Windows Vista. Without this update, Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) features may stop working |
Request from CSS using the “View and request hotfix downloads” link in the KBA | US-English | Select the download for Windows Vista for the x64 platform. | N.A. | N.A. |
| 979917 Two issues occur when you deploy an ASP.NET 2.0-based application on a server that is running IIS 7.0 or IIS 7.5 in Integrated mode |
Request from CSS using the Hotfix Request Web Submission Form or by phone (no charge) | Yes | N. A. | N. A. |
| 973136, FIX: ArgumentNullException exception error message when a .NET Framework 2.0 SP2-based application tries to process a response with zero-length content to an asynchronous ASP.NET Web service request: “Value cannot be null”. |
Microsoft Connect | Windows6.0-KB973136-x64.msu | N.A. | N. A. |
| 977592 RPC over HTTP clients cannot connect to the Windows Server 2008 RPC over HTTP servers that have RPC load balancing enabled. |
Request from CSS | Select the download for Windows Vista (x64) | N.A. | N. A. |
| 979099 An update is available to remove the application manifest expiry feature from AD RMS clients. |
Download Center | N. A. | Windows6.1-KB979099-x64.msu | N. A. |
| 982867
WCF services that are hosted by computers together with a NLB fail in .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 |
MSDN | N. A. | Windows6.1-KB982867-v2-x64.msu (Win7) | X86: Windows6.1-KB982867-v2-x86.msu (Win7) x64: Windows6.1-KB982867-v2-x64.msu (Win7) |
| 977020 FIX: An application that is based on the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2 and that invokes a Web service call asynchronously throws an exception on a computer that is running Windows 7. |
Microsoft Connect | N. A. | N. A. | x64: Windows6.1-KB977020-v2-x64.msu
X86: Windows6.1-KB977020-v2-x86.msu |
Some of the hotfixes would have been rolled up in a Windows update or service pack. Given that the Exchange team released SP1 earlier than what was planned and announced earlier, it did not align with some of the work with the Windows platform. As a result, some hotfixes are available from MSDN/Connect, and some require that you request them online using the links in the corresponding KBs. All these updates may become available on the Download Center, and also through Windows Update.
These hotfixes have been tested extensively as part of Exchange 2010 SP1 deployments within Microsoft and by our TAP customers. They are fully supported by Microsoft.
The TechNet article Exchange 2010 Prerequisites is updated with the hotfixes and install the prerequisites required for your server version (the hotfixes are linked to in the above table).
You can use the Install the Windows Server 2008 SP2 operating system prerequisites on a Windows 2008 R2 server. Only you have to run the following powershell command: Import-Module ServerManager
Installed Exchange 2010 SP1 on a Windows 2008 R2 Server with problems. I feels that the MMC is faster. Tomorrow upgrading a DAG/NLB cluster to Exchange 2010 SP1.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1 has been released
Microsoft has released Exchange SP1 
.
So What’s New in Exchange SP1:
New Deployment Functionality
During an Exchange 2010 SP1 installation, you can now select a new option to install the required Windows roles and features for each selected Exchange 2010 SP1 server role. For more information, see New Deployment Functionality in Exchange 2010 SP1.
Exchange ActiveSync
In Exchange 2010 SP1, you can manage Exchange ActiveSync devices using the Exchange Control Panel (ECP). Administrators can perform the following tasks:
- Manage the default access level for all mobile phones and devices.
- Set up e-mail alerts when a mobile phone or device is quarantined.
- Personalize the message that users receive when their mobile phone or device is either recognized or quarantined.
- Provide a list of quarantined mobile phones or devices.
- Create and manage Exchange ActiveSync device access rules.
- Allow or block a specific mobile phone or device for a specific user.
For every user, the administrator can perform the following tasks from the user’s property pages:
- List the mobile phones or devices for a specific user.
- Initiate remote wipes on mobile phones or devices.
- Remove old mobile phone or device partnerships.
- Create a rule for all users of a specific mobile phone or device or mobile phone type.
- Allow or block a specific mobile phone or device for the specific user.
SMS Sync
SMS Sync is a new feature in Exchange ActiveSync that works with Windows Mobile 6.1 with the Outlook Mobile Update and with Windows Mobile 6.5. SMS Sync is the ability to synchronize messages between a mobile phone or device and an Exchange 2010 Inbox. When synchronizing a Windows Mobile phone with an Exchange 2010 mailbox, users can choose to synchronize their text messages in addition to their Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Notes. When synchronizing text messages, users will be able to send and receive text messages from their Inbox. This feature is dependent on the user’s mobile phones or devices supporting this feature
Reset Virtual Directory
In Exchange 2010 SP1, you can use the new Reset Client Access Virtual Directory wizard to reset one or more Client Access server virtual directories. The new wizard makes it easier to reset a Client Access server virtual directory. One reason that you might want to reset a Client Access server virtual directory is to resolve an issue related to a damaged file on a virtual directory. In addition to resetting virtual directories, the wizard creates a log file that includes the settings for each virtual directory that you choose to reset. For more information, see Reset Client Access Virtual Directories.
Exchange Store and Mailbox Database Functionality
The following is a list of new store and mailbox database functionality in Exchange 2010 SP1:
- With the New-MailboxRepairRequest cmdlet, you can detect and repair mailbox and database corruption issues.
- Store limits were increased for administrative access.
- The Database Log Growth Troubleshooter (Troubleshoot-DatabaseSpace.ps1) is a new script that allows you to control excessive log growth of mailbox databases.
- Public Folders client permissions support was added to the Exchange Management Console (EMC).
Mailbox and Recipients Functionality
The following is a list of new mailbox and recipient functionality included in Exchange 2010 SP1:
- Calendar Repair Assistant supports more scenarios than were available in Exchange 2010 RTM.
- Mailbox Assistants are now all throttle-based (changed from time-based in Exchange 2010 RTM).
- Internet calendar publishing allows users in your Exchange organization to share their Outlook calendars with a broad Internet audience.
- Importing and exporting .pst files now uses the Mailbox Replication service and doesn’t require Outlook.
- Hierarchical address book support allows you to create and configure your address lists and offline address books in a hierarchical view.
- Distribution group naming policies allow you to configure string text that will be appended or prepended to a distribution group’s name when it’s created.
- Soft-delete of mailboxes after move completion
High Availability and Site Resilience Functionality
The following is a list of new high availability and site resilience functionality included in Exchange 2010 SP1:
- Continuous replication – block mode
- Active mailbox database redistribution
- Enhanced datacenter activation coordination mode support
- New and enhanced management and monitoring scripts
- Exchange Management Console user interface enhancements
- Improvements in failover performance
Messaging Policy and Compliance Functionality
The following is a list of new messaging policy and compliance functionality included in Exchange 2010 SP1:
- Provision personal archive on a different mailbox database
- Import historical mailbox data to personal archive
- Delegate access to personal archive
- New retention policy user interface
- Support for creating retention policy tags for Calendar and Tasks default folders
- Opt-in personal tags
- Multi-Mailbox Search preview
- Annotations in Multi-Mailbox Search
- Multi-Mailbox Search data de-duplication
- WebReady Document Viewing of IRM-protected messages in Outlook Web App
- IRM in Exchange ActiveSync for protocol-level IRM
- IRM logging
- Mailbox audit logging
Technet Exchange 2010 SP1 info
Release Notes for Exchange Server 2010 SP1
What’s New in Exchange 2010 SP1
Downloads:
Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1
Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 SP1 Language Pack Bundle
Exchange Server 2010 SP1 UM Language Packs
Exchange Server 2010 SP1 Help
Your account in Microsoft Exchange Server does not have have permissions to synchronize with your current settings 0x85010004 or Eventid 1053 Exchange ActiveSync doesn’t have sufficient permissions to create the user container under Active Directory user "Active Directory operation failed on domain controller.
Error: Your account in Microsoft Exchange Server does not have have permissions to synchronize with your current settings.
Eventlog: 
Exchange ActiveSync doesn’t have sufficient permissions to create the "CN=ward,OU=Users,DC=wardvissers,DC=local" container under Active Directory user "Active Directory operation failed on DC2008-03.ad.local. This error is not retriable. Additional information: Access is denied.
Active directory response: 00000005: SecErr: DSID-031521D0, problem 4003 (INSUFF_ACCESS_RIGHTS), data 0
".
Make sure the user has inherited permission granted to domain\Exchange Servers to allow List, Create child, Delete child of object type "msExchangeActiveSyncDevices" and doesn’t have any deny permissions that block such operations.
Because my account has domain admins rights the security settings will be reset every hour by
AdminSDHolder
Each Active Directory domain has an object called AdminSDHolder, which resides in the System container of the domain. The Admin-SDHolder object has a unique Access Control List (ACL), which is used to control the permissions of security principals that are members of built-in privileged Active Directory groups (what I like to call “protected” groups). Every hour, a background process called SDPROP runs on the domain controller that holds the PDC Emulator operations master role. It compares the ACL on all security principals (users, groups and computer accounts) that belong to protected groups against the ACL on the AdminSDHolder object. If the ACL lists aren’t the same, the ACL on the security principal is overwritten with the ACL from the Admin–SDHolder object. In addition, inheritance is disabled on the security principal.
Temporally Solution:
1. Active Directory Users and Computers
2. Enable Advanced Features 
3. Search the User and go to the Security tab.
4. Advanced 
5. Include Inheritable permissions from the Object’s parent 
Source: Blog
Remote Desktop Services Component Architecture Poster
This poster provides a visual reference for understanding key Remote Desktop Services technologies in Windows Server 2008 R2. It explains the functions and roles of Remote Desktop Session Host, Remote Desktop Virtualization Host, Remote Desktop Connection Broker, Remote Desktop Web Access, Remote Desktop Gateway, RemoteFX and Remote Desktop Licensing.
To Download: Click on the picture.
Exchange 2010 Configuring Mail Tips
MailTips is a one of the new features of Exchange Server 2010. When a user sends a message, MailTips gives the some status information of the recipient and that helps to reduces unnecessary and undeliverable e-mails, as well as reduce some embarrassing things done by senders. MailTips are hosted as an Exchange Web Services on the Client Access Server.
MailTips are work with the Scenarios given below.
- If one of the recipients is out of office.
- When the recipient’s mailbox is full
- Message size exceeds sender’s send limit.
- If The Message quota exceeds of the recipient.
- When Sending email to a large number of recipients.
- When trying to send email to restricted recipients.
- When a booking a room with exceeded invitees.
- When sending to External and invalid domains.
- When trying to send to moderated recipients.
- Attaching more attachments than allowed.
Configuring MailTips
Gather Organization wide configuration MailTips settings.
Get-OrganizationConfig | fl *mailtips*
Enable or Disable MailTips.
You must use “Set-OrganizationConfig” CmdLet to enable or disable mailTips. Mailtips are enabled by default.
Set-OrganizationConfig -MailTipsAllTipsEnabled $true
Configure the large audience size for MailTips.
You must use “Set-OrganizationConfig” Cmdlet to configure large audience size. With a fresh Exchange Server 2010 installation it would be 25 by default. If we decrease it to 15, then Mailtip would be display to sender if sender add more than 15 recipients. See figure 3.
Set-OrganizationConfig -MailTipsLargeAudienceThreshold 15
Large Audience Threshold MailTip will display after adding more than 15 recipients . See figure 4.
Enable or disable the External Recipients MailTips
We have some embarrassing experiences of sending some internal information to external parties. However company doesn’t want to restrict sending emails to outside domains. With MailTips at least we can give a alert to the sender before click send button. See figure 5.
Set-OrganizationConfig –MailTipsExternalRecipientsTipsEnabled $True
External Recipients MailTips displays when trying to send to an external domains. See figure 6.
Enable or disable MailTips that rely on mailbox data
Mailbox based MailTips are rely on the mailbox data. There are two Mailbox based Mailtips, The Recipient Out of Office and Mailbox Full MailTips, rely on the mailbox data.
Set-OrganizationConfig -MailTipsMailboxSourcedTipsEnabled $true
The Recipient Out of Office. You can get to know if whether the recipient is out of the office before you send the email. See figure 8.
Mailbox Full. If recipient’s Mailbox is full, you can know that before sending the email. See figure 9.
Configure Group Metrics
MailTIps relies on Group Metrics data to provide information on the the size of distribution groups and dynamic distribution groups. Exchange server normally query a lot of LDAP requests to the Active Directory to get group membership information for each message.This could affect the the performance experienced by the users. To eliminate these issues Exchange server uses the Group Metric data. Group Metric data can be scheduled to run during office hours. You should use Set-MailboxServer CmdLet to configure Group metric Data. See figure 10.
Set-MailboxServer DAGEK10-01 GroupMetricsGenerationEnabled $true
Used this article as Source for my article.
Exchange 2007/2010 Performance settings on vSphere.
When install a Exchange 2007 or Exchange 2010 Server on vSphere there are some settings that will increase de performance.
– Use de VMXNET 3 Adapter
– Use per Disk a SCSI Controller
– Store the Log & Database files on physical Lun on a SAN
– Use the LSI LOGIC SAS controller for Windows 2008 & 2008 R2
– Use the VMware Paravirtual SCSI (PVSCSI) Controller for Every physical Raw Device Mapping (RDM).
Another TIP. Exchange 2007 & Exchange 2010 needs a lots of Memory. When choosing the size for the OS partition, swap file need also al lot of space.
MDT 2010 Multiple Partitions Issues & hidden Bitlocker partition
I had a new laptop where I wanted to deploy Windows 7 x64 Enterprise and walked to a bug in MDT 2010. Default config.
I configured 2 partitions to use the whole disk. See screenshot. 
When I deploy the task I get the following error
He wants to format partition D. But partition D is not availably.
I ended the task and opened the PE window and started Diskpart and listed the volumes.
The strange thing was that the extended partition has the drive letter S had and it was a raw partition.
After studying ZTIDiskpart.log (X:\MININT\SMSOSD\OSDLOGS\ZTIDiskpart_diskpart.log)
I found out that there was no space left to create a 300mb partition for saving Bitlocker information.
So what did ZTIDiskpart.wsf. ZTIDiskpart.wsf gave the last partition that was created the drive letter S. This is the default letter for the Bitlocker partition. So hey wanted to format the file system with fat32. Because in my case the partition size was 200GB he cannot format the disk.
Solution:
Setting the extended partition to use 95%. Then MDT have enough space to create a 300mb hidden partition for Bitlocker.
Windows Cannot Find GPEdit.MSC
I get this error on a Windows 2003 R2 x64 machine when I wanted to use the Group Policy Management Console.
Solution is really simple:
1- Browse to "%windir%\system32\" and copy gpedit.msc
2- Browse to "%windir%\syswow64\" and paste gpedit.msc
Now it works again 