The Microsoft Events site is one I use to find useful in the past. The most important element for me is search past webcasts.
Although I have included Exchange Server 5.5, mainly because I use to work with it, the webcast in this series tend to only cover migrating away from it.
This guide is a companion to the Windows Server 2003 Security Guide and it is recommended that you read that guide first.
The Exchange 2003 Security Hardening guide is designed to provide essential information about harden your Microsoft® Exchange Server 2003 environment. It aimed at administrators responsible for Exchange messaging, both at the mailbox and architect levels.
Further Information:
Microsoft TechNet: Exchange Server Security Hardening Guide
Microsoft TechNet: Exchange Server Message Security Guide
Microsoft TechNet: Working with Active Directory Permissions in Exchange Server
Microsoft TechNet: Slowing and Stopping E-Mail Transmitted Viruses in an Exchange Environment
Exchange Server 2003 SP1 Recover Mailbox Data Feature
The major benefit that a recovery storage group provides is greater flexibility in restoring mailboxes and mailbox stores, because you are no longer required to set up a separate Active Directory directory service and recovery server. You can now recover to the same server or to any server in the administrative group.
Further Information:
Microsoft TechNet: Exchange Server 2003 SP1 Recover Mailbox Data Feature
This article explains what Real-Time Block Lists RBL is and why you might use it.
Further Information:
Microsoft TechNet: Exchange Server 2003 Real-Time Block Lists
Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer
Need to test the connectivity of your exchange server guess you need the Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer then.
More Information:
Microsoft Exchange email
Microsoft Exchange calendar, contacts and scheduling
Instant messaging applications such as Microsoft® Office Live Communications Server 2005 and Microsoft® Office Communications Server 2007
Web-based, Java® ME and Web Services applications
Other enterprise applications and systems such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) are also accessible.
Further Information:
Exchange ActiveSync & iPhone
If your office uses Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 or 2007, you can wirelessly push email, calendar events, and contacts to iPhone.
Enhanced features like searching your inbox and server, creating calendar invitations directly from iPhone, and dialing out from calendar events.
This information was found at Microsoft Exchange Best Practices Analyser and other Resources I intend to clarify and expand this work.
Windows Mobile Emulator
Testing Exchange ActiveSync with the Windows Mobile Emulator.
Step 1: The Emulator Application.
Microsoft Device Emulator 3.0 -- Standalone Release
Step 2: Virtual PC or Virtual Server
Microsoft Virtual PC 2007
Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1
Step 3: The images
Windows Mobile 5:
Standalone Device Emulator 1.0 with Windows Mobile OS Images
(efp.zip file)
Windows Mobile 6.0: Windows Mobile 6 Emulator Images
Windows Mobile 6.1: Windows Mobile 6.1 Emulator Images
Windows Mobile 6.5: Windows Mobile 6.5 Developer Tool Kit
Further Information:
MSEchange.org: Exchange Server 2003 and the Device Emulator 1.0 with MSFP
Microsoft TechNet: Exchange ActiveSync: Frequently Asked Questions
A useful list of the Microsoft tools available for Exchange 2003
ActiveSync Certificate-Based Authentication
Provides several tools to help an Exchange administrator configure and validate client certificate authentication for Exchange Server ActiveSync.
ActiveSync Mobile Web Administration
Manage the process of remotely erasing lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised mobile devices.
Add a custom root certificate to your Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC.
Rewrite return e-mail addresses on outgoing messages sent from a non-Microsoft mail system to Exchange Server and destined to external or Internet addresses.
May 24, 2004. Archive message and log recipient details and other information about messages sent to or received by your server that is running Exchange Server.
ASP.NET Mobile Controls Device Updates
Update the supported devices you can use with Microsoft Outlook Mobile Access on your Exchange server.
Force a restored directory database to replicate to your other servers after restoring from a backup by using this tool.
Automatically process meeting requests for resource mailboxes.
Badmail Deletion and Archiving
Delete or archive files automatically in the Badmail directory of specified Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) virtual servers.
The Exchange Best Practices Analyzer is designed for administrators who want to determine the overall health of their Exchange servers and topology.
Calendar Connector for Lotus Notes/Domino
The Exchange Server 2003 Calendar Connector for Lotus Notes/Domino is used for coexistence and migration of free/busy calendar data between Exchange Server 2003 and Lotus Domino.
Collaboration Data Objects, Version 1.2.1
Provides access to data in any MAPI store through a set of strongly typed interfaces that correspond to the common Office Outlook items types, including Message, Appointment, and Person.
Connector for Lotus Notes/Domino
The updated Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Connector for Lotus Notes/Domino is used for coexistence and migration of message flow, calendar requests, and directory synchronization between Exchange Server 2003 and Lotus Domino.
Find out the steps you should take, the diagnostic tools you should use, and the Setup links to help you successfully install Exchange Server 2003.
Disable Certificate Verification
Disable the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate check that is performed on a server running Exchange ActiveSync.
Repair Exchange Server attributes in Active Directory directory service after using the Windows Server 2003 domain rename tool.
E-Mail Journaling Advanced Configuration
Augment the current Exchange Server archiving features and capture recipients on expanded distribution lists, Bcc recipients, and other message details.
Determine error values from decimal and hexadecimal error codes in Windows operating systems.
Gather Exchange Server configuration information from various sources used in troubleshooting support issues with this command-line tool.
Information Store Viewer (MDBVU32)
The Information Store Viewer tool has been replaced by the MAPI Editor. The new tool, while still providing the functionality of the older tool for tasks such as browsing storage, is easier to use and is more stable. MAPI Editor is downloadable from this Exchange Server 2003 Tools page.
Find out how you can improve productivity and trim costs while lessening spam by exploring the resources listed on this page.
Inter-Organization Replication
Replicate public folder and free and busy information between Exchange Server organizations.
Simulate disk I/O load on a test server running Exchange to verify the performance and stability of your disk subsystem before putting your server into a production environment.
Change Exchange Server 2003 organization names and administrative group names on critical system objects. You can also use this tool to view or change legacyExchangeDN values.
Exchange Load Generator is a simulation tool to measure the impact of MAPI, OWA, IMAP, POP and SMTP clients on Exchange servers.
Mailbox Merge Wizard (ExMerge)
Extract data from mailboxes on one Exchange server and then merge that data into mailboxes on another Exchange server.
Management Pack Configuration Wizard
Configure test mailboxes, message tracking, and monitoring services in the Exchange 2000 Server and Exchange Server 2003 Management Packs with this graphical user interface.
Management Pack for Microsoft Operations Manager 2005
The Exchange Server Management Pack includes rules and scripts to track performance, availability, and reliability of Exchange components, such as Internet-related services, Extensible Storage Engine, System Attendant, Microsoft Exchange Information Store service, and SMTP.
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) is an easy-to-use tool designed to help small- and medium-sized businesses determine their security state in accordance with Microsoft security recommendations and offers specific remediation guidance.
Migration Wizard for Lotus Notes
The Exchange Server 2003 Migration Wizard for Lotus Notes/Domino is used for migrating Lotus Domino Accounts and mailboxes to Exchange Server 2003 and Active Directory.
Use this command-line tool to perform administrative tasks against a full-text index such as enabling and disabling a full-text index for searching, obtaining the current status of a full-text index, and stopping the current population on a full-text index.
Look for message transfer agent (MTA) database consistency and perform repairs.
Outlook Web Access Web Administration
Administer Microsoft Outlook Web Access with this Web-based tool.
Collect estimated statistical information from a single mailbox store or across an Exchange Server organization.
Profile Redirector or Exchange Profile Update
Exchange Redirector (ExProfRe.exe), also known as the Exchange Profile Update tool, updates Microsoft Office Outlook profiles after moving mailboxes across Exchange Server organizations or administrative groups.
Public Folder DAV-based Administration Tool
Use the Exchange Server Public Folder Distributed Authoring and Versioning (DAV)-based Administration tool (PFDAVAdmin) to perform various management tasks related to public folders and mailboxes.
Generate custom quota messages that inform users that they have exceeded their message quotas. This tool is a mailbox agent, and it uses template messages to format the body of the quota messages.
SMTP Internet Protocol Restriction and Accept/Deny List Configuration
Programmatically set Internet Protocol (IP) restrictions on an SMTP virtual server.
Determine whether SMTP and DNS are configured to reliably deliver mail to an external e-mail address.
Software Development Kit (SDK) Development Tools
Get tools and components for creating and debugging collaborative applications on Exchange Server.
Stress and Performance Tool (English only)
This tool simulates large numbers of client sessions running on Exchange Server
Troubleshooting Assistant v1.1
The Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant can help to determine the cause of performance, mail flow and database mounting issues on computers running Microsoft Exchange Server.
Up-to-Date Notifications Binding Cleanup
View and remove existing up-to-date notifications event registration items (bindings) on an individual as well as on a bulk level.
Up-to-Date Notifications Troubleshooting
Solve common notification issues and test e-mail message delivery to specified mobile devices with this troubleshooting tool.
Enables system administrators to view and evaluate individual user's usage and experience with Exchange Server.
Get a visual representation of the Exchange Server routing topology and the status of the different routing components.
Further Information
Microsoft TechNet: Tools for Exchange Server 2003
Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant
The Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting tool can help locate issues within Exchange server. Download, install and learn before you have to.
Further Information:
Microsoft Download: Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant
Microsoft Exchange Best Practices Analyzer
The Microsoft Exchange Best Practice Analyzer presents a list of issues that are sorted by severity. For each issue, the tool provides descriptions of what the problem is and of how you can fix this issue.
You would be well advised to run this on any Exchange 2003 Server.
Further Information:
Microsoft Download: Microsoft Exchange Best Practices Analyzer
Microsoft Exchange Best Practices Analyser and other Resources
Microsoft Download: Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant
Exchange System Manager does not automatically display administrative groups and routing groups.
Exchange System Manager (ESM), right-click the Exchange organization and select Properties.
On the General tab select Display routing groups & Display administrative groups.
Restart the Exchange System Manager (ESM) to see the changes
The switch to native mode cannot be reversed.
Further information:
Microsoft Support: How To Convert from Mixed Mode to Native Mode in Exchange
SBS 2003 – Windows 2003 Change Domain & Forest Functional Levels
This Blog: SBS 2003- Windows 2003 Change Domain & Forest Functional Levels
Microsoft Support: How to raise domain and forest functional levels in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft TechNet: Functional Levels Background Information
How do you quickly determine the build level of your exchange server
I have included links to a couple of Microsoft Support Documents
For Exchange 2003 Open the Exchange System Manager - Help - About Exchange System
Look for the Version Number
Example: Exchange 2003 no service packs
| Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 | 6.5.6944 |
| Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP1 | 6.5.7226 |
| Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP2 | 6.5.7638 |
| Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 post-SP2 | 6.5.7653.33 |
| Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 post-SP2 | 6.5.7654.4 |
Microsoft Support: How to determine the version number, the build number, and the service pack level of Exchange Server
Microsoft Support: Build numbers and release dates for Exchange Server
Microsoft Security: Check your version of Windows
Companies using Microsoft Exchange Server can obtain a Unified Communications Certificate required to enable secure client access from the Internet.
Unified Communications Certificate Partners for Exchange Server and for Communications Server
Microsoft certificate partners Comodo, DigiCert and Entrust.
