Rollup 5 for Exchange Server 2007 SP1

This is a heads up that Rollup 5 for Exchange Server 2007 SP1 is in the final stages of getting released and should be out in a couple of days. The next step for the Exchange team will be to release the Update Rollup onto the Download Center and then publish it to Microsoft Update. Microsoft Update publishing will happen 2-3 weeks after the Download Center publishing, due to internal policies and processes. We will let you know when this happens.

Regarding the overall patching experience, we have addressed the issue of Exchange 2007 managed services might time out during certificate revocation checks. While we will have a full list of issues fixed when the Rollup releases, some of major issues are:

• CDCR: Need an option to apply ELC policy to only the root instead of applying it recursively to root and all subfolders
• CDCR: Add generatePublisherEvidence enabled="false" to Exchange Services Config Files
• SCR does not copy logs in a disjoint namespace scenario
• SCR cannot be enabled when DNS suffixes differ on source/target in disjoint namespace scenarios
• Exchange 2007 CAS cannot copy the OAB from the OAB share on Windows Server 2008-based Exchange 2007 CCR clusters
• Messages get stuck in outbox on Windows Mobile 6.1 devices When using CAS proxy
• CDCR: MSI patching doesn't update logon.aspx if the file is modified by customer

Source:bink.nu/news/update-rollup-5-for-exchange-server-2007-sp1-is-almost-out-the-door.aspx

Microsoft Launches Online Exchange, SharePoint

Microsoft on Monday officially launched hosted versions of Exchange and SharePoint, two of its biggest on-premise cash cows, and continued to drive home the message that channel partners have nothing to fear from Microsoft's plan to move all its enterprise apps to the cloud.

Exchange Online and SharePoint Online are part of Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS), which also includes Live Meeting and Office Communications Server, although the latter is still in beta and won't be available until next spring.

At a launch event in San Francisco, Stephen Elop, president of the Microsoft Business Division, said companies can reap cost savings of between 10 and 50 percent by moving to Microsoft-hosted SharePoint and Exchange services.

In July at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference, some solution providers were upset by the commission structure for BPOS as well as by Microsoft's revelation that it would take over control of billing customers.

Exchange Online is priced at $10 per user/month, SharePoint Online per user/month is $7.25. Office Communications Server Online will be $2.50 per user/month, and LiveMeeting will be $4.50 per user/month. Microsoft will offer these services in one-year automatically renewing agreements.

At the Monday launch event, Elop insisted that Microsoft has maintained "a deliberate dependence" on its partner ecosystem by offering VARs the chance to develop recurring revenue streams.

To illustrate what Elop described as the "absolutely overwhelming" channel response to Exchange and SharePoint Online, Microsoft had several partners on hand to discuss deployment scenarios. These case studies helped underscore Microsoft's mantra that VARs can adapt their business models by focusing on value-added migration and customization services.

"The whole world is changing. It requires change, but it's representative of what's going on in the market today," said Elop.

Adam Smith, director of marketing at Phase 2 International, a Honolulu, Hawaii-based solution provider, says in the current economic environment, his customers are finding it easier to pay a monthly subscription as opposed to a major one-time capital expenditure.

Smith admits that the Microsoft's WPC announcement was initially ominous for Microsoft hosting partners, but said the practical realities of deploying on-premise Microsoft apps quickly dissolved those fears.

"We've never had a customer who was satisfied with an out-of-the-box, Microsoft application," Smith said. "Every customer, without exception, has required some level of support, training, integration, or customization."

Source: crn.com

Why does the user name get rejected when some users log in to Exchange Server 2007 via POP3?

Question:- Why does the user name get rejected when some users log in to Exchange Server 2007 via POP3?

Answer:- We're all familiar with the user principal name (UPN); it includes a user's log-on name, the @ symbol, followed by the domain name. Errors can occur when users have a UPN that exceeds 40 characters, which is the default limit for POP3 set by the MaxCommandSize setting. You can resolve this issue in one of two ways. The first method just increases the value of MaxCommandSize, this way:

• Start the Exchange Management Shell.
• Type Get-POPSettings to view current settings. You'll notice the default value is 40.
• To increase the value to 50 (the upper limit is 1,024 bytes), type Set-POPSettings -MaxCommandSize 50
• Restart POP3 for the changes to take effect.

2. The second method increases the value of MSExchPopImapCommandSize via the Adsiedit.msc snap-in. It's a bit more complicated...

Via:mcpmag.com

How To: Recreate OWA Virtual Directory - Exchange 2007

How To: Recreate OWA Virtual Directory - Exchange 2007. So many times I heard that OWA doesn’t work on Exchange 2007 server. There would be many reason behind it, like permission configuration, missing files, not able to load properly, .net errors etc…

There are different solutions base on various reasons but no one works then you may try by recreating OWA virtual directory which is giving problem.

Check and note the settings of directory in EMC before recreating it, like InternalURL, ExternalURL, Forms-Based Authentication settings ect..

Procedure:

• First step is to identify the directory which is giving the problem.

You can use Get-OwaVirtualDirectory to get the list of virtual directories.

• Now let’s say I have problem while accessing owa directory. Remove it with below command.

Remove-OwaVirtualDirectory “owa (Default Web Site)”

• Now create it again with below command.

New-OwaVirtualDirectory -OwaVersion “Exchange2007″ -Name “owa (Default Web Site)”

Note: if you are recreating other than owa directory which are legacy Exchange directories then you need to use “Exchange2003or2000″ in OWAVersion switch instead of “Exchange2007″

• Now configure the “owa” virtual directory settings like InternalURL, ExternalURL, Forms-Based Authentications etc… & check the OWA by logging with some test users.

Source: exchangeshare.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/how-to-recreate-owa-virtual-directory-exchange-2007