Exchange Server 2007

 Features

 

Increased database maximum size limit

Database size is now limited to 16TB per database

Increased maximum storage groups and mail databases per server

5 each for Standard Edition (from 1 each in Exchange Server 2003 Standard), and to 50 each for Enterprise Edition (from 4 groups and 20 databases in Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise).

 

Exchange Management Shell

a new command-line shell and scripting language for system administration (based on Windows PowerShell). Shell users can perform every task that can be performed in the Exchange Server graphical user interface plus additional tasks, and can program often-used or complex tasks into scripts that can be saved, shared, and re-used. The Exchange Management Shell has over 375 unique commands to manage features of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.

 

Configure Outlook Anywhere

Formerly known as RPC over HTTP provides external access to Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 for users. If you want Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 user profiles to be automatically configured to connect to Exchange 2007, configure the Autodiscover service. This also provides external URLs for Exchange services such as the Availability service and offline address book.

 

Protection

Anti-spam, antivirus, compliance, clustering with data replication, improved security and encryption

 

Improved IT Experience

64-bit performance & scalability, command-line shell & simplified GUI, improved deployment, role separation, simplified routing

 

Unified Messaging

Let’s users receive voice mail, e-mail, and faxes in their mailboxes, and lets them access their mailboxes from cell phones and other wireless devices. Voice commands can be given to control and listen to e-mail over the phone (and also send some basic messages, like “I’ll be late”)

 

Standard edition

Can have 5 databases in up to 5 storage groups. Supports LCR (Local Continuous Replication) and SCR (Standby Continuous Replication).

Enterprise edition

This is extended to 50 databases in up to 50 storage groups. Supports LCR (Local Continuous Replication), SCR (Standby Continuous Replication), SCC (Single Copy Clustering), and CCR (Clustered Continuous Replication).

 

 

Exchange Server 2010

 

DAG (Database Availability Groups)

 

• SCC, CCR, LCR and site resiliency functionality SCR have been replaced by DAG.
• Provides database level high availability (as opposed to server level) and supports a number of copies of each database (number based on Exchange Edition) and flexible configuration (databases copies may be added / removed at will without requiring major server reconfiguration).

 

Client Access Server (CAS)

High availability for the Client Access Server role is provided by using Client Access Server (CAS) arrays. A CAS array can contain multiple Client Access Servers in an Active Directory site and provide a single name endpoint for client connections. CAS arrays cannot span multiple Active Directory sites.

 

Mailbox Server Role may be combined with the Client Access Server

In Exchange Server 2007, a clustered mailbox server could not be combined with any other roles. In Exchange Server 2010, the Mailbox Server Role may be combined with the Client Access Server and/or Hub Transport roles, regardless of whether or not the mailbox server participates in a Database Availability Group. However, since Database Availability Groups use Windows Failover Clustering, and Microsoft does not support the combination of Windows Failover Clustering and Windows Network Load Balancing on the same server, a multi-role deployment will require the use of a 3rd party load balancer to provide load balancing and fault tolerance for the Client Access Server role.

 

RPC Client Access

With the introduction of the RPC Client Access service, all Outlook clients access their mailbox database through the Client Access Server role. This abstraction layer allows for improved load balancing and redundancy and minimal client impact in the event of a database level *-over (“switchover” or “failover”) event.

 

Personal Archive

Introduces a Personal Archive feature to allow messages to be retained longer without the need for a 3rd party archival system. The Personal Archive is implemented as a secondary mailbox for archive-enabled users, and in Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1, the Personal Archive may be located on a different database than the primary mailbox, which may reside on a different disk if desired.

 

Recoverable Items

The compliance and legal search features have been enhanced. What was formerly known as the “Dumpster” in previous versions of Exchange (a special storage area for messages which have been deleted from the Deleted Items folder or “permanently deleted” from a regular folder, such as the Inbox) has been evolved into the Recoverable Items folder in Exchange Server 2010. If configured appropriately, the Recoverable Items folder allows for a “tamper proof” storage area (users cannot circumvent the Recoverable Items folder to bypass legal discovery), which also provides a revision history of any modified items.

 

Administration delegation

Can now be performed at a granular level due to Exchange Server 2010’s implementation of Role Based Access Control (RBAC). Users and administrators can be given extremely fine grained abilities for functions provided both within the Exchange Management Console or Exchange Management Shell and in Outlook Web App. For example, a compliance officer may be given the ability to perform cross mailbox discovery searches within Outlook Web App; a help desk technician may be granted the ability to set an Out Of Office message for other employees within the company, or a branch administrator in a remote office may be granted the permission to perform specific Exchange Management Shell commands that pertain only to the Exchange server in their branch office.

 

Outlook Web App includes improvements

Including, for example, the ability for users to track their sent messages and printable calendar views and the “Premium” experience is now available across multiple browsers (including Safari and Firefox).

 

Distribution groups can now be “moderated”

Meaning that distribution groups can now be configured to allow users to join at will or only with a group moderator’s permission, and individual messages sent to distribution groups can now be approved or denied by a moderator.

 

“Shadow Redundancy”

Exchange Server 2010 introduces a transport concept called “Shadow Redundancy” which protects e-mail messages while they are in transit. If a Hub Transport server or an Edge Transport server fails after it has received a message for processing, but before it was able to deliver it to the next “hop” server, the server which sent the message to that transport server is now able to detect the failure and redeliver the message to a different Hub Transport or Edge Transport server for processing…

 

Several high-availability options have been consolidated into just one option for Exchange Server 2010 (Mailbox Resiliency), which is now offered in both the Standard and Enterprise editions. The capabilities of Local Continuous Replication, Standby Continuous Replication, and Cluster Continuous Replication are now unified into the Exchange 2010 Mailbox Resiliency capability. These capabilities enable a simplified approach to high availability and disaster recovery. The Standard Edition supports up to 5 databases with each database being limited to a maximum size of 16 TB. While the Enterprise Edition supports up to 100 databases with no size limit.

 

Storage group is no more in Exchange 2010 and onwards.

 

 

 Exchange Server 2013

Microsoft reached the RTM milestone for Exchange Server 2013 on October 11, 2012.

 

Features

 

New features included:

 

Offline support in OWA

Emails and actions are automatically synced the next time connectivity is restored.

 

Site Mailboxes

Brings Exchange emails and SharePoint documents together.

 

Outlook Web App

Offers three different UI layouts optimized for desktop, tablet, and mobile phone browsers.

 

Ability to customize

Outlook and OWA by integrating apps from the Office marketplace. (Yes, this is a reference to the Agaves add-ins that Microsoft and partners will be making available via the new Office Store.) The new “Napa” tools and/or HTML5 are Microsoft’s preferred ways to developers to build these.

 

Exchange Administrative Center (EAC)

Replacement of the Exchange Management Console by a Web-based Exchange Administrative Center (EAC).

 

Support for up to 8TB disks

And multiple databases per disk via Data Availability Group (DAG) management.

 

Built in basic anti-malware protection

Ability for administrators to configure and manage settings from inside EAC. (Note: this feature can be turned off, replaced or “paired with premium services such as Exchange Online Protection for layered protection.”).

 

New Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Capabilities for identifying and protecting “sensitive data.” DLP policies are based on regulatory standards, including PII and PCI. Also: new policy tips in Outlook 2013 can be set to inform users about potential policy violations.

 

In-Place eDiscovery

Can be run across Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync from a single interface.

 

Combine Roles

A reduction in the number of available roles to two: a Client Access Server and a Mailbox Server role.

 

FAST Search

Now integrated into Exchange 2013 managed store to provide a more consistent (across Microsoft servers) indexing and searching experience.

 

Inclusion of a “Managed Store”

The name of the rewritten information store processes, which are now written in C#.

 

Replication

Public folders are now stored in mailbox databases and can take advantage of Database Availability Groups for replication and high availability.

 

Data loss prevention

Capabilities that can be integrated into Transport Rules.

 

Happy Learning !!