More in Exchange Server 2013

The first test deployments of Exchange 2013 on Windows Azure makes you think about just how far we have come with virtualized Exchange in the last eight years or so. And where we might be heading......More

Some people like to track the stream of knowledge base articles as they are released by Microsoft. I do not, possibly because there always seems to be better things to do such as write blog entries. So I am grateful to those of you who pointed out KB2835562, otherwise known as “You can't disable Outlook Web App (OWA) access for users in Office 365 or on-premises Exchange Server”....More

  One of the small but very welcome changes made in Exchange 2013 CU1 is the reintroduction of support for “groups managing groups”. This feature was supported in previous versions of Exchange but was removed in Exchange 2010. Microsoft published some workarounds to help companies migrating to Exchange 2010 cope with the problem. The net effect was a real mess....More

  The first cumulative update for Exchange 2013 (CU1) has arrived. The new release can be installed using a “build to build” (B2B) upgrade if you already have Exchange 2013 RTM in place. Otherwise you can simply install Exchange 2013 CU1 and use it as your starting point for Exchange 2013. An Active Directory schema update is required to support Exchange 2013 CU1. This is a different version to the schema update released with Exchange 2010 SP3....More

The release of updates for the Microsoft Exchange Deployment Assistant (EDA) to cater for the latest versions of Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2007 and the changing technical landscape (all explained in the EHLO blog) is very welcome. Generally I am a big fan of anything that helps to guide the deployment of technology in an intelligent manner and it’s good that Microsoft devotes the necessary resources to keep EDA updated....More

The Exchange toolbox has always been a loose collection of utility programs gathered from the highways and byways within Microsoft. Some of the utilities come from the Exchange development group, and some, including the extremely useful Remote Connectivity Analyzer (ExRCA) are developed by people who aren’t part of the product group. It seems like the general rush in Exchange 2013 to drop everything related to the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) framework and embrace the browser paradigm for management in the form of the Exchange Management Center (EAC) has caused a clear-out of the toolbox, which now boasts just three entries (see below) instead of the twelve provided with Exchange 2010. Dropping MMC wherever possible seems like a really good idea, especially in view of the fact that MMC caused some problems for Exchange 2010 SP1 last year. Of course, the move to EAC was well under way by then as it builds on the principles established by the Exchange 2010 Control Panel (ECP) and Exchange 2013 was ramping up for its beta versions and I doubt that anyone in the Exchange team shed any tears at the demise of MMC. It’s understandable that the reason to drop some of the utilities is “progress”. For example, it probably does not make much sense to continue shipping the public folder management console when a) it’s built on MMC and b) Microsoft would really like any of you who use public folders to try their super-duper modern versions, which can be managed through EAC. Of course, during the migration process you can continue to use the public folder management console on an Exchange 2010 server or a workstation where you have installed the Exchange 2010 management tools. Other utilities, such as the RBAC editor and delivery reports (aka message tracking), are now part of EAC. However, one big change – and one that removes quite a lot of value – is that the Message Tracking Log Explorer (MTE) is dropped. I can’t quite think of a good reason why this decision was t...More

It is nice that Computerworld have come to the same conclusion as I did (January 17) when I advised customers to wait for Exchange 2013 SP1 before they deploy. But some of the logic that Computerworld use to support their case is a tad odd or simply not based on hard data....More

Loss of control over the software run to connect to corporate services is just one of the issues for companies that’s exposed by the BYOD craze. Given the range of devices that people use, it’s practically impossible for administrators and help desk personnel to know the details of the applications that connect....More

It's pretty well-established by this point that Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) is the standard connection protocol for mobile devices. It's probably the single biggest underlying factor in the rise of mobile computing and the bring your own device (BYOD) movement in business IT. Even BlackeBerry-maker RIM has begun to adopt EAS for some of its products, including BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, to provide compatibility with Microsoft Exchange Server 2013. A couple of infographics about BYOD landed in my Inbox this week. The first, produced by TrackVia from a variety of sources, makes the case that BYOD is already solidly entrenched in most businesses. Although much talk about this trend might see it more as a coming thing, the highlighted stat here is that 80 percent of employees are using personal devices for business purposes, even while only 53 percent of organizations report having an official BYOD policy....More