When a new software release is introduced we (IT professionals) are always interested in the notable upgrades made to a product. Too often do software manufacturers try to sell us on the prettier graphics and slick animations. Although there are some new GUI based procedures in the new Exchange Server 2007, more importantly there are six strong features that make Exchange Server 2007 stand out.

The Hardware
One of the unavoidable bottlenecks inherent in Exchange was that you could only use 4 gigs of physical memory on Exchange servers. This is a physical limitation of the 32 bit architecture that Exchange was written on. To eliminate this bottleneck, Exchange 2007 is a 64 bit application that runs on 64 bit hardware…..ONLY. No 32 bit version is available. This allows for tons of memory to be installed and utilized, thereby eliminating the bottleneck caused by the lack of memory. Another benefit of the 64 bit API is the reduced I/O to the disk subsystem, up to 75% reduction in disk I/O. These 2 factors are a direct result of the 64 bit architecture and are an immense performance increase over previous versions of Exchange.

Replication/Data Protection
Exchange Server 2007 includes a couple of new data protection mechanisms that can be used to protect clients data. They are called LCR and CCR, Local Continuous Replication and Clustered Continuous Replication. With LCR the Exchange Server maintains a copy of a storage group on another volume on the server. With CCR another physical server maintains a copy of the storage group. A process called “log shipping” synchronizes the storage groups and makes it possible to recover from a corrupted or failed database very quickly.

Intelligent SPAM and Phishing Filters
Much has been done to enhance Exchange Server security. To protect the Exchange 2007 messaging system from SPAM, the Intelligent Message Filter from Exchange 2003 SP2 has been included and improved upon. Along with SPAM, there are controls for Phishing and sender reputation. The Smartscreen filter that makes it possible to identify these annoying and sometimes malicious emails is updated continuously by Microsoft by default. Exchange 2007 also includes a process that allows for the creation of rules that dictate message retention for regulatory compliance called ELC, the Email Life Cycle.

Modular Installation
Installation of Exchange 2007 is modular and allows for 1 or more roles to be installed on an Exchange server. There are 5 different roles that can be installed independently or together (with the exception of the Edge Transport role), depending on the size and needs of the company. The installation is wizard based and automates most of the necessary tasks associated with the installation. For instance, it isn’t necessary to perform a “forest prep” or a “domain prep” prior to installing Exchange 2007, even though these processes are still necessary. The installation wizard will perform these processes if necessary (you could still do these manually, you just don’t have to). Once deployed along with Outlook 2007, there is another enhancement allowing for clients to “find” their Exchange server automatically without having to type the name of the Exchange server that hosts their mailbox. It’s called “autodiscovery”, and has been one of those features that Exchange administrators have been seeking for many years.

Improved Syncing with Smartphones/PDAs
Getting email to your Smartphone or PDA is also part of Exchange 2007. MSFP, the Messaging Security Feature Pack which was released with SP2 for Exchange 2003, has been included and improved upon for Exchange 2007. It provides both Direct Push and Exchange Active Sync to provide email services to clients Smartphones or PDA devices. Email service similar to Goodlink or Blackberry …..without having to buy Goodlink or Blackberry servers or licensing.

Unified Messaging
And finally Unified Messaging. Microsoft has built into Exchange 2007 the ability to include voice, fax and email in one messaging system. It will be possible to have fax’s sent directly to your inbox without having to buy Rightfax or another third party solution. Also being able to configure Exchange with voice mail will make it possible for companies to consolidate all their messaging needs in one place and help reduce costs.

For those who will be managing Exchange Server 2007, I recommend the following learning path:

STEP 1: WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH EXCHANGE SERVER 2007?

Upgrading from Exchange Server 2000/2003 Updating Your Skills from Exchange Server 2000 or 2003 to Exchange Server 2007* or Equivalent Experience New to Microsoft Exchange Server Essential Microsoft Exchange Server 2007* or Equivalent Experience   Monitoring and Troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange Server 2007* or Equivalent Experience note: at this point you may be eligible to take Microsoft Exam 70-236 if you are working toward certification: MCTS: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007-Configuration

About Pat Utley
Pat Utley is a Microsoft Certified Trainer who has taught thousands of IT professionals from some of the world's largest organizations. Pat trains IT professionals and helps them to understand, implement and deploy Microsoft infrastructure products like Exchange Server 2007.