Prior to upgrading the current system to Exchange 2007, some precautions and considerations must be taken:-
1. Verity software and hardware computability to Exchange 2007:
Exchange Server 2007 System Requirements:-
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/2007/evaluate/sysreqs.mspx
Planning Processor and Memory Configurations :-
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998874.aspx
Planning Disk Storage:-
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124518.aspx
IP/PBX and PBX Support:-
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/2516dac1-dfdc-47eb-8e6f-18b1537a57b2.aspx
Outlook and Exchange Server Compatibility :-
http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/clients.mspx
2. Choose the correct Exchange 2007 Edition to your organization:
Exchange Server 2007 Product Guide:-
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/9/c/99c1fe21-9156-4ef6-bc41-3f82e226935f/Exchange_Server_2007_Product_Guide.pdf
3. Review:-
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Help:-
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=555F5974-9258-475A-B150-0399B133FEDE&displaylang=en
Windows PowerShell 1.0 Documentation Pack:-
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=B4720B00-9A66-430F-BD56-EC48BFCA154F&displaylang=en
Frequently Asked Questions about Exchange Server 2007:-
http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/TopQuestions.mspx
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Release Notes:-
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2600CAB1-BF60-49BD-BEF5-CB80083275AD&DisplayLang=en
Tip: Its recommended to check the links above from time to time. Microsoft update the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007
Help and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Release Notes.
4. Download the following updates:
a. Windows 2003 Service Pack 2 (If you didn’t used installation media of Windows 2003/Windows 2003 R2
with a integrated Windows Service Pack 2 )
b. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926139
Note: Although you may no need to install the updates mentioned above, its recommended to review each
update knowledge base, and then to decide if the update required and not.
5. Review Exchange Team Blog for known issue and recommendation:
The Microsoft Exchange Team Blog:-
http://msexchangeteam.com/
6. Verity third party product commutability to X64 Operating System and Exchange 2007 (Specially: Antivirus Software,
Backup and Archive Software).
7. Consider to use Microsoft Forefront to protect Exchange 2007:
Microsoft Forefront:-
http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/default.mspx
8. Learn Exchange Server 2007 Transport Server Role Architecture Diagrams:
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Transport Server Role Architecture Diagrams:-
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=612F811D-2953-4C08-945E-833C17150083&displaylang=en
Note: This diagram can be useful for the planning stage and help to resolve transport issues.
9. Review pre-requirements of the schema master, global catalogs, domain function level and Exchange 2007 commutability
to old Exchange system/s (Like Exchange 5.5) and old Windows 2000 Domain Controller/s.
10. Review the "Exchange 2007 System Requirements":
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa996719.aspx
The next section contains some useful tips that may save time and help in applying a successful upgrade process
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Post Upgrade Actions, Troubleshooting, and Recovery
1. Install Exchange 2007 Administrative Tools on the Administrator workstation:
Installing Exchange 2007 Management Tools On a 32 Bit Operating System
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555841
Note: You can use X64 Operating System and use native Exchange 2007 Administrative Tools
2. Consider to implement: Exchange 2007 Cluster Continuous Replication (CCR),
Exchange 2007 Local Continuous Replication (LCR), Single Copy Clusters (SCC) or
Standby Continuous Replication (SCR):
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d2efb6f9-f70a-4f96-9f8d-f7aad6ae83d7.aspx
Note: Standby Continuous Replication (SCR) will be available after Exchange 2007 Service Pack 1 release.
3. Setup "SPF", "PTR" and "MX" DNS records to your domain.
4. Use Exchange 2007 build in wizards: Exchange Server 2007 Finalize Deployment and End-to-End Scenario
to check the server installation and complete the server configurations.
5. Enable Exchange logging by using "Set-EventLogLevel -Identity" command line and check
the logs:
How to Change Logging Levels for Exchange Processes
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb201670.aspx
Note: Its recommended to disable the logging after you verity the correct operation
of the Exchange server.
6. To change the message limit size and optimize the mail connector, its recommended to
review the following guides:
Managing Message Throttling
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb232205.aspx
Send Connector Cmdlets
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998325.aspx
Receive Connector Cmdlets
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa995955.aspx
7. How to install Microsoft Anti Spam Agents on Exchange 2007
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555924
8. How to Change the Location of the Queue Database
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb125177.aspx
9. Consider to change the SMTP banner:
How to Modify the Default SMTP Banner
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124740.aspx
10. How to Remove the Last Legacy Exchange Server from an Organization
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb288905.aspx
Known issues:
1. Earlier Outlook clients cant connect to Exchange 2007 Server
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555851
2. The following error may appear in the event log:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: MSExchange ADAccess
Event Category: Devices
Event ID: 2152
Description: The description for Event ID ( 2152 ) in Source ( MSExchange ADAccess ) cannot be found.
The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages
from a remote computer.
You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details.
The following information is part of the event: ExSetupUI.exe; 4912; 1753; Error 6d9 from HrGetServersForRole
This error may occur due network adapter binding error issue or/and disable File and Print Sharing
on the network adapter.
3. You experience incompatibility issues when you implement some operations in Exchange System Manager
or in the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in in Exchange 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/928187
4. Error message when you prepare an Active Directory forest for Exchange Server 2003:
"Extending the schema in Active Directory failed"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917682/en-us
5. Update is available that supports publishing Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 behind
Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2006
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/925403
6. Event ID 12014 may appear in Exchange 2007 Application Event Log
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555855
7. Microsoft Exchange 2007 Information Store may fail to start after reboot
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555859
8. The address book function in Exchange 2007 is broken when an Exchange OWA client and
a Windows Server 2003-based domain controller do not have the same locale setting
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=919166
