Microsoft Exchange Advice

[darrent]

Ok, at the moment we simply use POP3 email via Register1 for all our email needs. However, we are thinking of going all posh and installing MS Exchange for our email.

Few questions - how difficult is this to do?
Is it secure - i.e. are the messages only stored on that one exchange server? (which is hosted with R1)
Backup - similar to the above question - if a message is deleted from the exchange server is there any way to get it back??

Any help appreciated!

[randlemarcus]

ooh boy, you are in for some fun.

Firstly, do R1 actually run an Exchange Server for you, or are you going to co-locate a server with them, then you guys run Exchange on it?

If you have a good internet pipe at work, with a static address, its easier to run it yourself, really.

To install it is a piece of pi55, to do it properly is somewhat ticklish. Look on the Microsoft site for some of the how-to guides, do lots of reading there, and most importantly, do lots of playing on experimental equipment..

If you want to know more, PM me, and let me know whereabouts in the country you are...

Marcus

[ErnestM]

Knowledge of Active Directory a plus.

ErnestM

[neil_cardiff]

ErnestM said:

Knowledge of Active Directory a plus. ErnestM

And an IT bod to call when it invaribly doesn't do what you want...or you suffer from one of the many hacks/vulns...

[_DeeJay_]

darrent said:

Ok, at the moment we simply use POP3 email via Register1 for all our email needs. However, we are thinking of going all posh and installing MS Exchange for our email. Few questions - how difficult is this to do? Is it secure - i.e. are the messages only stored on that one exchange server? (which is hosted with R1) Backup - similar to the above question - if a message is deleted from the exchange server is there any way to get it back?? Any help appreciated!

If you're talking about a hosted Exchange service then it's not too important how difficult it is to setup/run (and if you're a smallish company I'd recommend taking that route).

To answer your questions:

1) Emails are only stored on a single mailbox server (though you can have multiple servers if you have lots of mailboxes). Each mailbox has a 'home server' and messages are stored within one (of possibly many) databases on that server.

2) It depends. Exchange doesn't offer a simple way of restoring a single message because of the way in which messages are stored. However, if you have a hosted solution, ask them about 'deleted item retention' which allows the user to restore deleted email from the Exchange Information Store (for a limited period of time).

I'd ask yourself why you want to use Exchange, and how much you're prepared to pay for the additional features before commiting to a solution.

D




>> Edited by _DeeJay_ on Saturday 11th June 12:22