Test-ExchangeUMCallFlow - Unified Messaging Troubleshooting Tool

Microsoft have released the Unified Messaging Troubleshooting Tool which used some new cmdlets to help configure testing and diagnose configuration errors with call answering and voicemail.

Whether the solution is on-premise or cross-premise, use OCS R2 2007 or MCS “14” the cmdlet will emulate and run diagnostic tests in telephone, UM 2010 SP1 and cross-premise deployments. You end up with some useful information in the form of a cause and possible solutions.

Download it here, http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=10d2e48f-0846-40b6-b08f-d282309811a2

OCS 2007 R2 July 2010 Cumulative Update

Can you believe July is nearly over? Microsoft have released a wave of OCS 2007 R2 cumulative update packages for OCS Server, Communicator and Group Chat.

OCS 2007 R2 Server
KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968802/

OCS 2007 R2 Database
KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2032834/

Communicator 2007 R2
KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2028888/

Communicator Phone
KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2267962/

Group Chat Server
KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2032881/

Group Chat Client
KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2032922/

Group chat Admin
KB: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2032949/

Windows Mobile: Activate IRM

Using Windows Mobile Device Center end users can activate Information Rights Management on compatible Windows Mobile devices. Before this can happen a simple change needs to be made.

Go in to: Mobile Device Settings > More > Connection Settings.

Change “This computer is connected to: Work Network”

The Activate IRM action will then work as long as the user can authenticate to the RMS using their domain account from their PC. Upon opening the first IRM message the user will need to authorise against the RMS, so should be connected to corporate Wi-Fi or connected by USB.

Daniel

Hosting Deployment Guide for Exchange Server 2010 SP1 Beta

Microsoft have released the Hosting Deployment Guide for Exchange Server 2010 SP1 which is the first of many services to break away from the HMC and MPS deployment and provisioning model. Multi-tenant capabilities are now built directly in to AD and Exchange, although there are some limitations such as the removal of public folders and no access to ECP for tenant organisations.

Despite some limitations this is the product many hosters and carriers have been waiting for, as until Exchange Server 2010 SP1 Microsoft have not provided guidance or support for multi-tenant Exchange Server 2010. The really good news for me is this opens up the doors to more complex cross-premise deployments where the customer has Exchange in-house and in the Cloud(s).

A couple of warnings about the /hosting install. 1. You must deploy in a new forest where Exchange Server has not been installed previously. 2. There is no GUI for /hosting you must install form command line using setup.com /hosting and manage the service through Powershell. This makes sense as the current Exchange GUI won’t display multi-tenant organisations in a hierarchy and it also prevents simple changes being made outside of automated provisioning 3. Resource forest type scenarios still has limitations.

If you are interested head to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a0965fc9-2723-4947-ae6b-74bc3808e72a&displaylang=en to download SP1, remember to use setup.com /hosting.

While that is installing start reading through the guidance provided here, http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=bba88fb5-9d84-475c-85d7-3ffeb308636e.

I have been testing /hosting in the lab for a few months now and we still have a journey to complete before /hosting will make it in to the Cobweb production platform. I imagine we will start to see the hosting editions, lead by BPOS, gaining new and updated features through regular smaller releases.

Happy Hosting

Daniel

Exchange mailbox moves made easy – Exchange 2010

The Exchange Team blog has a great post on the differences in mailbox moves between Exchange 2007 and 2010 here http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2010/07/19/455550.aspx. It covers some of the services used (MRS) and how CAS plays its role, plus a load of other stuff.

I really like that from Exchange 2007 we can do online moves which only require <30 second outage to the end users. This means that we can move out entire Hosted Exchange 2007 platform to 2010 during the day, without causing downtime to our customers.

I’m quite a fan of the resiliency built in to this now and that you no longer have to leave a PowerShell window or GUI open. An exciting addition is the simplicity of cross-forest moves, this makes the task on on-boarding/off-boarding for our customers so much easier.

I’m not going to repeat the blog post so head here http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2010/07/19/455550.aspx to read it.

Daniel

Hotfix Rollup 1 for Microsoft Forefront Protection for Exchange

Hotfix Rollup 1 for Microsoft Forefront Protection for Exchange was release a few weeks ago over at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2181692/.

I’ve been testing with the build of Exchange Server 2010 SP1 that we run in production and haven’t had any problems with it.

Get the update: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2181692/

Email data migration – Migrationwiz.com

If you are familiar with the pain that can come when migrating mailbox data between servers you will appreciate https://www.migrationwiz.com.

It is a cloud service charged per mailbox that can hook in to Exchange, Gmail, Hotmail, IMAP and other mail servers and import directly to Exchange Server 2007/2010. It takes care of a lot of work for IMAP migrations such as securely gathering user credentials.

I really like the simple dashboard showing the state of the migration. I also like the option to take multiple passes at a mailbox and being able to on filter date ranges.

Configuration is simple.

1. Enter source server OWA/IMAP address
2. Enter destination Exchange OWA address
3. List mailboxes to migrate, then either it will handle credential gathering or you can specify a super user with access to all mailboxes.
4. Press GO and monitor.

Daniel

Migrating to Exchange Server 2007/2010? Let me help you.

If your organisation is looking to upgrade an email solution to Exchange Server 2007 or 2010 I may be able to help.

Please feel free to contact me, even if you just want to run through some ideas for your own in-house migration. I’m not a sales person and promise not to try to sell anything. I will just mention now though, a full Exchange Server mailbox (Outlook access, ActiveSync, OWA, Public Folders, etc) starts at £3.29 per month and the number of mailboxes can grow and shrink as you do.

daniel.noakes@cobweb.com
twitter.com/dannoakes
01329 242544

I have been at Cobweb since 2003 and we have been deploying, managing and migrating Exchange mailboxes since 2001. Between us we have Exchange MCSE(2003), MCITP (2007/2010) and MVP awards, add to this our 4000+ customer base and that adds up to a lot of successful deployments and migrations under our belts.

No matter what email solution you currently deploy we can help get you on to Exchange Server whether that be our hugely successful Hosted Exchange platform or a dedicated Exchange deployment for your organisation. We successfully completed migrations for organisations ranging from 5 to 4000+ mailboxes, which can be staged over a period if time if required.

Daniel

Technorati Tags: Email Migration Exchange

Windows Phone Live - MyPhone for Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone Live is the Windows Phone 7 replacement for MyPhone used with Windows Mobile. Good news is it's much better, comes with 25GB of SkyDrive and best of all it is all free.

Rather than spout loads of information it is covered here, http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/windowsphone/archive/2010/07/13/windows-phone-7-getting-connected.aspx.

Daniel