IT Consulting Services > Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server is probably the most-widely deployed server application worldwide. It is much more than a messaging platform - it's a group collaboration system.
Infomax Solutions specializes in assessments, installations, upgrades, migrations and troubleshooting of Microsoft Exchange servers and topologies. Throughout Los Angeles, Southern California and worldwide, we've done a large number of Exchange 5.5-to Exchange 2000, Exchange 5.5-to Exchange 2003, and Exchange 2000-to-Exchange 2003 upgrades and migrations, including Front-End / Back-End topologies, RPC over HTTPS, SSL OWA, and Exchange ActiveSync.
Please do your organization a favor and INSIST that your Outlook Web Access (OWA) be implemented to be accessible via SSL only, as, without it, your usernames and passwords traversing the internet in clear-text.
Infomax Solutions also deploys every Microsoft Exchange Server installations with Anti-Virus, Anti-SPAM, and SMTP gateway solutions. Without a gateway solution integrated, Exchange server is highly vulnerable to relaying - whereby, spammers use your mail server to relay outgoing spam mails so as to cover their tracks (to the recipients, the spams appear as if they originated from your mail server and not the real spammers) and, thereafter, your mail server gets listed on various RBL black lists that are maintained throughout the internet.
Exchange 2003 introduces many useful new features. One of them is RPC over HTTPS. Prior to Exchange 2003's RPC over HTTPS, only way to connect remote Outlook (of users who may be traveling or working from home office) to the corporate Exchange server was thru VPN; or, if not using VPN, by drastically opening up the corporate firewall to allow LAN-like connection between remote Outlook and the corporate Exchange server, and thereby severely exposing the Exchange server to attacks. With RPC over HTTPS, which requires Exchange 2003, Outlook 2003 and Windows XP, remote Outlook can now connect to corporate Exchange server straight through the internet and without VPN. However, Infomax Solutions recommends RPC over HTTPS, rather than HTTP, by deploying SSL certificate.
With the proliferation of browser-enabled cell phones, Microsoft Windows Mobile-based devices, PDA, etc (such as HP iPaq PocketPC series, Dell Axim Handheld series, Palm Treo 650 Smartphone, etc), accessing corporate information on a server running Exchange Server 2003 has gotten much easier. Exchange ActiveSync is a data synchronization service that enables mobile users to gain access to their e-mail, calendar, and contacts over-the-air while off-site, and to retain access to this information while offline. Device synchronization can be set to occur on-demand, on a schedule, or when new items arrive. Coupled with Outlook Mobile Access (similar to Outlook Web Access) which uses mobile phone- or mobile device-based browsers, you can also gain access to your Tasks list and the Global Address List. The following mobile devices can be used with Exchange ActiveSync:
Exchange 2003 brings a new type of storage group called the Recovery Storage Group (RSG) that allows you to mount a copy of a mailbox store onto a production Exchange 2003 server. You can then recover data within the restored mailbox store while the current store is still running. Use of the RSG on a production server won't interfere with the network users as the RSG is logically isolated - i.e. users cannot log into it, and mail cannot be delivered to it. Unlike Exchange 5.5 and 2000, the main benefit of RSG is that you don't need a separate disaster recovery server in its own Active Directory forest to recover a single mailbox or single mailbox store. RSG can also be used to recover deleted mailboxes that are tombstoned in the Exchange database, such as mailboxes for users who are no longer with the company, so that the orphaned mailbox is reconnected the to a new or another user.
Great news for organizations who are hitting the 16 GB Exchange database size limit. Service Pack 2 for Exchange Server 2003, which is due for a release late this year, will raise the Exchange database size limit to 75 GB. Many organizations have found out the hard way that, once a Standard version of Exchange server reaches the 16 GB size, the Exchange server will come to a screeching halt. The only recourse is to start deleting or archiving off large amounts of e-mail or to upgrade to the Enterprise version of Exchange, which is a very expensive fare. Microsoft has been listening to feedbacks from its customerbase and SP2 for Exchange Server 2003 will substantially raise that database size limit.
For further information and to stay up to date with the latest on Exchange Server, please visit Microsoft Exchange Server page
Contact us. Infomax Solutions and its consultants are ready to deliver Exchange enterprise messaging solutions.