Microsoft Exchange 2007 was released and met with critical acclaim. Introducing new features that made administrators praise what could be accomplished in an e-mail server. The goal behind Exchange 2007 was geared towards scalability but with that, comes an increased complexity due to the new features it introduced and it brought upon a steeper learning curve for administrators. Nevertheless, the changes were major and they were welcomed: 64-bit operating system support, a mailbox store, Client Access Server, and a Hub Transport server.
After being out on the market for 3-4 years, Microsoft decided to roll out the latest version, Exchange 2010. The server roles remain and the management console is familiar. The major improvements in 2010 are made under-the-hood. These changes are aimed mainly at improving scalability and availability.Exchange Server 2010 is a 64-bit exclusive application and it requires Windows Server 2008, on a Windows domain with active directory equivalency to Server 2003 at minimum. The application is available in Standard and Enterprise. What sets them differently from each other is the mailbox database count: standard allows for 1-5; enterprise allows 6-50. Both have a storage limit of 16TB.
What’s new in Exchange 2010?
Exchange 2010 has been engineered with focus on mailbox databases, which can now be continuously replicated to several servers without the need for a cluster. A further benefit is that you can use cheaper storage solutions rather than relying on Storage Area Networks or better known as “SANs”. Another benefit is the application’s ability to welcome Voice-Mail. Microsoft has implemented a Speech-To-Text system where it allows users to read rather than listen to the messages. There is also an archiving feature added, which eliminates the need for purchasing other archiving software from third-parties. Last, but not least, is the feature of the new architecture on mailbox availability: you may now move a mailbox between servers without disrupting services. This is due to the Client Access Server handling all client-side operations whereas previous clients communicate directly to the mailbox store. On the security side, Microsoft introduces Forefront Protection 2010, enhancing protection against malware and spam.
Benefits for end-users and businesses:
The browser-based access to Exchange has been updated with new features, including full support for Mozilla Firefox/Internet Explorer 8 and Google Chrome. Other features include side-by-side calendar viewing, conversation placement for threaded messaging. The new OWA Control Panel is welcomed as it includes a wide array of options that previously required you to use the full-blown Microsoft Outlook application. Exchange 2010 features new updates to already premiered functions, making it a relatively minor update for the end-users. It delivers significant improvements in the storage architecture department and further expands on performance due to utilizing 64-bit processing units. Management is also improved and it is sure to please administrators.
