The Storage of Information

C# Questions

2009-08-09T15:11:00.002+05:30

Does C# support multiple-inheritance?

No.

Who is a protected class-level variable available to?

It is available to any sub-class (a class inheriting this class).

Are private class-level variables inherited?

Yes, but they are not accessible. Although they are not visible or accessible via the class interface, they are inherited.

Describe the accessibility modifier “protected internal”.

It is available to classes that are within the same assembly and derived from the specified base class.

What’s the top .NET class that everything is derived from?

System.Object.

What does the term immutable mean?

The data value may not be changed. Note: The variable value may be changed, but the original immutable data value was discarded and a new data value was created in memory

What’s the difference between System.String and System.Text.StringBuilder classes?

System.String is immutable. System.StringBuilder was designed with the purpose of having a mutable string where a variety of operations can be performed.

What’s the advantage of using System.Text.StringBuilder over System.String?

StringBuilder is more efficient in cases where there is a large amount of string manipulation. Strings are immutable, so each time a string is changed, a new instance in memory is created

Can you store multiple data types in System.Array?

No.

What’s the difference between the System.Array.CopyTo() and System.Array.Clone()?

The Clone() method returns a new array (a shallow copy) object containing all the elements in the original array. The CopyTo() method copies the elements into another existing array. Both perform a shallow copy. A shallow copy means the contents (each array element) contains references to the same object as the elements in the original array. A deep copy (which neither of these methods performs) would create a new instance of each element's object, resulting in a different, yet identacle object.

How can you sort the elements of the array in descending order?

By calling Sort() and then Reverse() methods.

What’s the .NET collection class that allows an element to be accessed using a unique key?

HashTable.

What class is underneath the SortedList class?

A sorted HashTable.

Will the finally block get executed if an exception has not occurred?

Yes.

What’s the C# syntax to catch any possible exception?

A catch block that catches the exception of type System.Exception. You can also omit the parameter data type in this case and just write catch {}.

Can multiple catch blocks be executed for a single try statement?

No. Once the proper catch block processed, control is transferred to the finally block (if there are any).

Explain the three services model commonly know as a three-tier application.

Presentation (UI), Business (logic and underlying code) and Data (from storage or other sources).

ASP.net

2009-08-09T11:29:00.003+05:30

What is ASp.net framework?

The Microsoft .NET Framework is a software framework that can be installed on computers running Microsoft Windows operating systems. It includes a large library of coded solutions to common programming problems and a virtual machine that manages the execution of programs written specifically for the framework. The .NET Framework is a key Microsoft offering and is intended to be used by most new applications created for the Windows platform.

What are the advantage of using ASP.net?

They can be executed more quickly as they are compiled by executable portions of a web application
On the fly updates of deployed web application without restarting the server
It simplifies many aspects of windows programming
Its security is high as it is built in security through windows server or through authentication or Authorization methods
Integration wit ADO.net to provide Database access & design tools from within Vs.net
It fully supports mark up language
Automatic state management is there

What is the advantages of storing the information on the client side?

Better Scalability: with the server side state management each client that connects to the web server consumes memory in the web server.If the consumers are very high this can be a limitting factor. The client side management helps to rectify this difficulty
Supports Multiple Web Server: In client side management we can distribute the incoming request to multiple web server with no change in your application, so the server needs only to process the request

What is the advantages of storing the information on the server side?

Better Security: Client side management can be captured or modified easily, so confidential datas can never be stored in client side
Reduced Bandwidth: If you are using client side management the bandwidth required will b high and the page load time will increase which will potentially increase your cost

How a web application works?

On the client side web application is hosted by the browser(IE,Firefox etc). The application user interface takes the form of html pages,that are interpreted and displayed by the client's browser.

On the server side web application runs under Microsoft Internet Information Services(MIIS). The IIS manages the application,passes the request from the client to the application and returns application's response to the client.These requests and responses are passed across the internet using http

some HR Questions

2008-11-24T16:28:00.002+05:30

Tell me about yourself. Use “Picture Frame Approach”

Answer in about two minutes. Avoid details, don’t ramble. Touch on these four areas:

How many years, doing what function
Education – credentials
Major responsibility and accomplishments
Personal summary of work style (plus career goals if applicable)

Prepare in advance using this formula:

“My name is…”
“I’ve worked for X years as a [title]”
“Currently, I’m a [title] at [company]”
“Before that, I was a [title] at [company]”
“I love the challenge of my work, especially the major strengths it allows me to offer, including [A, B, and C]”.
Second, help the interviewer by focusing the question with a question of your own: “What about me would be most relevant to you and what this company needs?”

Did you bring your resume?

Yes. Be prepared with two or three extra copies. Do not offer them unless you’re asked for one.

What do you know about our organization?

Research the target company before the interview. Basic research is the only way to prepare for this question. Do your homework, and you’ll score big on this question. Talk about products, services, history and people, especially any friends that work there. “But I would love to know more, particularly from your point of view. Do we have time to cover that now?

What experience do you have?

Pre-interview research and PPR Career will help you here. Try to cite experience relevant to the company’s concerns. Also, try answering this questions with a question: “Are you looking for overall experience or experience in some specific area of special interest to you?” Let the interviewer’s response guide your answer.

According to your definition of success, how successful have you been so far?

(Is this person mature and self aware?)

Be prepared to define success, and then respond (consistent record of responsibility)

In your current or last position, what were your most significant accomplishments? In your career so far?

Give one or two accomplishment statements

Had you thought of leaving your present position before? If yes, what do you think held you there?

Refer to positive aspects of the job, advancement opportunities, and what you learned.

Would you describe a few situations in which your work was criticized?

Give only one, and tell how you have corrected or plan to correct your work.

If I spoke with your previous boss, what would he or she say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

Be consistent with what you think the boss would say. Position the weakness in a positive way (refer to #12)

How would you describe your personality?

Keep your answer short and relevant to the job and the organization’s culture.

What are your strong points?

Present three. Relate them to that particular company and job opening.

What are your weak points?

Don’t say you have one, but give one that is really a “positive in disguise.” I am sometimes impatient and do to much work myself when we are working against tight deadlines.” Or “I compliment and praise my staff, but feel I can improve.”

How did you do in school?

(Is the person motivated? What are his/her values, attitudes? Is there a fit?)

Emphasize your best and favorite subjects. If grades were average, talk about leadership or jobs you took to finance your education. Talk about extra-curricular activities (clubs, sports, volunteer work)

In your current or last position, what features did you like most? Least?

Refer to your satisfiers for likes. Be careful with dislikes, give only one (if any) and make it brief. Refuse to answer negatively. Respond that you “like everything about my current position and have acquired and developed a great many skills, but I’m now ready for a new set of challenges and greater responsibilities.”

What do you look for in a job?

Flip this one over. Despite the question, the employer isn’t really interested in what you are looking for. He’s interested in what he is looking for. Address his interests, rather than yours. Use words like “contribute,” “enhance,” “improve,” and “team environment.” Fit your answer to their needs Relate your preferences and satisfiers/dissatisfiers to the job opening.

How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm?

“Not long, because of my experience, transferable skills and ability to learn.”

How long would you stay with us?

“As long as I feel that I’m contributing, and that my contribution is recognized. I’m looking to make a long term commitment.”

If you have never supervised, how do you feel about assuming those responsibilities?

If you want to supervise, say so, and be enthusiastic.

Why do you want to become a supervisor?

“To grow and develop professionally, to help others develop, to build a team and to share what I have learned.”

What do you see as the most difficult task in being a supervisor?

“Getting things planned and done through others and dealing with different personalities.” Show how you have done this in the past.

You’ve been with your current employer quite a while. Why haven’t you advanced with him?

Let’s assume the interviewer has a point here. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with the negative terms of the question. Answer: “What I like about my present position is that it’s both stable and challenging. But it’s true that I’ve grown about as much as I can in my current position. (This response also turns the issue of salary on its head, transforming it from What more can I get? to What more can I offer?)

Why are you leaving your present position?

Never answer with negative reasons, even if they are true. However, some companies have financial problems which may preclude you from staying with them. Frame your answer positively by answering why you want to move to the target company instead of why you left or want to leave your most recent job. For example, instead of answering, “I don’t get enough challenges at [company],” respond, “I am eager to take on more challenges, and I believe I will find them at [hiring company]. ”I’m not unhappy (at my present employer). However, this opportunity seems to be particularly interesting and I am interested in pursuing it further. Never personalize or be negative. Keep it short, give a “group” answer (e.g. our office is closing, the whole organization is being reduced in size). Stick to one response; don’t change answers during the interview. When applicable; best response is: I was not on the market when PPR Career contacted me and explained what you are doing, it peaked my interest.

Describe what would be an ideal working environment?

Team work is the key.

How would you evaluate your present firm?

Be positive. Refer to the valuable experience you have gained. Don’t mention negatives.

Do you prefer working with figures, or with words?

Be aware of what the job requires and position your answer in that context. In many cases it would be both.

What kinds of people do you find difficult to work with?

Use this question as a chance to show that you are a team player: “The only people I have trouble with are those who aren’t team players, who just don’t perform, who complain constantly, and who fail to respond to any efforts to motivate them.” The interviewer is expecting a response focused on personality and personal dislikes. Surprise her by delivering an answer that reflects company values.

How would your co-workers describe you?

Refer to your strengths and skills.

What do you think of your boss?

If you like him or her, say so and tell why. If you don’t like him or her, find something positive to say.

Why do you want to work in a company of this size. Or this type?

Explain how this size or type of company works well for you, using examples from the past if possible.

If you had your choice of jobs and companies, where would you go?

Refer to job preferences. Say that this job and this company are very close to what best suits you.

Why do you want to work for us?

You feel you can help achieve the companies objectives, especially in the short run. You like what you’ve learned about the company, its policies, goals and management: “I’ve researched the company and people tell me it’s a good place to work.”

What was the last book you read? Movie you saw? Sporting event you attended?

Think this through. Your answer should be compatible with accepted norms.

What are you doing, or what have you done to reach your career objectives?

Talk about formal courses and training programs.

What was wrong with your last company?

Again, choose your words carefully. Don’t be negative. Say that no company is perfect, it had both strengths and weaknesses.

What kind of hours are you used to working?

(Does the person match job and criteria?)

“As many hours as it takes to get the job done.”

What would you do for us?

Relate past success in accomplishing the objectives which are similar to those of the prospective employer.

What has your experience been in supervising people?

Give examples from accomplishments.

Are you a good supervisor?

Draw from your successes. Yes, my people like and respect me personally and professionally. They often comment on how much they learn and develop under my supervision.

Did you ever fire anyone? If so, what were the reasons and how did you handle it?

If you haven’t, say so, but add that you could do it, if necessary.

How have you helped your company?

Refer to accomplishments.

What is the most money you ever accounted for? Largest budget responsibility?

Refer to accomplishments. If you haven’t had budget responsibility, say so, but refer to an accomplishment that demonstrates the same skill.

What’s the most difficult situation you ever faced on the job?

Remember, you’re talking to a prospective employer, not your best friend. Don’t dredge up a catastrophe that resulted in a personal or corporate failure. Be ready for this question by thinking of a story that has a happy ending – happy for you and your company. Never digress into personal or family difficulties, and don’t talk about problems you’ve had with supervisors or peers. You might discuss a difficult situation with a subordinate, provided that the issues were resolved inventively and to everyone’s satisfaction.

Describe some situations in which you have worked under pressure or met deadlines?

Refer to accomplishments. Everyone has had a few of these pressure situations in a career. Behavior-related questions aim at assessing a candidate’s character, attitude, and personality traits by asking for an account of how the candidate handled certain challenging situations. Plan for such questions by making a list of the desirable traits relevant to the needs of the industry or prospective employer and by preparing some job-related stories about your experience that demonstrate a range of those traits and habits of conduct. Before answering the questions, listen carefully and ask any clarifying questions you think necessary. Tell your story and conclude by explaining what you intended your story to illustrate. Finally, ask for feedback: “Does this tell you what you need to know?”

How do you handle rejection?

Rejection is part of business. People don’t always buy what you sell. The tick here is to separate rejection of your product from rejection of yourself: “I see rejection as an opportunity. I learn from it. When a customer takes a pass, I ask him what we could do to the product, price or service to make it possible for him to say yes. Don’t get me wrong: You’ve got to makes sales. But rejection is valuable, too. It’s a good teacher.”

In your present position, what problems have you identified that had previously been overlooked?

Refer to accomplishments

Give an example of your creativity.

Refer to accomplishments.

Give examples of your leadership abilities.

Draw examples from accomplishments.

What are your career goals?

Talk first about doing the job for which you are applying. Your career goals should mesh with the hiring company goals.

What position do you expect to have in two years?

Just say you wish to exceed objectives so well that you will be on a promotable track.

What are your objectives?

(How does the person handle stress? What is their confidence level?)

Refer back to question #48 on goals.

Why should we hire you?

This may sound suspicious, negative, or just plain harsh. Actually, it’s a call for help. The employer wants you to help him/her hire you. Keep your response brief. Recap any job requirements the interviewer may have mentioned earlier in the interview, then, point by point, match your skills, abilities and qualifications to those items. Relate a past experience which represents success in achieving objectives which may be similar to those of the prospective employer.

You may be over-qualified or too experienced for the position we have to offer.

“A strong company needs a strong person.” An employer will get faster return on investment because you have more experience than required.

Why haven’t you found a new position before now?

“Finding the right job takes time. I’m not looking for just any job.”

If you could start again, what would you do differently?

No need to be self-revealing. “Hindsight is 20/20; everyone would make some changes, but I’ve learned and grown from all my decisions.”

How much do you expect if we offer this position to you?

Be careful. If you don’t know the market value, return the question by saying that you would expect a fair salary based on the job responsibilities, your experience and skills and the market value of the job. Express your interest in the job because it fits your career goals – Receptive to a reasonable and competitive offer – don’t talk $’s. It’s always best to put off discussing salary and let PPR Career handle that. ANSWER: I’m open to a competitive offer. I’d prefer to discuss the opportunity and allow my recruiter to handle any salary questions.

Best of Luck…. Saaani

Fore Front E book

2008-11-21T11:21:00.003+05:30

Microsoft.Forefront.Security.Administration.Guide @for

Exchangepedia Blog: Exchange CVP Terry Myerson heads to Windows Mobile

2008-11-19T16:40:00.000+05:30

Exchangepedia Blog: Exchange CVP Terry Myerson heads to Windows Mobile

MS Exchange server FAQ4

2008-11-19T16:10:00.003+05:30

How can I send an automatic reply to a person posting to my distribution list?

Create a mailbox, add a rule to that mailbox with the reply you want and add that mailbox to the distribution list.

How can I block emails from a specific domain name?

Open the “Exchange Admin” program, click on “Connections”, go to “Internet Mail Server” and then click on the “Connections” tab. If you have server pack 3 installed you will see a “Message filtering” button, click the button and finally click on “new”, finally insert the particular domain name in this format “@domain.com”. For the change to take effect you must stop/start the IMS in “Services” (Found in Control Panel).

How can I block emails from a specific email address?

Open the “Exchange Admin” program, click on “Connections”, go to “Internet Mail Server” and then click on the “Connections” tab. If you have server pack 2 installed you will see a “Message filtering” button, click the button and finally click on “new”. Insert the particular email address and you are done. For the change to take effect you must stop/start the IMS in “Services” (Found in Control Panel).

What reporting tools are available that can measure Exchange 5.5 usage?

- Promodag Reports – http://www.promodag.com

- Mail Essentials – http://www.gfi.com/mesindex.htm

- MailWatch - http://www.mailwatchex.com

- Seagate Crystal Reports - http://www.seagatesoftware.com

Can an Information store be restored on another server?

The answer is yes (that is it can be restored on another other than the one it was backed up from) This is typically the last method or recovering a mailbox or a message. The server where the IS is restored has to be one that is not in use and it should not be connected to the same organization. Remember that this restores only the IS and not the Directory.

What is the hierarchy of permission on Public Folders?

Administrator can grant permissions to other users on specific public folders or allow them to create top level public folders. A owner of a public folder (even if he is not the administrator) can allow other users create sub-folders.

What is the difference between the ‘Send on Behalf" and "Send As" permissions on a mailbox?

Send on Behalf permission enables another user to send messages on behalf of the mailbox owner. Delegate’s name appears in the message. Send As permission is lot more serious as one user can send message and the recipient of that message would see as if the message has been sent by the original mailbox owner. Whereas the "Send on behalf" permission can be given from Client or the Administrator program, "Send As" permission can be given only be the administrator.

What is Address Space?

The connectors and the gateways create paths for sending messages outside. The path a connector uses to send a message outside is represented by an address space. A connector must have at least one address space.

What is Replication conflict in case of Public Folders?

A conflict occurs when a message is modified in two or more replicas of the public folder, where each of the modifications are made before the other can replicate.

Can I display the name of the public folder in the Global address list so that the users can post messages by selecting the name?

Every Public folder has an email address and the entry of the public folder is hidden in the Global address list. Double click on the public folder and select the Advanced tab. Uncheck the "Hide from address book" option.

What is ISINTEG Utility?

This utility checks the integrity of the IS. It locates and removes the errors from the Private and Public Information stores (PRIV.EDB and PUB.EDB). This is required to be used when the database is damaged and IS doesn’t start.

What is ESEUTIL Utility?

This utility defragments, repairs and checks the integrity of the Information store (IS) and Directory. This is used very often in case of disaster recovery processes. It should be used under experienced hand. Utility is available in the Windows NT ssytem32 directory.

Some of the users are complaining that their Auto forwards & Auto replies are not reaching

the Internet recipients but there is no problem with the local recipients. What’s wrong?

Most probably the options for Auto replies and auto forwards to Internet is disabled under the IMS properties. By default the settings are such that these are disabled. So the auto replies would not reach the Internet recipients but would work locally without any problem.

What is the use of Server Monitor?

Server Monitor can be used to monitor the Exchange server services viz Message transfer agent (MTA). It can be configured so that notifications are sent when the service has gone down.

What is the use of Link Monitor?

Link monitor can be used to verify the connections between various servers and other foreign systems. Link monitor is included in the administrator program.

What is Alerter Service?

This is a handy tool by which e computers / users can be alerted of some specific event in the Exchange server viz. low disk space. This can be set from Control Panel / Server. Click on the

Alerts button and type the computer or the user name to send the alerts.

Why should the IMS message size limits be set?

This could be required because the company has a policy on the message size for security reasons. Also when the bandwidth is scarce, it is a handy tool to ensure that most of the messages are delivered rather than a queue is formed due to one large message. Set the maximum message size limit in the General tab of the IMS property page. This limit is applicable for any message that IMS processes.

PRIV.EDB seems to grow all the time. Even when the mailboxes are deleted there is no change in the file size. What’s wrong?

There is nothing wrong, except that the physical storage space is not released by this database when the objects are deleted viz. a mailbox. This is required to be defragmented before it is too large and a lot of space is wasted. ESEUTIL utility can do this job. Read more about this utility before attempting defragmentation.

What are the PRIV.EDB & PUB.EDB files?

These are the Exchange server databases for the Private Information Store and the Public Information Store respectively.

Can I change the Exchange Organization name?

It can not be done easily and must be avoided. If the need for change is properly evaluated and understood then most probably it would be sufficient to alter the Display name. To do so, select the organization object and use the properties dialog box.

How does the Antivirus API Scan Attachments?

This article is intended to help Exchange Server administrators understand the architecture of the new antivirus application programming interface (API) that is introduced in Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 3 (SP3), and possible effects that any third-party software that uses the antivirus API may have. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q263949&ID=kb;en-us;Q263949

Is it possible to connect exchange servers through a VPN connection?

Yes, it is possible.

What components of Exchange can I move off the exchange server machine?

Start with the IMS. Set up a workstation-class machine as an Exchange server, create an IMS, follow the relevant steps to move the SMTP service to another server, then remove the one from your mailbox server. It's a good place to start, and it's a good thing to do because the IMS has been known to stop mailbox servers from time to time.

How do I move a single Exchange server to a machine with the same name?

Check the following document available in the Microsoft Knowledge Base about the recommended way this should be done:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q155/2/16.asp

Is there a way to encrypt information being passed between two sites using the Exchange site connector?

The RPC connection between Site Connectors (as opposed to x.400 or SMTP connectors) is already encrypted via RPC API calls. However, it's not industrial-strength encryption; more security through obscurity. If this is not sufficient, setup a VPN. VPN in this case is recommended at firewall level so the servers have nothing to do with the actual VPN itself.

The X400 Connector for Exchange 5.5 is discontinued. Is there anyway how we connect multiple exchange servers over the Internet without this connector?

Either you can utilise the IMS aka the internet mail connector. You would need to configure a directory replication connector at each end for directory replication in this case. Otherwise the other option is to upgrade to the Exchange 5.5 Enterprise edition

I check against all the files on my exchange server 5.5 regularly. The only file that changes everday is the Mapisvc.inf in c:\winnt\systems32

Mapisvc.inf is the file that holds the various services that you can install and how they are configured. In Outlook, when you click Tools>Services>Add, that list of available services comes from the mapisvc.inf file. You can manually edit it if you want, to remove services you don't want the users to install (MS Mail, etc for example)

How do I convert an .ost file into a .pst file for recovery?

There are several third party products that can help with this. One of them is detailed at the following link: http://www.officerecovery.com/exchange/index.htm

I have a Windows 2000 server running exchange 5.5 sp3 and deleted some files I shouldn't (log files) and the information store won't start

Download the Exchange 5.5 Disaster Recovery white paper at the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/techinfo/BackupRestore.htm

Is it possible to configure Exchange to put in a 'reply-to' address for a Distribution List? So if someone hits 'reply' to a DL post, that reply goes to the list and not to the sender?

You can add send-as permissions to the DL for the originating user, and that will allow the named people to send as (therefore have the Return Address) the DL.

When a user logs in Outlook Web Access, it says that the password will expire in 0 days, and to change it under options. This error does not go away, even after the password changes, nor when the password is set to expire.

The are the following documents available in the Microsoft Knowledge Base about this issue:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q190/4/33.ASP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q238/4/44.ASP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q236/9/09.ASP

I am using Outlook 2000 and when my .pst file reaches the 2Gb size limit the .pst file becomes unusable

Microsoft advise you to look out for third party software that can get your data back. However a quick and efficient method is to install Outlook 98, and open the .pst file using Outlook 98. This way you can split the .pst file in smaller .pst files that can be read by Outlook 2000.

When I set up the 'Out of Office assistant' in Outlook, the auto reply is only generated once. After the first reply I do not get anymore replies.

The Out of Office reply is generated once per sender per out of office period. So if you get the message once, you won't get it again until the user turns off Out of Office, and then turns it back on again.

How do I import a local 'Contacts' list to a Public folder?

Use the File/Import option of Outlook to import all contacts into a folder locally. Then manually copy all the created entries from the local folder to the public folder.

When adding a new mailbox, this error appears: "The object xxx with the directory name 'xx' already exits. Enter a unique alias name on the General property page for this mail recipient"

Check for mailboxes with the same directory name. This is how exchange makes associations to mailboxes. You may have changed the alias but a duplicate directory name still exists. The directory name can be found under the "advanced" tab of the users' mailbox properties check this for duplicates. You can also specify a specific directory name instead of taking the default alias name as the directory name in your mailbox creation.

How do I export an Exchange/Outlook address book to a CSV file?

In Exchange Administrator: Tools &gr; Directory Export

Deleting a group of emails from Outlook 2000 hangs the system, how can this be fixed?

This is a problem brought about by SP3, therefore SP2 and below should not have this problem. Solution; Run Optimizer.

How can I search the Excahgne DS and find which Exchange mailbox has a particular STMP alias assigned to it?

1) Run Microsoft Exchange Administrator

2) Click on Global Address List

3) Make sure View/All is checked.

4) Make sure View/Hidden Recipients is checked.

5) Make sure "E-Mail Address (Internet) is a displayed column. If not, add it by choosing View/Columns

6) Highlight all rows in the display

7) Choose File/Save Window Contents and save file as "c:\ex1.csv" for example

8) Make sure View/Hidden Recipients is unchecked.

9) Highlight all rows in the display

10) Choose File/Save Window Contents and save file as "c:\ex2.csv" for example

11) Use a tool like Notepad to search the resulting .CSV files for the address you are looking for.

When message pass through the MTA, is there any cache for storing the message?

Yes, the cache is \exchsrvr\metadata

Contents of the .stm File Are Not Scanned When Using Antivirus API, is there a workaround for this?

The antivirus API that is present in Exchange 2000 Server does not contain the capability to properly scan the contents of the streaming media (.stm) file. Because Internet-based clients store the message content in the .stm file in native MIME format, the content is not scanned when the message is accessed by any other client, including MAPI-based clients. For more information about the conditions that must be present for the antivirus API to properly scan message attachments, see the "More Information" section later in this article. More info: http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q286638

MAPI-Based Tasks Do Not Work with Virus API Anti-Virus Software Running on the Exchange Server Computer, is there a workaround for this?

This issue can occur if these MAPI operations gain access to a large number of attachments that have not been scanned by using the current virus signatures. The MAPI operations do not determine that the attachments are waiting to be scanned; therefore a timeout error message is displayed if the scans are not completed to make the attachments available to the MAPI request in a sufficient amount of time. More information at: http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q264731

What enhancements have been made to the virus scanning application programming interface (API), which Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 1 (SP1) contains for Exchange administrators and independent software vendors (ISVs)?

This article describes the enhancements to the virus scanning application programming interface (API) that Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 1 (SP1) contains for Exchange administrators and independent software vendors (ISVs). This article describes new features,

behavior changes, and troubleshooting suggestions. http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q285667

What are the new Performance Monitor counters to assist in troubleshooting virus scanning application programming interface (API)?

Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 1 (SP1) provides Exchange administrators with Performance Monitor counters to assist in troubleshooting virus scanning application programming interface (API) issues. This article contains a list of the counters and a description of each counter. http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=kb;en-us;Q285696

What new events have been introduced with Exchange 2000 Server SP1 which relate to the new Virus Scanning API 2.0?

Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 1 (SP1) introduces many new enhancements to the virus scanning application programming interface (API). One of these enhancements is new virus scanning API-specific event logging. This article contains a list of the new events that are introduced with Exchange 2000 Server SP1 and describes how to enable those events. http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=kb;en-us;Q294336

Is there any software to interface a Palm device with Exchange?

Please check the following link: http://www.palm.com/support/faq/csemailfaq.html

I am trying to put all the contacts under a Public Folder to be accessable using the LDAP protocol. I checked the DS Configuration and the protocol, both were enabled and the port 389 is also correct. Still I am only able to do an LDAP on only the domain Windows 2000 users information but if I try to search a public record then its not accessable.

LDAP can only be used to access directory information, contacts in a Public Folder are not part of a directory, so they aren't accessible.

Where does the time stamp come from in an OWA (Outlook Web Access) 2000 originated message?

In the OWA 2000 options, the user can specify a time zone which is the source of the time stamp.

In Exchange 5.5 you could route domains to another domain through the internet mail connector. For instance, suppose I have "company.com" and I have all my email addresses set up for "company.com". Then I buy the domain "mycompany.com." I used to be able to route all email that went to "mycompany.com" to "company.com" without adding the additional emails to my users. Is this still possible in Exchange 2000? If so,where?

How it worked in 5.5

In Exchange 5.5, if you wanted to route messages for abc.com and xyz.com to one Exchange org, you could: - add the additional domain name to the Routing tab of the IMS - tell it to treat mail for xyz.com as ; then any messages delivered to your Exchange users that had an SMTP domain of xyz.com would be delivered.

How it works in Exchange 2000

You cannot add a local domain. There is Domains node in the UI. The only way to end up creating domains is to: 1. Add recipient policies 2. Put the domains as an address space on an SMTP connector.

In Exchange 2000 where can you set an administrative email address, such that if an email is sent to a recipient that does not exist or is misspelled, the email message will be forwarded to the exchange administrator.

Go to the properties of your virtual server and go to the 'Messages' tab. Add an entry to "Send a copy of NDR's to".

I have installed Exchange 2000 on my server and setup the SMTP connector. I send a test message from another system to administrator@mydomain.com and it bounces back with an error claiming the system cannot "relay" for administrator@mydomin.com".

The SMTP Connector has nothing to do with inbound mail. Inbound mail is handled by the SMTP Virtual Server.

1. The domain needs to exist as an SMTP rule in one of the Recipient Policies.

2. The address needs to be valid for the user.

3. The SMTP Virtual Server needs to be configured to accept inbound mail from Anonymous senders. This should be the default in RTM, but was not the default earlier. There were also issues with this when Win2K SP1 is not installed.

After that, you need to check the event logs/turn up logging to figure out what's happening.

How can I check if my Anti Virus product is protecting against all threats?

Unfortunately, you can rarely be completely secure. However, the least you can do is check for known threats. A free test zone can be found at: http://www.gfi.com/emailsecuritytest . If your anti virus product catches all the tests you are secure - at least from the known ones.

Do Exchange Anti Virus products protect against Email exploits?

Some do, some don't. Most anti virus products protected against known viruses only - therefore if an e-mail virus/attack uses an existing exploit in a new way, it could very well be that your anti virus product will not detect it. Mail security for Exchange 2000 has an exploit engine built in.

Do Anti virus products based on VS API scan e-mail at gateway level?

No, anti virus products using VS API will only scan the information store. Therefore, mail will not be scanned at the perimter of your network, but rather when it reaches the stores. If you wish to have gateway level scanning you need to invest in a separate gateway anti virus product.

What is the recommended way to do Anti Virus on Exchange 2000?

It is recommended that Exchange 2000 you use a product that supports the new Virus API. The virus api has been specifically designed for Anti Virus products to integrate into. Some of the products that integrate via VS API are Mail security (www.gfi.com/mailsecurity), Panda software (www.pandasoftware.com) and Trend Micro Scanmail (www.antivirus.com)

Tell me a bit about the capabilities of Exchange Server.
Microsoft Exchange Server is a messaging and collaborative software product developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Servers line of server products and is widely used by enterprises using Microsoft infrastructure solutions. Exchange's major features consist of electronic mail, calendaring, contacts and tasks, and support for the mobile and web-based access to information, as well as supporting data storage.

What are the different Exchange 2003 versions?
Exchange Server 2003 is available in two versions, Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition.

What are the main differences between Exchange 5.5 and Exchange 2000/2003?
Exchange 5.5 does not integrate with the NT4 domain or the Windows 2000/2003 Active Directory in a meaningful way. A single user could be associated with several different mailboxes. Exchange 2000/2003/2007 integrates tightly with Active Directory, and there is a 1:1 relationship between mailboxes and AD user accounts. There are other differences, depending on whether you have a standard or enterprise version as it relates to maximum database size, but the directory integration is probably the biggest difference.

To which group does the account that runs the initial ForestPrep in the domain with the Schema Master need to belong so that the AD schema can be extended properly?
Enterprise Administrator
Schema Administrator

To run a DomainPrep on a domain for the first time, a user account needs to be a member of which group?
Domain Administrator

Which of the servers does the system that will host the first Exchange Server 2003 server in a forest need to be able to contact during installation?
DNS Server
Schema Master
Domain Controller
DNS server is required so that the system on which the Exchange Server is being installed can locate the Schema Master and a domain controller.

What are the benefits of running Exchange Server 2003 in native, rather than mixed mode?
User mailboxes can moved between administrative groups.
LDAP query-based distribution groups can be used.
The default routing protocol is SMTP
You can move Exchange Server 2003 computers from one routing group to another.

MS Exchange server FAQ3

2008-11-19T16:03:00.001+05:30

What's the difference between online and offline defrag?

Online Defragmentation

The online defragmentation process involves automatically detecting and deleting objects that are no longer being used. This process provides more database space without actually changing the file size of the databases that are being defragmented.?

Offline Defragmentation

Offline defragmentation involves using Exchange Server Database Utilities (Eseutil.exe). Eseutil is an Exchange Server tool that you can use to defragment, repair, and check the integrity of Exchange Server databases.

When would you use offline backup?

offline backups will result in consistent database files. When Exchange services are being gracefully shut down, all transactions are being committed to the database. Resulting databases will be consistent, marked consistent or clean shutdown, depending on what version of Exchange you are running.

What are the 4 types of Exchange backups?

Online and offline back up

When backing up Exchange Server databases, there are four backup types available:

Normal (or Full) The normal backup process backs up the directory or Exchange store in its entirety, as well as the log files. To restore from a normal backup, only one normal backup is needed. A normal backup marks the objects it has backed up so that incremental and differential backups have context. This is accomplished by backing up the entire database and all the log files, and then purging the log files.
Copy The copy backup is the same as a normal backup except no marking takes place to give incremental and differential context. This means that performing an incremental backup after a copy backup is equivalent to performing it before a copy backup. Use a copy backup to get a full backup of the directory or Exchange store without disturbing the state of ongoing incremental or differential backups.
Incremental An incremental backup backs up the subset of the component that has changed since the last normal or incremental backup. Then it marks these objects as backed up. To restore from incremental backups, each incremental backup since the last normal backup and the normal backup are needed. An incremental backup backs up only the log files, and then purges them.
Differential A differential backup backs up changes in the directory or Exchange store that have occurred since the last normal backup. To restore from differential backups, one differential backup and one normal backup is required. A differential backup backs up only the log files but does not purge them

What is the Dial-Tone server scenario?

Dial tone portability allows a user's mailbox to be moved without having access to any of the mailbox content. This allows an alternative server to house the mailboxes of users who were previously on a server that is no longer available.

Streamlining the creation of dial tone mailboxes on alternate servers.
Ensuring the users access to the new mailbox, by automatically reconfiguring Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 client profiles.
Allowing for the merger of the recovered historical data and the dial tone mailbox data by means of a wizard, or sequence of management shell tasks.

What is DS2MB?

The DS2MB process copies entire sub trees from Active Directory, without changing the shape of the sub tree. This is a one-way write from Active Directory to the metabase; the metabase never writes to Active Directory.

What is DSAccess service? What is it’s the primary function?

DSAccess implements a directory access cache that stores recently accessed information for a configurable length of time. This reduces the number of queries made to global catalog servers.

What is Forms Based Authentication?

Forms-based authentication (or FBA for short) is a mechanism in Exchange 2003 Outlook Web Access that allows the user to have a more customizable experience of the OWA logon page and usage.

What is the RUS?

The Exchange Recipient Update Service is an important component for a properly functioning Exchange organization. Typically it runs in the background without issue but when problems occur, mail flow suffers and it is important to get it fixed!

What are Exchange Recipient types? Name 5.

Exchange 2003 recipient is a Windows 2003 user account with a mailbox.

· Mailbox-enable user

· Mail-enabled user

· Contact

· Distribution Group

· Query-based Distribution Group

· Security-enabled group

· Mail-enabled Public Folder

In Exchange server 2007

What are Query Based Distribution groups?

A query-based distribution group provides the same functionality as a standard distribution group. However, instead of specifying static user memberships, you can use an LDAP query (for example, "All full-time employees in my company") to dynamically build membership in a query-based distribution group. This reduces administrative costs because of the dynamic nature of the distribution group. However, query-based distribution groups have a higher performance cost for queries whose outcome produces many results.

What is the latest Exchange 2003 Service Pack? Name a few changes in functionality in that SP.

SP2 is a cumulative update that enhances your Exchange Server 2003 messaging environment with:

Mobile e-mail improvements
Better protection against spam
Mailbox advancements

What are the main differences between Exchange 5.5 and Exchange 2000/2003?

Exchange 5.5 does not integrate with the NT4 domain or the Windows 2000/2003 Active Directory in a meaningful way. A single user could be associated with several different mailboxes. Exchange 2000/2003/2007 integrates tightly with Active Directory, and there is a 1:1 relationship between mailboxes and AD user accounts.

There are other differences, depending on whether you have a standard or enterprise version as it relates to maximum database size, but the directory integration is probably the biggest difference.

Different Version of Exchange server 2003

Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition

Exchange 2003 Standard Edition is designed to meet the messaging and collaboration requirements of small and medium corporations and for specific messaging server roles or branch offices.

One storage group can be created on a server
One mailbox store database and one public folder store database that can be accessed by using MAPI and Outlook Web Access
Maximum 16-gigabyte (GB) database limit per database (75 GB with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2)
Exchange clustering is not supported
X.400 connector is not included

Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition

Exchange 2003 Enterprise Edition is designed for large enterprise corporations. With Exchange 2003 Enterprise Edition, you can create multiple storage groups and multiple databases. Exchange 2003 Enterprise Edition provides an unlimited message store that removes the constraints on how much data a single server can manage.

Four storage groups
Five databases per storage group
16 terabyte database limit, limited only by hardware
Exchange clustering is supported
X.400 connector is included

Distribution list is a term sometimes used for a function of email clients where lists of email addresses are used to email everyone on the list at once. This can be referred to as an electronic mailshot. It differs from a mailing list, electronic mailing list or the email option found in an Internet forum as it is usually for one way traffic and not for coordinating a discussion. In effect, only members of a distribution list can send mails to the list.

The Global Address List (GAL) also known as Microsoft Exchange Global Address Book is a directory service within the Microsoft Exchange email system. The GAL contains information for all email users, distribution groups, and Exchange resources.

The Exchange Server Database Utilities (Eseutil.exe) is a tool that you can use to verify, modify, and repair an Exchange database file. When a database is corrupt or damaged, you can restore data from backup or repair it using Eseutil.

Routing Group A group setup within Exchange to connect to another mail server.

MIME Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions It defines non-ASCII message formats.

MAPI Messaging Application Programming Interface It's the programming interface for email

What is the Send As permission?.

"Send As" allows one user to send an email as though it came from another user. The recipient will not be given any indication that the email was composed by someone other than the stated sender.

How can I send an automatic reply to a person posting to my distribution list?

Create a mailbox, add a rule to that mailbox with the reply you want and add that mailbox to the distribution list.

How can I block emails from a specific domain name?

How can I block emails from a specific email address?

What reporting tools are available that can measure Exchange 5.5 usage?

- Promodag Reports – http://www.promodag.com

- Mail Essentials – http://www.gfi.com/mesindex.htm

- MailWatch - http://www.mailwatchex.com

- Seagate Crystal Reports - http://www.seagatesoftware.com

Can an Information store be restored on another server?

What is the hierarchy of permission on Public Folders?

What is the difference between the ‘Send on Behalf" and "Send As" permissions on a mailbox?

What is Address Space?

What is Replication conflict in case of Public Folders?

A conflict occurs when a message is modified in two or more replicas of the public folder, where each of the modifications are made before the other can replicate.

Can I display the name of the public folder in the Global address list so that the users can post messages by selecting the name?

What is ISINTEG Utility?

What is ESEUTIL Utility?

Some of the users are complaining that their Auto forwards & Auto replies are not reaching the Internet recipients but there is no problem with the local recipients. What’s wrong?

What is the use of Server Monitor?

Server Monitor can be used to monitor the Exchange server services viz Message transfer agent (MTA). It can be configured so that notifications are sent when the service has gone down.

What is the use of Link Monitor?

Link monitor can be used to verify the connections between various servers and other foreign systems. Link monitor is included in the administrator program.

What is Alerter Service?

This is a handy tool by which e computers / users can be alerted of some specific event in the Exchange server viz. low disk space. This can be set from Control Panel / Server. Click on the Alerts button and type the computer or the user name to send the alerts.

Why should the IMS message size limits be set?

PRIV.EDB seems to grow all the time. Even when the mailboxes are deleted there is no change in the file size. What’s wrong?

What are the PRIV.EDB & PUB.EDB files?

These are the Exchange server databases for the Private Information Store and the Public Information Store respectively.

Can I change the Exchange Organization name?

How does the Antivirus API Scan Attachments?

Is it possible to connect exchange servers through a VPN connection?

Yes, it is possible.

What components of Exchange can I move off the exchange server machine?

How do I move a single Exchange server to a machine with the same name?

Check the following document available in the Microsoft Knowledge Base about the recommended way this should be done:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q155/2/16.asp

Is there a way to encrypt information being passed between two sites using the Exchange site connector?

The X400 Connector for Exchange 5.5 is discontinued. Is there anyway how we connect multiple exchange servers over the Internet without this connector?

I check against all the files on my exchange server 5.5 regularly. The only file that changes everday is the Mapisvc.inf in c:\winnt\systems32

How do I convert an .ost file into a .pst file for recovery?

There are several third party products that can help with this. One of them is detailed at the following link: http://www.officerecovery.com/exchange/index.htm

I have a Windows 2000 server running exchange 5.5 sp3 and deleted some files I shouldn't (log files) and the information store won't start

Download the Exchange 5.5 Disaster Recovery white paper at the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/techinfo/BackupRestore.htm

Is it possible to configure Exchange to put in a 'reply-to' address for a Distribution List? So if someone hits 'reply' to a DL post, that reply goes to the list and not to the sender?

You can add send-as permissions to the DL for the originating user, and that will allow the named people to send as (therefore have the Return Address) the DL.

The are the following documents available in the Microsoft Knowledge Base about this issue:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q190/4/33.ASP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q238/4/44.ASP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q236/9/09.ASP

I am using Outlook 2000 and when my .pst file reaches the 2Gb size limit the .pst file becomes unusable

When I set up the 'Out of Office assistant' in Outlook, the auto reply is only generated once. After the first reply I do not get anymore replies.

How do I import a local 'Contacts' list to a Public folder?

Use the File/Import option of Outlook to import all contacts into a folder locally. Then manually copy all the created entries from the local folder to the public folder.

When adding a new mailbox, this error appears: "The object xxx with the directory name 'xx' already exits. Enter a unique alias name on the General property page for this mail recipient"

How do I export an Exchange/Outlook address book to a CSV file?

In Exchange Administrator: Tools &gr; Directory Export

Deleting a group of emails from Outlook 2000 hangs the system, how can this be fixed?

This is a problem brought about by SP3, therefore SP2 and below should not have this problem. Solution; Run Optimizer.

How can I search the Excahgne DS and find which Exchange mailbox has a particular STMP alias assigned to it?

1) Run Microsoft Exchange Administrator

2) Click on Global Address List

3) Make sure View/All is checked.

4) Make sure View/Hidden Recipients is checked.

5) Make sure "E-Mail Address (Internet) is a displayed column. If not, add it by choosing View/Columns

6) Highlight all rows in the display

7) Choose File/Save Window Contents and save file as "c:\ex1.csv" for example

8) Make sure View/Hidden Recipients is unchecked.

9) Highlight all rows in the display

10) Choose File/Save Window Contents and save file as "c:\ex2.csv" for example

11) Use a tool like Notepad to search the resulting .CSV files for the address you are looking for.

When message pass through the MTA, is there any cache for storing the message?

Yes, the cache is \exchsrvr\metadata

Contents of the .stm File Are Not Scanned When Using Antivirus API, is there a workaround for this?

MAPI-Based Tasks Do Not Work with Virus API Anti-Virus Software Running on the Exchange Server Computer, is there a workaround for this?

behavior changes, and troubleshooting suggestions. http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q285667

What are the new Performance Monitor counters to assist in troubleshooting virus scanning application programming interface (API)?

What new events have been introduced with Exchange 2000 Server SP1 which relate to the new Virus Scanning API 2.0?

Is there any software to interface a Palm device with Exchange?

Please check the following link: http://www.palm.com/support/faq/csemailfaq.html

LDAP can only be used to access directory information, contacts in a Public Folder are not part of a directory, so they aren't accessible.

Where does the time stamp come from in an OWA (Outlook Web Access) 2000 originated message?

In the OWA 2000 options, the user can specify a time zone which is the source of the time stamp.

How it worked in 5.5

How it works in Exchange 2000

You cannot add a local domain. There is Domains node in the UI. The only way to end up creating domains is to: 1. Add recipient policies 2. Put the domains as an address space on an SMTP connector.

Go to the properties of your virtual server and go to the 'Messages' tab. Add an entry to "Send a copy of NDR's to".

The SMTP Connector has nothing to do with inbound mail. Inbound mail is handled by the SMTP Virtual Server.

1. The domain needs to exist as an SMTP rule in one of the Recipient Policies.

2. The address needs to be valid for the user.

After that, you need to check the event logs/turn up logging to figure out what's happening.

How can I check if my Anti Virus product is protecting against all threats?

Do Exchange Anti Virus products protect against Email exploits?

Do Anti virus products based on VS API scan e-mail at gateway level?

What is the recommended way to do Anti Virus on Exchange 2000?

What’s the difference between local, global and universal groups?

Domain local groups assign access permissions to global domain groups for local domain resources. Global groups provide access to resources in other trusted domains. Universal groups grant access to resources in all trusted domains.

I am trying to create a new universal user group. Why can’t I? Universal groups are allowed only in native-mode Windows Server 2003 environments. Native mode requires that all domain controllers be promoted to Windows Server 2003 Active Directory. .

What is LSDOU? It’s group policy inheritance model, where the policies are applied to Local machines, Sites, Domains and Organizational Units.

Why doesn’t LSDOU work under Windows NT? If the NTConfig.pol file exist, it has the highest priority among the numerous policies.

Where are group policies stored? %SystemRoot%System32\GroupPolicy

What is GPT and GPC? Group policy template and group policy container

Where is GPT stored? %SystemRoot%\SYSVOL\sysvol\domainname\Policies\GUID

You change the group policies, and now the computer and user settings are in conflict. Which one has the highest priority? The computer settings take priority.

You want to set up remote installation procedure, but do not want the user to gain access over it. What do you do? gponame–> User Configuration–> Windows Settings–> Remote Installation Services–> Choice Options is your friend.

What’s contained in administrative template conf.adm? Microsoft NetMeeting policies

How can you restrict running certain applications on a machine? Via group policy, security settings for the group, then Software Restriction Policies.

You need to automatically install an app, but MSI file is not available. What do you do? A .zap text file can be used to add applications using the Software Installer, rather than the Windows Installer.

What’s the difference between Software Installer and Windows Installer? The former has fewer privileges and will probably require user intervention. Plus, it uses .zap files.

What can be restricted on Windows Server 2003 that wasn’t there in previous products? Group Policy in Windows Server 2003 determines a users right to modify network and dial-up TCP/IP properties. Users may be selectively restricted from modifying their IP address and other network configuration parameters.

 How frequently is the client policy refreshed? 90 minutes give or take.

Where is secedit? It’s now gpupdate.

You want to create a new group policy but do not wish to inherit. Make sure you check Block inheritance among the options when creating the policy.

What is "tattooing" the Registry? The user can view and modify user preferences that are not stored in maintained portions of the Registry. If the group policy is removed or changed, the user preference will persist in the Registry.

How do you fight tattooing in NT/2000 installations? You can’t.

How do you fight tattooing in 2003 installations? User Configuration - Administrative Templates - System - Group Policy - enable - Enforce Show Policies Only.

What does IntelliMirror do? It helps to reconcile desktop settings, applications, and stored files for users, particularly those who move between workstations or those who must periodically work offline.

What’s the major difference between FAT and NTFS on a local machine? FAT and FAT32 provide no security over locally logged-on users. Only native NTFS provides extensive permission control on both remote and local files.

How do FAT and NTFS differ in approach to user shares? They don’t, both have support for sharing.

Explan the List Folder Contents permission on the folder in NTFS. Same as Read & Execute, but not inherited by files within a folder. However, newly created subfolders will inherit this permission.

I have a file to which the user has access, but he has no folder permission to read it. Can he access it? It is possible for a user to navigate to a file for which he does not have folder permission. This involves simply knowing the path of the file object. Even if the user can’t drill down the file/folder tree using My Computer, he can still gain access to the file using the Universal Naming Convention (UNC). The best way to start would be to type the full path of a file into Run… window.

For a user in several groups, are Allow permissions restrictive or permissive? Permissive, if at least one group has Allow permission for the file/folder, user will have the same permission.

For a user in several groups, are Deny permissions restrictive or permissive? Restrictive, if at least one group has Deny permission for the file/folder, user will be denied access, regardless of other group permissions.

What hidden shares exist on Windows Server 2003 installation? Admin$, Drive$, IPC$, NETLOGON, print$ and SYSVOL.

What’s the difference between standalone and fault-tolerant DFS (Distributed File System) installations? The standalone server stores the Dfs directory tree structure or topology locally. Thus, if a shared folder is inaccessible or if the Dfs root server is down, users are left with no link to the shared resources. A fault-tolerant root node stores the Dfs topology in the Active Directory, which is replicated to other domain controllers. Thus, redundant root nodes may include multiple connections to the same data residing in different shared folders.

We’re using the DFS fault-tolerant installation, but cannot access it from a Win98 box. Use the UNC path, not client, only 2000 and 2003 clients can access Server 2003 fault-tolerant shares.

 Where exactly do fault-tolerant DFS shares store information in Active

Directory? In Partition Knowledge Table, which is then replicated to other domain controllers.

Can you use Start->Search with DFS shares? Yes.

What problems can you have with DFS installed? Two users opening the redundant copies of the file at the same time, with no file-locking involved in DFS, changing the contents and then saving. Only one file will be propagated through DFS.

 I run Microsoft Cluster Server and cannot install fault-tolerant DFS. Yeah, you can’t. Install a standalone one.

Is Kerberos encryption symmetric or asymmetric? Symmetric.

How does Windows 2003 Server try to prevent a middle-man attack on encrypted line? Time stamp is attached to the initial client request, encrypted with the shared key.

What hashing algorithms are used in Windows 2003 Server? RSA Data Security’s Message Digest 5 (MD5), produces a 128-bit hash, and the Secure Hash Algorithm 1 (SHA-1), produces a 160-bit hash.

What third-party certificate exchange protocols are used by Windows 2003 Server? Windows Server 2003 uses the industry standard PKCS-10 certificate request and PKCS-7 certificate response to exchange CA certificates with third-party certificate authorities.

What’s the number of permitted unsuccessful logons on Administrator

account? Unlimited. Remember, though, that it’s the Administrator account, not any account that’s part of the Administrators group.

If hashing is one-way function and Windows Server uses hashing for storing passwords, how is it possible to attack the password lists, specifically the ones using NTLMv1? A cracker would launch a dictionary attack by hashing every imaginable term used for password and then compare the hashes.

What’s the difference between guest accounts in Server 2003 and other editions? More restrictive in Windows Server 2003.

How many passwords by default are remembered when you check "Enforce Password History Remembered"? User’s last 6 passwords.

Questions

Q: I don't see Admin and Routing Groups
A: The display of Admin and Routing groups isn't enabled as default. You need to enable it by hand.
Right click on your organisation name right at the top of ESM and choose Properties. Enable both boxes. Apply/OK and you should see the extra options.

Q: What happens if I don't take the * out of "Address Space".
A: All of your email is sent out via the ISP email server. While this isn't a problem, some people prefer to send most of their email direct.

Q: How can I find my ISPs Smart Host?
A: Look on their web site for the SMTP server. Another good trick is to look for their instructions for Outlook Express. This will usually have their SMTP server listed. Otherwise you may have to call them to find out what it is. While you are on the phone, check whether you need to authenticate when sending only.

Q: My ISP requires authentication to use their SMTP server
A: You need to add a username and password to the SMTP configuration. On the properties of the connector click on the "Advanced" tab. Click on the "Outbound Security" button. Change from anonymous to basic authentication. Click on the "Modify" button and enter the username and password as required.

Q: Why not specify the smart host in the SMTP virtual server?
A: While this option would work if you wanted to send all email out through the ISP email server it can cause problems. The key issue is if you have more than one Exchange server. Configuring a smart host on the SMTP virtual server breaks replication between the servers.

Q: I already have a connector to send email through our front-end server/spam server.
A: If you are using a third party server then you will need to look at the configuration to see how to direct email to another machine.
If you already have a connector to route email through a front-end server then add the new connector as indicated above, but only add the Front-End server in "Local Bridgeheads".

Q: Is this an alternative to getting reverse DNS configured?
A: No - you should still get your ISP to make a reverse DNS entry for you if possible. This is good practise for a machine connected to the Internet. We have more information on configuring your DNS here.

Q: How can I use a connector to bypass my ISPs block on SMTP traffic and use a third party SMTP Server? I don't see where I can set the port.
A: If you need to use an alternative port for SMTP traffic, then adjust the SMTP virtual server first. Another option would be to create another SMTP virtual server, on the same IP address as your main server. Then change its port. Once set, change the SMTP virtual server being used as the bridgehead in the SMTP Connector. By using an additional SMTP virtual server you can leave the default on port 25, which is good for use with additional Exchange servers.

Q: Can I use more than one SMTP Connector with the wildcard?
A: If you have access to two SMTP server that you can relay email through then you could add both on separate SMTP virtual servers. Both SMTP connectors would need to have the cost set as *. However you could also set both smart hosts on the same connector separated by a semi-colon (as indicated above).

MS Exchange server FAQ2

2008-11-19T15:54:00.000+05:30

Q.What is Exchange Server 2003 SP2?

A.Microsoft is continually investing in Exchange Server to meet the challenges you face in your messaging environments. Service packs are a convenient package of existing updates for a product. SP2 is, however, more than just an update to the Exchange Server 2003 product. It includes significantly improved mobile messaging as well as a host of new enhancements for even better protection, reliability, and easier administration. To find out more, read the Top 10 Reasons to Install Exchange Server 2003 SP2 or study the Exchange Server 2003 SP2 Overview.

Q.How can I get SP2?

A.SP2 is a free upgrade. You can download Exchange Server 2003 SP2 or order the CD for no additional charge. If you reside outside of the United States or Canada and cannot download SP2, you should review your local fulfillment options or contact your local subsidiary.

Q.Is there information I should review before installing SP2?

A. Yes. Before installation, you should review the Exchange Server 2003 SP2 Release Notes as well as the Exchange Server 2003 system requirements.

Q.Where can I find out more specific information about the updates included in SP2?

A. The details are included in the Fix List for Exchange Server 2003 SP2 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

Q.Are there localized versions of SP2?

A.Yes. SP2 comes in eight supported server languages: Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.

Q.Do I need to have Exchange Server 2003 SP1 running on my computer in order to install SP2?

A.No. Service packs are cumulative, meaning they include the updates from all previous service packs. No earlier service pack is required to install the latest service pack. In either case, whether you have already installed Service Pack 1 (SP1) or have only the basic Exchange Server 2003 server software, the process to upgrade is the same. You need only install SP2.

Q.What should I do if I have SP1 deployed?

A. When you install SP2, your environment will be upgraded to SP2.

Q.What if I installed the Community Technology Preview of SP2?

A. Since the Community Technology Preview is not a supported release and is not intended for a production environment, you need to upgrade to SP2. There is no need to uninstall the Community Technology Preview—simply install SP2 directly.

Q.Which devices are compatible with the new mobility features of SP2?

A. Microsoft Windows Mobile–based devices require the Messaging and Security Feature Pack for Windows Mobile 5.0. Devices and upgrades with the Messaging and Security Feature pack will be available sometime in early 2006 through major device makers (OEMs) and mobile operator partners. Contact your device maker or mobile operator for more details regarding availability, or visit the Windows Mobile Web site and learn about signing up for e-mail announcements delivered directly to you. Additionally, Exchange ActiveSync is licensed to other equipment and software manufacturers, enabling them to offer devices and applications that synchronize directly with Exchange Server. To read about Exchange ActiveSync and the devices that interoperate with Exchange Server, see the Exchange Server 2003 and Mobile Devices page.

Q.How do you administer the new remote wipe feature in SP2?

A.The new remote wipe capability requires the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync Mobile Web Administration tool, one of a collection of Web tools that will be available in late 2005. The Exchange ActiveSync Mobile Administration Web tool was created as a separate Web tool so that Help desk staff or non–Exchange Server administrators can be delegated the right to manage devices.

Q.Is the Microsoft Exchange Intelligent Message Filter part of SP2?

A.Yes, it is now built in to Exchange Server 2003 SP2. This new filter extends the antispam capabilities of Exchange Server 2003 to protect your messaging environment from phishing schemes and also from domain spoofing tactics through integration with the Sender ID framework.

Q.Does SP2 work on Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003?A.

Yes. Windows Small Business Server 2003 with SP1 fully supports Exchange Server 2003 SP2. Exchange Server 2003 SP2 was tested to ensure compatibility.

Q.Did the storage limit change for SP2?

A.Based on feedback from customers and because of the evolution of e-mail usage, we are increasing the storage limit for Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition with SP2 to 75 gigabytes (GB). In order to prevent the database from growing unexpectedly after an upgrade to SP2, the limit is set to 18 GB and can be set up to 75 GB by using a registry key. For more information about setting the limit, see the Exchange Server 2003 Help, updated during the SP2 installation.

Q.Does the storage limit change apply to Windows Small Business Server 2003?

A.Yes. Windows Small Business Server 2003 users can take advantage of the storage limit changes implemented in Exchange Server 2003 SP2.

Q.What should I know about certificate-based authentication for mobile devices?

A. Certificate-based authentication is likely to be unnecessary unless you have unique security needs. With the centralized device password management available in Exchange Server 2003 SP2, it is very easy to set up policies that help secure your mobile device. You should only consider certificate-based authentication when it is not possible to store logon credentials on the device. The Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync Certificate-based Authentication tool that is required for configuration will be available in early 2006.

Q.Is it true that the new remote wipe feature in SP2 requires a separate tool?

A. Yes. The new remote wipe capability requires the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync Mobile Administration Web tool.

MS Exchange server FAQ

2008-11-19T15:48:00.001+05:30

Q1: What is cached mode?

A1: Cached mode is the new default configuration for Outlook. It provides an experience that is similar to the offline configuration in earlier versions of Outlook. When you are running in cached mode, your Exchange mailbox is synchronized to a local file (an .ost file), and the offline address list from your Exchange computer is synchronized to a collection of files (.oab files) on your client computer. Outlook directly accesses the .ost file and the .oab files on your hard disk instead of communicating directly with your server or servers. Therefore, network communication between Outlook and Exchange is significantly reduced.

Q2: Why does cached mode generate an offline address book?

A2: The offline address book contains a set of all the properties of a user (such as e-mail addresses and names) that Outlook requires. With an offline address book, Outlook does not have to connect to the global catalog to resolve names, nor does it have to open a person’s details record. Instead, Outlook easily obtains this information from the local offline address book.

Q3: Does the offline address book function exactly like the global address list?

A3: The offline address book is a snapshot of the Active Directory directory service information that is available in the global address list. Therefore, some information is available in the global address list that is not available in the offline address book. The offline address book does not contain the following items that are available in the global address list:

•	Custom properties in Active Directory that an administrator has added (for example, the Employee ID of each employee)
•	Organization hierarchy information
•	Group membership information

Outlook must be able to access the server to obtain this information. Therefore, if you are in cached mode and if you are working online (that is, your connection status indicates “Connected”), Outlook uses both the offline address book and the global address list to provide a complete listing of user information. If you are in cached mode and if your connection status shows either “Disconnected” or “Offline,” you can see only the information that is available in the offline address book.

Q4: What are the new offline address book features with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003?

A4: Exchange 2003 supports a Unicode offline address book. The Unicode version is also known as Version 3a. Exchange 2003 also supports earlier ANSI versions of the offline address book for Outlook clients with earlier versions. The ANSI version is also known as Version 2. Exchange 2003 computers also have a filtering mechanism in place that makes sure that only those certificates that are used by Outlook for public key infrastructure (PKI) will be present in the offline address book. This mechanism significantly reduces the size of the offline address book from servers that are running Exchange 2003 compared to the offline address book from servers that are running earlier versions of Exchange. The reduction applies to both the Unicode version and the ANSI version.

Q5: How frequently is the offline address book updated on the Outlook client?

A5: If left constantly running, Outlook in cached mode automatically updates the offline address book on the client every 24 hours. The 24-hour time period is measured from the time that the offline address book was last downloaded successfully. For example, if you complete an offline address book download at 09:00 today, Outlook will start the offline address book download the next day at approximately 09:00. Therefore, different people will receive updates at different, random times.

Note The default setting on the Exchange computer is to generate an offline address book differential file every morning at 04:00. For a change that is made in Active Directory to reach the client computer, the following events must occur:

•	The change must be picked up by the Exchange computer that generates the offline address book files. This can take several hours. At worst, it can take 24 hours. This variable will be referred to as "x."
•	The Outlook clients must download the offline address book updates every 24 hours. This update can take several hours. At worst, it can take 24 hours. This variable will be referred to as "y."

The update reaches the client machines x+y hours later. It would be rare for a client to ever experience a 48-hour delay or more unless there were some Active Directory or public folder replication issues.

Q6: How can you tell when Outlook will try its next offline address book download?

A6: Unless you notice the last time that Outlook downloaded the offline address book, you may not know when Outlook is scheduled to try the next offline address book download. No indicator in the Outlook user interface advises you of the offline address book download schedule. Therefore, to manually force a download of the latest offline address book (assuming one is available on the Exchange computer), use one of the following methods:

•

On the Tools menu, point to Send/Receive, and then click Download Address Book.

•

EXit Outlook and then restart it. After Outlook starts, the offline address book download will start one to five minutes later.

Note Outlook compares the sequence ID of its last download with the Sequence ID of the Full/Differential OAB file on the Exchange server. If Outlook determines that either sequence ID is high as compared to the sequence ID that was downloaded, Outlook triggers the download.

Q7: How frequently are the offline address book files generated on the Exchange computer?

A7: By default, the Exchange computer generates the offline address book files every morning at 05:00.

Q8: How is the offline address book updated on the server and on the client?

A8: Each day, the Exchange computer generates a full offline address book and a differential file from the previous day. The Exchange computer stores the differential file and the full file for the current day and stores only the differential files for the previous days.

The following table outlines the process that Exchange and Outlook use to determine which offline address book files to download to the client.

	Exchange	Outlook
Day	Full offline address book sequence number	Differential sequence number	Client action	Offline address book result on the client
0	0	No differential.	None.	None.
1	1	1	None.	None.
2	2	2	Outlook started.	Offline address book downloaded with sequence 2.
3	3	3	None.	None.
4	4	4	Outlook started.	Download differential sequence 3 and sequence 4 (or offline address book sequence 4 if differential sequences 3 and 4 are greater than one-eighth the size of a full offline address book sequence 4).

Q9: What are typical offline address book sizes?

A9: Offline address book sizes can vary from 3 megabytes (MB) to 700 MB (uncompressed). The following factors can affect the size of the offline address book:

•	The usage of certificates in a company. The more PKI certificates, the larger the offline address book. PKI certificates range from 1 kilobyte (KB) to 3 KB. They are the single largest contributor to the offline address book size.
•	The number of users in Active Directory.
•	The number of distribution groups in Active Directory.
•	The information that a company adds to Active Directory for each user and each distribution group. For example, some organizations populate the address properties on each user; others do not.

Q10: Can I update the offline address book files on the Exchange computer more frequently?

A10: We do not recommend that you update more frequently as this may affect client and server performance. Generating the offline address book files on the Exchange computer on a more frequent basis may cause performance problems on the server. You can see the performance impact in the following aspects:

•	The server has to generate the offline address book more frequently. It might take hours to complete, depending on the size of Active Directory.
•	For each update, Outlook must make a copy of the offline address book in the local computer and apply the incremental changes that are fetched from the server. If the offline address book on the local computer is 150 MB, Outlook would have to create a copy of that much data with each update.
•	Outlook has a "throttling" mechanism that slows down the offline address book update when user activity is detected. Depending on the size of the offline address book, the update can take anywhere from one hour to eight hours if there is continuous user activity.

If you want to increase the frequency of your updates, make sure your offline address book is reasonably small. A good size is in the range of 1 MB to 25 MB, uncompressed.

To customize the generation of these files on the server, follow these steps:

1.	In Exchange System Manager (ESM), expand the Recipients container.
2.	Click Offline Address Lists.
3.	Right-click the offline address list that you specified for your mailbox store, and then click Properties.
4.	Click Customize.
5.	Customize the times that you want the offline address book files to be generated on your server.

If you have increased the generation frequency of the offline address book files on your Exchange computer, you can also increase the frequency of the client offline address book downloads. To do this:

1.	On the Tools menu, point to Send/Receive, point to Send/Receive Settings, and then click Define Send/Receive Groups.
2.	Click New.
3.	Type a name for the custom group.
4.	Click your Exchange account, and then click to select the Include the selected account in this group check box.
5.	Under Select the options you want for the selected account group, make sure that the only check box that is selected is Download offline address book, and then click OK.
6.	In the Send/Receive Groups dialog box, click your new group.
7.	Under Setting for group `Group_name`, click to select only the Schedule an automatic send/receive every check box, and then enter the number of minutes.
8.	Under When Outlook is offline, click to clear the check boxes.
9.	Click Close.

With the custom send/receive group, Outlook will request an offline address book download from the server based on the number of minutes that you specified for the send/receive setting.

Q11: Can I programmatically download an offline address book through the Outlook object model?

A11: No. Offline address book downloads are not exposed through the Outlook object model.

Q12: I added a new user to Active Directory, but the user does not show up in Outlook.

A12: The offline address book is not up to date. Two events must occur before the changes show up in Outlook:

•	The server must generate the offline address book and include the changes in the differential files.
•	The Outlook client must download the changes from the server.

If you are sure that the first event has occurred, you can perform a manual download of the offline address book. To do this, follow these steps:

1.	On the Tools menu, point to Send/Receive, and then click Download Address Book.
2.	In the Offline Address Book dialog box, make sure that the Download changes since last Send/Receive check box is checked.
3.	Click OK.

If you make frequent changes to the offline address book, you may want to modify the way that Outlook computers on your network access the Address Book. You can disable the downloading of the offline address book and force the Outlook computers to use the online Global Address List when they use Cached Exchange Mode.

To do this, add the following registry value to the computers, as appropriate for the version of Outlook that you are running.

Outlook 2007

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\Cached Mode

Parameter: DownloadOAB
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0

Outlook 2003

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Cached Mode

Parameter: DownloadOAB
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 0

By using the value 0 (zero), the offline address book is not downloaded automatically, and Outlook must contact the online global address list. For more information about the values for the DownloadOAB registry parameter, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

823580 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823580/) How to configure how the Offline Address Book is downloaded when you use Outlook in Cached Exchange Mode

As per this article, if offline address book (.oab) files were previously downloaded and were associated with a MAPI profile for Outlook, this setting will not have the correct effect. To use this setting, you must set the registry value, remove any .oab files from the local computer, and then synchronize.

Q13: What is the effect of offline address book downloads on the network? Will offline address book downloads flood the network?

A13: When a cached mode profile is started for the first time, Outlook downloads the full offline address book from the server. This can affect the network, especially if multiple clients are starting up at the same time.

Other cases when Outlook clients require full offline address book downloads are described in question 14. Differential downloads are not expected to cause a huge network impact if all the clients update the differential files on a daily basis.

Outlook has the following safeguards that help protect the network from excessive offline address book downloads:

•	In the default configuration, Outlook will only try one full offline address book download in a 13-hour period. An attempt is counted when Outlook receives a response from the server and can at least start the offline address book download.
•	In the default configuration, Outlook does not limit the number of attempts for differential updates. If a differential update fails, Outlook will retry the update after waiting one hour.

Also, Outlook will not perform any full or incremental offline address book downloads if the client is running in header-only mode. In the default configuration, when Outlook detects a “slow” connection, such as a 56-KB link, it will automatically switch to header-only mode. To manually switch to header-only mode, point to Exchange Cached Mode on the File menu, and then click Download Headers.

Note The header-only mode configuration will only work with Exchange 2003. Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server and Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5 do not support this mode.

Q14: Under what conditions will Outlook perform a full offline address book download?

A14: Outlook in cached mode will perform full offline address book download when the following conditions are true:

•

There is no offline address book on the client computer. This condition may occur if Outlook has not performed an initial complete synchronization.

•

The total size of the differential files is greater than one-eighth the size of the full offline address book. In this case, Outlook downloads the full offline address book for better performance. This condition may occur if there are lots of Active Directory objects that have a change to an attribute that is in the offline address book. For example, phone numbers are updated with a new area code, departments are added to all users in Active Directory, and new address types are added.

To modify the one-eighth rule, follow these steps.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

On the Outlook client computer, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.

Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\Exchange Provider

If the OAB Dif Divisor entry is not present in the right pane, create it. To do this:

a.	In the left pane, right-click the Exchange Provider subkey, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
b.	Type OAB Dif Divisor, and then press ENTER.

Double-click OAB Dif Divisor.

In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, type 4 in the Value box, and then click OK.

This setting example (4) permits Outlook to download differential offline address book files that are up to one-fourth the size of the full offline address book.

Note If the OAB Dif Divisor registry value is set to 0 (zero), Outlook will use 16 so that it does not divide by 0.

Exit Registry Editor.

•

The parent distinguished name table changes. When this behavior occurs, all Outlook clients will also try to perform a full download. The change may have occurred if a new PDN is created or if a PDN is removed.

A parent distinguished name is the part of a distinguished name (also known as DN) in an earlier Exchange format, not including the final relative distinguished name (also known as RDN). For example, /o=org/ou=site/cn=Recipients/cn=bob has a parent distinguished name of o=org/ou=site/cn=Recipients.

The parent distinguished name table is the set of all parent distinguished names that are found in Active Directory. They come from the legacyExchangeDN attribute and from the proxyAddresses attribute, and they start with the following prefix:

x500:

X500 addresses are only included if they start with /o=orgname, where orgname is the actual name of the local Exchange organization. This means that x500 addresses for users who were migrated from another organization will not be included.

•

There is a differential file missing on the server. Outlook cannot update to the current version without it. This behavior may occur if one of the following conditions is true:

•	You did not start Outlook (to log on to your Exchange mailbox) for more than 30 days. The server policy permits only 30 days of differential files.
•	There was an error on the server, and it did not generate the differential file for a day.
•	The server was reset, or it crashed before it could post the differential files but after it was able to post the full offline address book files on the public folder.

•

The version on the server and the version on the client do not match. There is a more recent version of the offline address book present on the server. For example, Version 3a (Unicode offline address book) is now available, and you previously downloaded a Version 2 offline address book.

•

Applying changes to the offline address book failed. For example, differential files are corrupted on the server. Corruption may occur if the server goes down during differential file generation.

•

A change to the legacyDN table occurred. For example, a new legacyDN table is added, or an existing legacyDN table is deleted from Active Directory.

•

One or more offline address book files were not present on the client computer. For example, a user accidentally deletes one of the .oab files on the user's computer.

•

A previous full download failed, and Outlook has to start from the beginning.

•

You manually download the offline address book.

Note Outlook will not perform a full download if there is a disk-space problem on the client computer. This restriction helps safeguard the network against excessive downloads.

Q15: Is there any compression of the data during an offline address book download?

A15: To save bandwidth, the offline address book is compressed to less than one-third of its full size during the download. You can verify the size of your organization’s offline address book by going to its storage location in the Exchange system public folder. You can see the full offline address book files by using Outlook Web Access with a URL that is similar to the following:

http://Exchange_computer_name/public/ non_ipm_subtree/offline%20address%book

For estimation purposes, the full offline address book size is approximately 1 MB per 1,000 users. If there are user certificates in the offline address book, this will add approximately 1 KB per certificate.

Q16: Outlook shows the "Updating Address Book" status for a long time. Why?

A16: Outlook has a throttling feature that slows the address book update when you are working in Outlook. This can cause the “Updating Address Book” status appearing for a long time. Outlook is helping you complete other activities and does not allow the address book update to interfere.

Q17: My computer slows down when Outlook shows the "Updating Address Book" status. Why?

A17: In computers with slow hard disk drives, such as some earlier portable computers, the process of updating the address book can slow down the computer if the hard disk is fragmented. To improve offline address book download performance, try defragmenting your hard disk. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

314848 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848/) How to defragment your disk drive volumes in Windows XP

Q18: Do send/receive settings affect automatic 24-hour offline address book downloads?

A18: The Download offline address book check box in the Send/Receive Settings - "Group_name" dialog box does not affect the 24-hour download process. In fact, Outlook cached mode will continue to download the offline address book every 24 hours regardless of whether the option is enabled.

Note To locate this option, follow these steps:

1.	On the Tools menu, point to Send/Receive, point to Send/Receive Settings, and then click Define Send/Receive Groups.
2.	Click your account group, and then click Edit.

When you click to select the Download offline address book check box and then click Address Book Settings, the Offline Address Book dialog box appears. In this dialog box, you can specify either No Details or Full Details. These settings affect the offline address book download. For example, if you select No Details, a no-details version will be automatically downloaded to your computer during an offline address book download.

Q19: How can I determine whether my client is performing a full offline address book download?

A19: To have Outlook display a dialog box that prompts you before the offline address book download starts, follow these steps.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

On the Outlook client computer, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.

Locate and then click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Exchange\Exchange Provider

If the Allow Full OAB Prompt entry is not present in Name column in the right pane, create it. To do this:

a.	On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
b.	Type Allow Full OAB Prompt, and then press ENTER.

Right-click Allow Full OAB Prompt, and then click Modify.

Type 1, and then click OK.

Set this value to 1 to display the prompt. Set it to 0 to not display the prompt.

When Outlook starts the offline address book download, a dialog box prompts you to select whether you want to perform a full download. If you click No, Outlook will prompt you again after one hour.

Q20: Are ANSI offline address book files deleted when Outlook downloads a Unicode offline address book?

A20: When an Outlook profile switches from ANSI mode to Unicode mode, Outlook will delete the old ANSI offline address book files. However, Outlook only deletes the offline address book files that belong to the current profile. If you create a new Unicode profile, you may still see some old ANSI offline address book files if these files are associated with another Outlook profile.

Q21: How can I indicate that I want exact alias matching with the offline address book?

A21: When you use Outlook in cached mode, a registry setting controls how names are matched to the offline address book. By default, name fragments are matched to all naming fields, not just to the e-mail alias. For example, the following table contains examples of how names are resolved in Outlook in cached mode:

First name	Last name	Alias
Bob	Brewer	bobb
Bobby	Johnson	bjohnson

If you type bobb in an Address field, Outlook resolves "bobb" to both entries in cached mode.

You can indicate that you want an exact match for an e-mail alias by typing an equal sign before the e-mail alias text. For example, if you type =bobb, Outlook resolves "bobb" to Bob Brewer.

If you are using Outlook in cached mode, you can turn on exact e-mail alias matching without having to use the equal sign. To use this function, follow these steps.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

1.	Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2.	Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Exchange\Exchange Provider
3.	On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4.	Type OAB Exact Alias Match, and then press ENTER.
5.	Right-click OAB Exact Alias Match, and then click Modify.
6.	Type 1, and then click OK. Setting this value to 1 enables exact matching.

Q22: The My Name property in Active Directory is set to "Lastname, Firstname," and I cannot resolve Firstname. Why?

A22: The offline address book supports name resolution indexes against the following properties only:

•	Lastname
•	DisplayName
•	Alias
•	OfficeLocation
•	Primary SMTP Address
•	Primary X500 Address

Conversely, Active Directory is configurable. Your administrator can set the server to resolve names against any set of properties. The limited indexes in the offline address book work well for organizations that have the name set in Active Directory as “Firstname Lastname.” The following sample user information illustrates why name resolution works well in this configuration:

•	Lastname: Pica
•	DisplayName: Guido Pica
•	Alias: GPica
•	OfficeLocation: 18/2231
•	Primary SMTP address: GPica@exchange.contoso.com
•	Primary X500 address: /o=Contoso/ou=APPS/cn=recipients/cn=gpica

With this configuration, you can find this user by typing “Guido” or “Pica” or “Guido Pica”.

If Active Directory had the display name set to "Lastname, Firstname," the following values would be indexed for the properties in the sample user information:

•	Pica
•	Pica, Guido
•	GPica
•	18/2231
•	gpica@exchange.contoso.com
•	/o=Contoso/ou=APPS/cn=recipients/cn=gpica

In this configuration, you cannot find this user if you type "Guido." There is no property in the second list that begins with “Guido.”

If Active Directory is set to "Lastname, Firstname" in an organization and if there is an absolute requirement to provide Firstname resolution, you must install Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2). This problem does not occur with SP2 because the offline address book for SP2 downloads the PR_GIVEN_NAME attribute. If installing SP2 is not an option, you must perform additional steps for non-SP2 clients. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

831124 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/831124/) How to force Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2003 to resolve proxy addresses and custom properties in Cached Exchange Mode

Article 831124 recommends that you disable the name resolution that is provided by the offline address book. This can reduce the effectiveness of cached mode because Outlook must have the global catalog server to resolve names.

Q23: I cannot resolve proxy addresses now. Why?

A23: The offline address book supports resolving names against the DisplayName, Lastname, OfficeLocation, Alias, and Email address fields. If these fields do not meet your requirements, you can force Outlook to resolve proxy addresses. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

831124 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/831124/) How to force Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2003 to resolve proxy addresses and custom properties in Cached Exchange Mode

Q24: Can I add a custom property to the offline address book?

A24: No. You cannot add custom properties directly to the offline address book. Any custom properties that are added to the General tab of the "User_name" Properties dialog box must be retrieved from the global catalog server when Outlook is online. This can cause remote procedure call (RPC) traffic to the server and can cause delays if these properties are published to the General tab. We recommend that you add these custom properties to alternative tabs. For example, add the custom information in the Notes field on the Telephones tab of the "User_name" Properties dialog box in Active Directory Users and Computers. This information will appear in the Notes box on the Phone/Notes tab in the "User_name" Properties dialog box in the offline address book.

For more information about resolving custom properties when using Outlook, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

831124 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/831124/) How to force Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2003 to resolve proxy addresses and custom properties in Cached Exchange Mode

Q25: Can I download more than one offline address book? Can I use two cached profiles with their own offline address books?

A25: No. Outlook supports only one offline address book per user account on a computer. If you have multiple profiles, only one profile can download the offline address book. If you have to use two cached mode profiles, make sure that one of the profiles does not download the offline address book.

For more information about how to disable the Outlook Address Book download for a cached mode profile, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

823580 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823580/) How to configure how the Offline Address Book is downloaded when you use Outlook in Cached Exchange Mode

Q26: How can I determine whether Outlook is using the offline address book on the local computer?

A26: To determine whether Outlook is using a downloaded offline address book or the global address list, follow these steps:

1.	Open a new message, and then click To:.
2.	In the Show Names from the list, right-click Global Address List, and then click Properties. If you see a local file path, Outlook is using the downloaded offline address book. If you see a server name, such as Win2003GC, Outlook is going online for this information, and you have not yet completed a full download of the offline address book.

Q27: Can offline address books be shared on one computer among multiple profiles?

A27: No. The information that relates to an offline address book is stored per profile. Offline address books cannot be shared among multiple profiles.

Q28: How can I download a Unicode offline address book?

A28: By default, if you are connected to a server that is running Exchange 2003, the offline address book that is downloaded is a Unicode offline address book. If you are connected to a server that is running either Exchange 2000 or Exchange 5.5, you will always download an ANSI offline address book.

The basic rules are:

•	If Outlook is running in Unicode mode, Outlook tries to download a Unicode offline address book. If a Unicode offline address book is not available, Outlook downloads an ANSI offline address book.
•	If Outlook is running in ANSI mode, Outlook will always download an ANSI offline address book.

Note If your computer is running Exchange 2003, your profile must also be set to Unicode mode to download a Unicode offline address book. To check the mode for your profile, follow these steps:

1.	On the Tools menu, click E-mail Accounts.
2.	Click View or change existing e-mail accounts, and then click Next.
3.	Click your Exchange account, and then click Change.
4.	In the E-mail Accounts dialog box, click More Settings.
5.	Click the Advanced tab.
6.	Note the description under Mailbox Mode.
7.	If you are running in non-Unicode mode and if you are using either an Exchange 2000 computer or an Exchange 2003 computer, try creating a new Outlook profile to change over to Unicode mode.

Q29: Must I have a full-details offline address book for cached mode, or can I work with a no-details offline address book instead?

A29: Outlook cached mode relies on the information present in the full-details offline address book to provide a smooth cached mode experience. A no-details offline address book does not have all the properties that Outlook requires to function without the server access. The lack of properties might make Outlook unresponsive at certain times.

Q30: What containers are present in the offline address book?

A30: The offline address book supports only a single “container." The following example illustrates how this impacts Outlook:

1.	Open a new e-mail message in a cached mode profile.
2.	Click To:. The Show names from the list displays the global address list as the default container.
3.	Right-click Global Address List, and then click Properties. Under The current server is, the local path of the offline address book files is displayed. This indicates that the global address list is being used as the container for the offline address book. In this configuration, whenever you select a name from the global address list, you will not see any network traffic between your client and the server.
4.	In the Global Address List Properties dialog box, click OK.
5.	Click the Show names from the list.
6.	Note the additional containers under All Address Lists. None of these containers are in the offline address book.
7.	Under All Address Lists, click a container. For example, click All Contacts. If you click a name in the All Contacts container, Outlook will download the information from the server and not from the local offline address book.

Q31: Where are the offline address book files located?

A31: The offline address book files are located in the %userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook folder. The folder contains six files for a full-details offline address book or five files for a no-details offline address book. The file names identify whether the offline address book is in Unicode format or in ANSI format. The following table lists the file names that are included.

ANSI	Unicode	Notes
Anrdex.oab	Uanrdex.oab
Browse.oab	Ubrowse.oab
Details.oab	Udetails.oab	This file is not present in a no-details offline address book.
Rdndex.oab	Urdndex.oab
Pdndex.oab	Updndex.oab
Tmplts.oab	Utmplts.oab

Q32: I do not have space on drive C. Can I move the offline address book to another drive?

A32: Yes. To move the offline address book, follow these steps.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

1.	Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2.	Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\`Profile_name`\13dbb0c8aa05101a9bb000aa002fc45a
3.	On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click String Value.
4.	Type 001e660e, and then press ENTER.
5.	Right-click 001e660e, and then click Modify.
6.	In the Value data box, type the path of the folder where you want to store the offline address book files, and then click OK.
7.	Exit Registry Editor.

For more information about cached mode and the offline address book, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sms/2003/deployexch2003oabusingsms.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sms/2003/deployexch2003oabusingsms.mspx)

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=%2Fservicedesks%2Fwebcasts%2Fen%2Ftranscripts%2Fwct011304.asp

MS Exchange server FAQ1

2008-11-19T15:37:00.002+05:30

What is Exchange 2003 Forestprep?

Exchange 2003 Forestprep extends the AD schema to include Exchange specific information.

What is Exchange 2003 Domainprep?

Exchange 2003 Domainprep creates the groups and permissions necessary for Exchange servers to read and modify user attributes.

What is a DC?

A DC is a Windows 2000 or 2003 Domain Controller that holds active directory partitions for a domain (used for things like user authentication).

What is a GC?

A GC is a Global Catalog Server. A GC holds a full set of attributes for the domain in which it resides and a subset of attributes for all objects in the Active Directory Forest.

What is DDNS and why do I need it?

Dynamic DNS (described in RFC 2136) allows servers to dynamically update and create records in DNS. Dynamic DNS is used by the Exchange server to create server records and other entries used by the Exchange Servers for things like message routing. In a simple Exchange organization, DDNS is not strictly necessary, but makes administration much easier.

What is a border server?

A border server is an Exchange server that communicates with external servers. In a single server organization, your server is by default a border server. In a multi-server configuration, you may have one or more dedicated servers that communicate directly or indirectly with foreign servers and then pass the mail to other internal Exchange servers.

What is a mixed mode Exchange environment?

An Exchange environment which contains Exchange 2003 or Exchange 2000 and Exchange 5.5 servers.

How does an Exchange 5.5 site compare to an Exchange 2003 Routing Group or Administrative Group?

In a mixed mode Exchange environment the Exchange 2003 Administrative Group and Routing Group correspond to the Exchange 5.5 site. In a native Exchange 2000 environment, the Administrative Group is a group of Exchange objects sharing a common set of permissions and routing groups define how those servers communicate with one another. A single Administrative Group can contain several Routing Groups. Example: Your North American Exchange servers might be grouped in a single Administrative Group, but subdivided into several Routing Groups to optimize interserver communication. An Administrative Group contains zero or more Routing Groups.

What happened to the M: drive?

The EXIFS (M: drive) feature has been disabled by default. If the feature is still needed, it can be assigned to an available drive letter with a registry setting.

Do I need Windows XP to use Outlook RPC over HTTP?

Yes. Windows XP with Service Pack 1 + KB331320

When will Exchange 2003 SP1 be available?

When it is ready

How do I configure the Recovery Storage Group?

In Exchange 2003, there is a new feature called the "Recovery Storage Group" (RSG). This is a special instance of ESE (a 5th instance) which can be spun up to provide:
a. Item/Folder/Mailbox level restore without the need for a spare server
b. "Dial tone" (blank mailbox) support if you lose a database and need to get the users quickly up and running for send/receive

To create the RSG, go into Exchange 2003 ESM, right-click on your server object and choose to create a new Recovery Storage Group.
Once the RSG exists, you can add a database to it (any MDB from any Storage Group from any server inside the same Admin Group). Then, use NTBackup or similar to restore a backup into the RSG. Now, you can use ExMerge to extract the data from the RSG and merge it into the production database (for scenario a.), or you can swap the RSG-restored database for the temporary production database (for scenario b).

One of the goals for the Recovery Storage Group

Under Exchange 5.5 I couldn't restore a single mailbox without 3rd party products. With Exchange 2003, is it any easier to restore a single mailbox or back up a single mailbox?

Yes and no. Under Exchange 2003, a mailbox is not deleted immediately when a Windows account is deleted. Although restores have been greatly improved with the new Recovery Storage Group (RSG) and the Volume Shadow Copy Service, there is no built in mechanism for backing up a single Exchange mailbox. This would still require a 3rd party brick level backup utility.

Can I back up the EXIFS drive using NT Backup or another backup application?

You can, but you will be sad. Do NOT back up the EXIFS drive of an Exchange 2003 server. It can result in messages and attachments being inaccessible via the Outlook client.

How can I prevent a user from sending and receiving Internet mail?

Follow the steps outlined below:

Create a group called InternalOnly.
Create a recipient policy that gives them a fake SMTP address. i.e. @fake.domain. Leave the X400 address alone so they can receive internal mail.
Drill down through Routing Groups > Group Name > Connectors > SMTP internet connector(s), choose its properties. Choose the Delivery Restrictions tab, and under "reject", add this group. Do this for each connector.
Follow the steps in KB277872, regarding Connector Restrictions.
[Now they can't use the SMTP connector(s) to send external mail]

Can I use Exchange 2000 tools to manage Exchange 2003 Servers?

No, the property sheets of the 2003 servers will appear as read-only. You should avoid using Exchange 2000 ESM in environments where Exchange 2003 is installed. Not only will you not be able to access new Exchange 2003 features, but there is also the risk of damage to new objects that Exchange 2000 does not understand. If you must continue to use Exchange 2000 ESM, apply the latest Exchange 2000 SP3 roll-up to your Admin workstation(s) - http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=E247C80E-8AFA-4C2A-96B3-F46D1808C790&displaylang=en

The roll-up includes support for the msExchMinAdminVersion attribute (also known as ESM versioning). Essentially, each Exchange object in the AD is stamped with a minimum admin version. If ESM detects that the data value is greater than the version of ESM running, it will not allow edits to that object.

The following objects may become damag

Can I use Exchange 2003 tools to manage Exchange 5.5 and Exchange 2000 Servers?

Yes, with the exception of the following Exchange 2000 components; Key Management Server, Exchange Instant Messaging, Chat, MS-Mail / Schedule+ / DirSync / cc:Mail Connectors

I created a secondary Public Folder Hierarchy, but only the original public folder hierarchy appears in Outlook.

Current versions of Outlook only support a single public folder hierarchy. Secondary Public Folder hierarchies can be accessed with the web.

In Exchange 5.5, I could have multiple mailboxes associated with a single user account. How do I do that in Exchange 2003?

Exchange 2003 requires a user object for each mailbox. You can create a disabled user object, associate a mailbox with it, and then grant another user object 'receive as' and 'send as' permissions to that mailbox.

What is the difference between 'receive as' and 'send as'?

'Receive as' allows a user object to open a mailbox. 'Send as' allows a user to send out a mail message as the mailbox that has been opened.

How do I restrict a user or domain from sending mail to my users?

First, add the address or domain you wish to filter to the Filtering Tab of the Message Delivery Global Settings. Next, you need to apply the filter to the SMTP virtual server you wish to filter. (Administrative Group | Server | Protocols | SMTP | | Properties | Advanced |

I've created more than one address list. Which list will users see for their GAL?

The following criteria are used when determining what a client will see for the Global Address List.

Which Address List do you have permissions to see?
Which Address List contains your mailbox object as an entry?

If your mailbox appears as an object in more than one address list:

Which of the remaining Address Lists contains more entries?

What do the event IDs mean in the message tracking log?

They are listed in Appendix A

Is Single Instance Storage maintained when moving users between servers | storage groups | databases?

Yes...

In my native E2K3 organization is there any requirement for RPC connectivity between servers?

In order to move users between servers, RPC connectivity is required.

How can I archive messages sent or received by my users?

Messages can be archived on a per store basis by enabling the option on the general properties tab of the Mailbox Store in the Exchange System Manager.
Use an event sink (either write your own or use the simple one provided by Microsoft and described in “Archive Sink Readme.txt”
Use a 3rd party message archival tool.

Why when I try to add an additional mailbox store do I receive the following error? This storage group already contains the maximum number of stores allowed. ID no: c1034a7a

You are running the standard version of Exchange 2003 which is limited to a single 16GB private information store.

How do I get the Exchange Advanced Tab in Active Directory Users and Computers?

Open Active Directory Users and Computers. Click on the View menu item at the top of the application. Select “Advanced Features” on the menu list. When you open a property page for an Active Directory object that has a mailbox associated with it, you will now see the “Exchange Advanced” tab at the top.

How do I control the format of the addresses before the @ sign in a recipient policy?

You can use the following variables: %g Given Name, %s Surname, %i initials in the recipient policy.

Examples:

User: Tommy Lee Jones
Domain: company.com

%g.%s@company.com = Tommy.Jones@company.com
%1g%s@company.com = TJones@company.com
%g%2s@comapny.com = TommyJo@company.com

Less commonly used variables include, %m (alias) and %d (display name).

How do I make Exchange automatically send a welcome message to all newly created users?

There is nothing in the product that will do this. You can create a WELCOME.MSG that you deploy with Outlook, but that only applies the first time Outlook is opened after creating a new profile. Otherwise, you could script mailbox creation and send a message at the end of the script.

How do I determine what version of Outlook applies to a build or version number?

http://www.cdolive.com/build.htm

Is there any way to append a text message to all out bound email for Exchange 2003?

On a single Exchange server deployment, there is no 100% reliable way to accomplish this with an SMTP Transport Event Sink; even though KB273233 suggests that creating a second SMTP Virtual Server works. However, at startup the Exchange Information Store binds to the SMTP Virtual Server that starts first and you can not rely on the routing of the mail from SMTP VS 1 to SMTP VS 2 as the KB273233 proposes. Also note that under special circumstances the database can become corrupted if you use an SMTP Transport Event Sink to manipulate outgoing (MAPI) message contents. This is currently under investigation by Microsoft and a QFE to prevent the store corruption is under development. ****

There are 3rd party products that will do this too.

How do I add a disclaimer to outgoing SMTP messages in Visual Basic/Visual Basic Script?

You can do it, however, see there are limitations. It reliably works only on a border server, which can be either a Windows 2000 or 2003 SMTP Server with or without Exchange 2000/2003 installed. For more information, see KB317327 and KB317680

How do I add a disclaimer to outgoing SMTP messages in Visual Basic?

How To: Add a Disclaimer to Outgoing SMTP Messages in Visual Basic – KB317327

Resource / Conference room scheduling

Outlook 2003 offers basic resource booking functionality through Direct Booking. For more information refer to “Direct Booking of Resource Without a Delegate Account”

There are 3rd party products such as Exchange Resource Manager and AutoAccept Sink for Exchange that will automatically accept/decline meeting requests for conference rooms and other resources.

How do I find an SMTP mail address in Active Directory if Active Directory Users and Computers tells me it is in use when I try to create a new user?

Either open Outlook to create a new message with that SMTP address and hit “CTRL+K” to resolve it, or use a Windows Scripting Host script to find it. For the latter, see http://www.cdolive.net/download/adusermanagement.zip (look for FindUserWithADSI.wsf and FindUserWithCDO.wsf)

How do I disable the "Automatically update e-mail addresses based on recipient policy" on all users or contacts?

' Default setting for "msExchPoliciesExcluded" is empty
' Once disabling the automatic e-mail address update it is:
' "{26491CFC-9E50-4857-861B-0CB8DF22B5D7}"

' Default setting for "msExchPoliciesIncluded" is:
' "{26491CFC-9E50-4857-861B-0CB8DF22B5D7}" plus a unique GUID for each applied Recipient Policy separated by a comma
' And after turning off the automatic update "msExchPoliciesIncluded" is only:
' "{26491CFC-9E50-4857-861B-0CB8DF22B5D7}"

How do I restrict users from Creating Top-Level Folders?

For Exchange 2000 public folders, you can follow the instructions in this article KB256131. But with Exchange 2000, however, any time a new server is added to the organization, these permissions will be reset.

In Exchange 2003 these permission are restricted by default so to install Exchange 2003, you will automatically restrict them.

“Allow create top-level public folder access control entry for everyone” permissions and “allow anonymous logon from the organization container” permissions are removed during the installation of Exchange 2003.*****

Why do the storage quota settings not take effect immediately?

This problem has been fixed in AN Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Post-Service Pack 3 MDB patch. For more information see KB327378

How do I limit which Outlook client versions can access my server?

You need to create the Disable MAPI Clients registry value to disable MAPI client access. For more information, see KB288894

What tools are used to administer Exchange 2003?

Active Directory Users & Computers - Used to create users, distribution groups and contacts.

Exchange System Manager - Used to manage the Exchange Server, create address lists, recipient policies, and now does some user level actions...

I created a user in AD Users and Computers, but in the Exchange system manager it doesn't appear under Mailbox Store | Mailboxes. What did I do wrong?

Probably nothing. A mailbox will not appear under Mailbox Store | Mailboxes until either someone has logged into the mailbox or the mailbox has received a mail message. Some administrators send a welcome message to a mailbox shortly after it has been created, which would cause it to appear.

How can you tell the exact version of Exchange you are running?

Here is a list of build numbers for Exchange 2000/2003:

Exchange 2000

4417.5 = Exchange 2000 RTM
4712.7 = Exchange 2000 SP1
5762.4 = Exchange 2000 SP2
6249.4 = Exchange 2000 SP3
6396.1 = Exchange 2000 Post-SP3 Super Roll-up
63xx/64xx = Exchange 2000 Post-SP3 Hotfixes

Exchange 2003

6728.12 = Exchange 2003 Beta 1
6803.8 = Exchange 2003 Beta 2
6851.10 = Exchange 2003 Release Candidate 0
6895.5 = Exchange 2003 Release Candidate 1 (Candidate)

How do I create users from an Excel table?

There is no built-in way to accomplish that. However, see http://www.cdolive.net/download/bulkaddfromexcel.zip for a Windows Scripting Host script that uses an Excel table to create users and mailbox enable them.

How do I Enable the Security Tab for the Organization Object?

This tab is not enabled by default. For instructions on how to enable it see KB264733