Exchange Connections

Post-Conference report

Devin L. Ganger — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:16:15 GMT

As I typically do, I'm posting links to my slide decks for the presentations I just finished giving. I apologize to the Connections folks; I was supposed to get this done Monday afternoon or Tuesday and got ambushed by a travel-induced migraine.

Orlando was nice this time of year; not too hot, so the humidity slipped under the radar. It was nice to see a bunch of familiar faces and meet some new ones, and I was very pleased with the attendance at all of my sessions. Doing all three sessions back-to-back is definitely a drain, but the conference organizers helped out a lot by keeping me in the same room for all of them, and had I stayed for a couple of days I'd definitely have had the . And I have apparently finally beaten my notorious string of demo failures; my demo DPM environment (provided by Jason Buffington of Microsoft, thank you Jason) worked quite nicely.

For the MMS folks, I can't put my deck up directly; you'll need to get it from the MMS CommNet or wait for your attendee DVD to show up. Las Vegas is still completely over the top; the Venetian was opulent and provided a nice venue. For some reason, the casino didn't seem nearly as intrusive as it could have been (and is in other venues). I am, however, glad I had new shoes -- my feet didn't hurt from all the walking. For the flight home, I picked up 21: Bringing Down the House - Movie Tie-In: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions at the airport and read it cover-to-cover; a great story told well.

A DPM roundup

Devin L. Ganger — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:06:22 GMT

This was a big travel week for me; I got the privilege of speaking about protecting Exchange with DPM 2007 at both Exchange Connections (in Orlando) and Microsoft Management Summit (in Las Vegas). The session had a good response at both shows, and there's clearly a lot of buzz going around about DPM. I've gotten some good questions which I'll list here and update as I get answers.

Q: Does DPM protect message tracking logs on an Exchange mailbox server?
A: Very good question. My gut instinct is "No" but I need to confirm that. I'll post the confirmation in a separate blog article when I get an answer back.
Q: Is there any good guidance on sizing a DPM installation?
A: Yes. First see the Data Protection Manager 2007 Storage Calculator (currently only supports the Exchange workload), then see this third-party deconstruction. Note that the second post was written against an earlier release of the calculator, so is in need of some updating, but it's still a good read.
Q: What kind of overhead does DPM incur?
A: I have to admit that I don't remember the specifics of this question (this is why I strongly encourage folks to email their questions to me, as is the case with the following question -- thanks!); all I have is a cryptic note "CPU overhead" on my notepad. So, I'm going to assume that we're talking about the overhead of the protection agent on a protected server. And my answer to that is: Very good question; I need to get some specifics.
Q: From e-mail: "Yesterday during MMS at the Advanced Exchange protection session you mentioned that you had created a white paper on getting DPM working with IBM’s TSM product. If you have a link to this I would be very grateful as I have not been able to find it currently and I am wanting to ensure that they way I have it set up and kind of working is the same way that someone else has been able to get it working."
A: Unfortunately, I must have been unclear, for which I apologize. 3Sharp did work with Microsoft during the DPM 2006 timeframe to create several white papers on how to integrate DPM with several backup products: Commvault QiNetix, Symantec Backup Exec, Yosemite Backup, and Windows Backup. Unfortunately, Tivoli wasn't one of them, and I'm not aware of any current guidance that gives a complete end-to-end picture of integrating TSM with DPM 2007. However, the Backup of DPM Servers section in the DPM Operations Guide should be a good starting place.
Q: Why can't I use DPM 2007 to recover to the Recovery Storage Group on Exchange 2003 servers, only on Exchange 2007 servers?
A: Another great question, which I'm querying to find the answer to.
Q: If I can use DPM 2007 to do document-level recovery in SharePoint, why can't I recover mailboxes or even messages in Exchange without having to use the RSG (for Exchange 2007)or ExMerge (for Exchange 2003)?
A: There are two parts of this answer, but they both are based on the same premise: DPM does not use "privileged" information on the internals of other Microsoft applications it protects. When recovering documents from a SharePoint replica, DPM doesn't directly reach into the replica database and extract the information. Instead, it recovers the relevant databases to a temporary recovery SharePoint installation (which can be a single server SPS 3.0 install on a virtual machine, even if you're recovering data from MOSS 2007) and then finds the relevant documents using SharePoint's HTTP interfaces. With Exchange, the principle is the same; we recover the mailbox database to a parallel location (the RSG in Exchange 2007; a network folder in Exchange 2003) and then use the Exchange native tools to extract and import the relevant information. Trying to do direct restores of mailboxes or messages into a production database would involve going beyond the existing Exchange APIs. Personally, as an Exchange MVP I hope that Microsoft works on expanding those interfaces to make this sort of thing easier for all third-party vendors, but until they do, DPM plays by Exchange's rules.
Q: You mentioned coming updates to DPM. Where can I find more info on that?
A: Jason Buffington of Microsoft has you covered with this webcast.

That's a good start for now; catch you all later!

Greetings from Orlando!

Devin L. Ganger — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:53:24 GMT

I'm posting from a break between sessions at Exchange Connections in Orlando, FL. I just had a good session on protecting Exchange with DPM -- thanks to everyone who attended and gave lots of good feedback.

Next up -- a session on DCAR with Exchange, and then Exchange 2007 update best practices.

The weather is actually the best I've ever seen here -- not too hot, with a nice breeze, so the humidity isn't overwhelming. However, the A/C is up full in the room I'm presenting, so I'm glad the speaker shirts are long-sleeved.

More later!

Post-Connections report

Devin L. Ganger — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:37:00 GMT

Vegas was great again, this year; the hotel was as lovely as ever, but the overlap with the Latin Grammys sure did some interesting things to the elevators. Mandalay Bay felt full this year! On the other hand, the beach remodel was excellent; the wave pool and the Lazy River pool were both hits with my family. As is my wont, I'm making my session slide decks available for download.

EXC16: Advanced Exchange Protection using Data Protection Manager
Backing up and restoring Exchange servers is an essential part of keeping your messaging infrastructure up and running, even when you’re running an advanced clustering configuration. Why should you consider using the new version of Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (“v2“) to protect your Exchange server clusters? Is it any harder than backing up standalone servers? This session covers protecting Exchange 2003 and 2007 servers clustered configurations, including the new Exchange 2007 replication options.

I thought this session went pretty well; there was a Microsoft session on Tuesday morning that looked like it was going to cover the exact same material, but the overlap was both smaller and shallower than I expected. I got a lot of good questions from this session which I'll be answering in the next couple of days; I really hope that I was able to convey my own excitement about DPM and how it will make a great partner for protecting Exchange.
EXC17: Exchange Management Shell Annoyances
The Exchange 2007 Management Shell makes full use of the exciting new Windows PowerShell technology. It’s a great command-line management experience, but it’s still not perfect. You may have already been tripped up by annoyances and complications in what seem to be obvious tasks or you may just want to know what dangers lurk beneath the surface. This session will show you some common pitfalls and problems and give you the knowledge to successfully navigate them.

This session suffered from the inevitable technical glitches; my Exchange virtual environment died an hour or two before the session, so I ended up having to run it from a stock Windows PowerShell session. Luckily, I was able to cover most of the territory from there and even add a couple of things or two. Not having the Get-Help and cmdlet completion information for EMS, though, just sucked; my apologies.
EXC18: Getting Run Over by Exchange 2007
Common knowledge says that upgrading to Exchange 2007 isn’t nearly as hard as the upgrade from Exchange 5.5. That’s not to say that it doesn’t present its own set of challenges—and if you’re caught by them, it will still feel like getting run over by a truck. This session will present some of the common gotchas and how to avoid them. Be at the head of the upgrade parade, not caught in the wheels.

Wow. This was a great session; standing room only and a lot of good feedback and questions. This is clearly a topic of concern to people -- if you have any other upgrade gotchas, let me know!

Time again for Connections!

Devin L. Ganger — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:58:00 GMT

Here we are, September almost gone, and it's time to be seriously thinking about November travel plans already. These plans, of course, include the fabulous Exchange Connections Fall 2007 conference in Las Vegas. Once again, I'm honored to have been selected to speak. I'll be presenting the following sessions:

EXC16: Advanced Exchange Protection using Data Protection Manager
Backing up and restoring Exchange servers is an essential part of keeping your messaging infrastructure up and running, even when you’re running an advanced clustering configuration. Why should you consider using the new version of Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (“v2“) to protect your Exchange server clusters? Is it any harder than backing up standalone servers? This session covers protecting Exchange 2003 and 2007 servers clustered configurations, including the new Exchange 2007 replication options.
EXC17: Exchange Management Shell Annoyances
The Exchange 2007 Management Shell makes full use of the exciting new Windows PowerShell technology. It’s a great command-line management experience, but it’s still not perfect. You may have already been tripped up by annoyances and complications in what seem to be obvious tasks or you may just want to know what dangers lurk beneath the surface. This session will show you some common pitfalls and problems and give you the knowledge to successfully navigate them.
EXC18: EXC18: Getting Run Over by Exchange 2007
Common knowledge says that upgrading to Exchange 2007 isn’t nearly as hard as the upgrade from Exchange 5.5. That’s not to say that it doesn’t present its own set of challenges—and if you’re caught by them, it will still feel like getting run over by a truck. This session will present some of the common gotchas and how to avoid them. Be at the head of the upgrade parade, not caught in the wheels.

This is going to be a good show; I'm looking forward to hanging out with fellow 3Sharpies[1] Paul Robichaux and David Gerhardt, former 3Sharpie Doug VanBenthuysen, and a host of other really smart people that it's always fun (and intimidating) to get to hang out with. I hope we'll see you there too!

[1] No, I don't think I coined this. Wish I had, though.

Testing your new Exchange 2007 Send connector

Devin L. Ganger — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:21:00 GMT

Devin covers a common Exchange 2007 upgrade scenario: how to install a new Exchange 2007 Send connector and test it, then change route costs -- all without disrupting existing mail flow in your organization.

Using PowerShell to admin Exchange 2000/2003

Devin L. Ganger — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 00:23:00 GMT

Via Evan's blog, I found out about this pair of postings on using PowerShell's WMI provider to manage Exchange 2000/2003 servers. I'm still working up my notes on my Exhange Connections session on this topic; once I get past the first draft deadline for the DPM book later this week, I should have spare time to finish the notes and get my postings up online.

Post-Connections post

Devin L. Ganger — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 00:27:00 GMT

Devin returns from the Exchange Connections conference in Orlando and shares the PowerPoint presentations for his sessions.

Exchange Connections Spring 2007 is coming!

Devin L. Ganger — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 14:09:00 GMT

It's already that time of year, when presenters start putting together PowerPoint slide decks. This year, the spring session of Windows/Exchange Connections is April 1-4 and we'll be back in Orlando, FL (although not, sadly, at the Disney Swan and Dolphin hotels as we were last year). I'm used to Paul being there, but this year we'll have two other 3Sharp presenters infiltrating the Windows Connections side of things: David Gerhardt and Doug VanBenthuysen.

I'll be speaking on the following topics:

DCAR with Exchange -- Discovery, Compliance, Archival, and Retention: they're challenges every Exchange administrator faces. Whether you're using Exchange 2000, 2003, or 2007, join me to find out how to solve these challenges using Exchange.
10 Tips to Make Your Exchange Server a Good Net Neighbor -- Many Internet mail administrators consider Exchange to be a poorly behaved SMTP MTA. All too often, these perceptions are rooted in configuration errors surrounding Exchange, rather than in any flaw in the product. Learn these common (and in many cases) simple configuration changes you can make that will keep your external mail running smoothly.
Iron Chef: Using Powershell with Exchange 2003 -- While the new Exchange Management Shell is only designed to manage Exchange 2007 servers, the underlying Powershell technology can make managing and scripting your Exchange 2000 and 2003 servers a lot easier. Join one of the authors of the Exchange Server Cookbook and learn how to take advantage of Powershell to make scripting Exchange easier than ever.

Drop me a note if you're planning on being there -- I'd love to meet you! And as always, if you've got some practical experience that relates to one or more of the above topics and you think I'd benefit from hearing about, let me know.

Getting Rid of PSTs: the session

Devin L. Ganger — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 10:25:00 GMT

Not only did I get to start the day with the first time slot, I got to end it with the last one. This session, though, took place in one of the largest individual rooms being used for the various sessions (and yet it was just a part of the vast ballroom that was the site of the various all-hands sessions, including the closing Q&A session). It's intimidating to walk into a room and see not just two screens, but three or four. I was even more intimidated as the attendees starting pouring in. It was a very good-sized crowd, and the people were pretty responsive; I'd been afraid that having the only session after lunch would hurt me.

I want to thank the wonderful audience for this session; they were very responsive to my initial chatter and lent a great deal of energy to me, so I felt that I was able to finish the day with a strong talk and a solid, entertaining performance. My wife has pointed out that I assume a separate persona when I do presentations, a fact that I attribute to my years of theater in high school. As nervous as I was about the large crowd, having that many people definitely helped me focus. I didn't once feel my aching feet, even though I was pacing back and forth during pretty much the entire session.

I got a lot of good questions, and I hope that everyone who didn't get an immediate answer will follow through on emailing me to remind me!

Shoutout to Tom Shinder, who not only sat in on my Sender ID session on Wednesday, but came to this session as well. Thank you for the support; it was deeply appreciated. Also thanks to the Symantec and Mimosa reps who took time to attend the session and introduce themselves to any attendees who wanted to find out more about their archival and PST managemetn solutions.

I want to specially thank Exchange MVP Ed Crowley; his oft-repeated mantra of "There are seldom good technological solutions to behavioral problems" proved to be the core inspiration for this session. Getting rid of PSTs is hard because users see them as useful tools to get their work done. If we want them to cooperate with us, we have to give them a better way to get their work done. Thus was born Devin's Theory of PST Removal:

Any successful attempt to remove PSTs will require the deployment of an email archival solution.

Here is the final version of the slide deck: Getting Rid of PSTs (Powerpoint 2003 format).