How to monitor mailbox access by auditing or by viewing Mailbox Resources in Exchange Server
Seems everyone I speak to assumes that if someone accessed someone else's Exchange Mailbox, that the access attempt would be logged. This is the not the case. The default in Exchange is not to have 'Logon' access set to minimum (Which is needed, at a minimum ;).
So, crank up your logging (crank it up in Windows too) or when you need to investigate/prove something, you will have nothing to go on...
Migrating Exchange 2003 (from an existing Exchange 2000/2003 Server) is a breeze - be sure you do it the easiest/sexiest way... This is how I do it...
1. Build your new Server into the same Exchange Organization
2. Service pack it, etc. Make sure its good, stable and being backed up before proceeding any further. Don't forget stuff like Antispam, Antivirus (server, DB and gateway)
3. Modify your SMTP/settings so that this new server is the new SMTP Routing Bridgehead (will require firewall changes too)
4. 'MOVE' a couple of users to the new server making sure that mail gets delivered properly for them within the Exchange Organization and out of it (Internet). This is the sexy part as you will see that a user only needs to fire up Outlook and will get automagically redirected to their new Exchange Home Server (when you start Outlook, it tries to connect to your old Exchange Server - the server tells Outlook the user has moved and changes their Outlook profile to match)
5. Once that testing goes okay, before doing your final big move, you should take care of your Public Folders (I'm assuming here you want to decommission your old Exchange Server). Modify the public folder replication properties for all Public Folders homing them on the new Exchange Server
6. Modify your Exchange Recipient Update Services to use the new Exchange Server
7. Once all the above is done, start moving all the remaining users. Because this can happen seamlessly, do it over time. Schedule to move users when they are on lunch, etc. Or, do big mass moves at night - users shouldn't be in their Outlook/OWA while moves are happening
8. Once all mailboxes are moved, double check that your Backups are running smooth... Reminder also that when you apply SP2 to the new Exchange Server, be sure to set the Maximum Exchange Server Database size beyond the new 18GB limit predefined (probably set to maximum 75GB)
9. Finally, once all users are moved, you will want to decommission this server. NOTE - if there are users away on vacation, they won't do that one-time Outlook login to automatically modify their profile. This is no big deal as you would just need to very quickly visit their desktop and change the server they attempt to connect to. However, some folks like to leave the old server up a week or two to ensure they get as many people as possible automatically switched over (very transparent). For decommissioning - see the following article - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307917 - I've pretty much covered everything you will do but its good to do a once over before uninstalling Exchange on the first server (yes, I said uninstall - this is the cleanest way to get this server out of Active Directory/the Exchange Org.
Cheers,
Sean
You know, it would probably be useful for me to point out that by installing Exchange 2003 SP2 on your 'Standard Exchange Server', you will immediately have a new database size maximum of 18GB (from the hard limit of 16GB pre-SP2). In order to protect your Exchange Server from unintentional explosive growth, they have set the initial limit at 18GB.
If you want to go higher than 18GB, you will need to add the following DWORD entry in the registry of the Exchange Server and specify the maximum size (up to 75GB).
Note that Enterprise Edition is capable up to 8000GB.
Reference: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/912375/en-us
To increase the Exchange Server 2003 SP2 database size, follow these steps.
Important Before you increase the maximum size of an Exchange database, verify that sufficient hard disk space is available for the larger database.
1. On the computer that is running Exchange 2003 SP2, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Click one of the following registry subkeys, as appropriate for the store that you want to increase:• For a mailbox store, click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\Server name\Private-Mailbox Store GUID
• For a public folder store, click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\Server name\Public-Public Store GUID
3. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
4. In the New Value #1 box, type Database Size Limit in Gb, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click Database Size Limit in Gb, and then click Modify.
6. Click Decimal, and then type an integer from 1 to 75 in the Value data box.
Note These integer values represent the maximum size of the database in gigabytes (GB). For example, a value of 75 represents a database that has a maximum size of 75 GB.
7. Click OK, and then exit Registry Editor.
8. Restart the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service. To do this, follow these steps:
a. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
b. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
net stop msexchangeis
c. After the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service has stopped successfully, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
net start msexchangeis
9. Examine the Application log to verify that the database size has been set successfully. To do this, follow these steps:
a. Click Start, click Run, type eventvwr, and then click OK.
b. In the Event Viewer tool, click Application.
c. Double-click event ID 1216 to verify that the database size has been set successfully.
You can generate one here...
Cut and paste your message headers into this website and get a report of what/how the message got to you. Good stuff.
Great, quick overview of how to educate your friends and employees regarding Phishing...
http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/safety/technologies/antiphishing/guidance.mspx
By using a 'Common Application Signature', you should have pretty decent success killing IM traffic with your ISA Firewall.
Want to know what city a particular IP address is in? Need a quick web based Traceroute? Try this site.
...thanks Stephen
Wireless A, B and G comparison Chart
Well, let me show you...
Is your email system secure against email viruses and attacks?
The most deadly viruses, able to cripple your email system and corporate network in minutes, are being distributed worldwide via email in a matter of hours (for example, the LoveLetter virus). Email worms and viruses can reach your system and infect your users through harmful attachments. But that's not all! Some viruses are transmitted through harmless-looking email messages and can run automatically without the need for user intervention (like the Nimda virus). Are you covered against such threats?
http://www.windowsecurity.com/emailsecuritytest/
Betcha fail a few of these.. :)
Ok, you probably owe me a favour. Or said once 'I owe you own'. So, get off your duff and buy me a beer ;)
Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Windows Server 2003 Editions Compared
This site will help.
If I can make a suggestion, if you are sending marketing type emails or emails to more than a couple of people, you should consider sending these emails by BCC'ing everyone. In the TO: line, put your own email address and then everyone else in the BCC line. This ensures two things:
1. That folks don't know who the other recipients are. Unfortunately, some people will use this information in the future to send salesy/spam types of email - it happens...
2. Viruses that infect a persons inbox love emails like this because it gives it a few dozen targets to send viruses to...
Just my .02 cents.
freevictoria.com - Free Victoria Classifieds
Well, we did it. Everyone asked and we have delivered. You can now post up to 8 pictures with your FreeVictoria.com ad!
broadband ? BellSouth Forum FAQ 5.0 Connection and Tweaking
Can't say I've had to fight MTU sizes since returing to Canada and reasonable broadband rates for connectivity (combined with decent enough support). But for those of you that struggle with 'wierd' DSL broadband (yes, I'm talking to you Bermuda/BTC) connections like stuff dropping, only portions of connectivity working (HTTP does, SMTP doesn't, etc.) - its time to look at your MTU setting on your router.
DSLReports has a great/brief writeup on where to look next.
Internet Archive: Wayback Machine
This site is pretty cool. They maintain a history of past websites so that you can see how a site has evolved. Neat stuff. Worthy of a look. Not every site comes across well, but many do.
This article was very useful when I experienced the following:
Error 1327. Invalid Drive
For whatever reason, this one was particularly difficult to chase down using the usual methods (Google, etc.) so hopefully this helps you!
Go Listool!
itgroove - testing SMTP Services
I get this quite a bit... how do you test SMTP from a command line/telnet?
Here's how...
Testing SMTP Services (Relay) Quick Reference
To test the SMTP service, follow these steps:
Open a Command Prompt.
Telnet to port 25 of the host you intend to test (e.g. telnet computername.yourdomain.com 25). The output resembles something similar to the following:
220 computername.yourdomain.com ESMTP Server (Microsoft Exchange Internet Mail Service 5.5.2651.58) ready
Type helo me and press ENTER. The output resembles the following:
250 OK
Type mail from:email@domain.com and press ENTER. The output resembles the following:
250 OK - mail from
Type rcpt to:youremail@yourdomain.com and press ENTER. The output resembles the following:
250 OK - Recipient
Type Data and press ENTER. The output resembles the following:
354 Send data. End with CRLF.CRLF
Type Subject:This is a test and press ENTER twice.
Type Testing of Body Text and press ENTER.
Press ENTER, type a period (.), and press ENTER. The output resembles the following:
250 OK
Type quit and press ENTER. The output resembles the following:
221 Closing Port / Mail queued for delivery
I created this some time ago to keep an HTTP session open for testing for a customer. It basically just loops itself every 5 seconds. If you find it useful, great. :-)
Looking to convert currency from one to the next? I use this all the time as I'm always changing from US to Canadian currency for all of my International Customers.
Well, as I'm always looking for SNTP servers and never seem to keep notes anywhere handy, I'm putting these down tonight more for a placeholder for myself than anything else. If you are looking for some decently reliable Time Servers and the correct way to input them in your Windows Server (PDC Emulator for all you Active Directory admins), here's my current list:
NET TIME /SETSNTP:time.nist.gov,clock.isc.org,usno.pa-x.dec.com,tock.usno.navy.mil,timekeeper.isi.edu
