exchange server

cormon

hi

when setting up a exchange server with clients in the office i need answers to the following questions

1) can i use outlook express on the client computers or does it have to outlook ???

2) Do I set the account up on the client side as a imap account to connect to the exchnge server ..

3) if i have my domain registered with MX records set up and static IP registered
but on my domain can i add user accounts as needed or do i have to go through the ISP to setup mail account within the domain .

not really my area
thanks a bunch in advance

seamus

Originally posted by cormon
1) can i use outlook express on the client computers or does it have to outlook ???

Haven't mich experience with Exchange myself, but my guess would be that you can configure Exchange to act as any of a number of types of mail server. So if you configure it as a POP or IMAP server, then you can connect to it via Outlook Express.

2) Do I set the account up on the client side as a imap account to connect to the exchnge server ..

When using Outlook, you configure it to connect to an Exchange Server, and then Outlook looks after it from there. The whole point of the Outlook/Exchange system is for integrating Business functions such as group contacts, calenders, scheduling across a company. It works a bit like the Lotus system, where internal mail is sent to a person instead of an email address, if you know what I mean. When mail is sent externally, the exchange server puts the sender's email address in the header, but when mail is internal, it uses the person's name as a reference point.
Afaik, and I could be very wrong, it's based on the X.400 mail system.

3) if i have my domain registered with MX records set up and static IP registered
but on my domain can i add user accounts as needed or do i have to go through the ISP to setup mail account within the domain.

If you have a mail server set up, and it sounds like you do, then all the setting up of email addresses takes place on your side. ISPs usually only handle mail for domains without mail servers. Basically, when someone sendsmail to joesoap@yourdomain.com, the SMTP server checks DNS to find the MX record for your domain, which should point to your exchange server. It then delivers the mail to your Exchange server, which checks to see if joesoap is a valid username. If it is, it stores the mail in that user's mailbox. If not, it sends it back with an error.
When an ISP looks after your mail, your MX record will point to their mail server, and the same process takes place.

Hope I've been of some help (I've realy only dealt with Exchange from the client side).

Capt'n Midnight

If you aren't going to use the full features of exchange have a look at Mdaemon instead. It has a web client called lookout which resembles outlook. Also will run on any windows PC. Exchange will only run on windows server, you could save 90% of software cost and 90% of the hassle of supporting bloatware, and you can see exactly what is going on all the time - with exchange you have to go rooting arount in the imcdata folder to check times of temporary files and flaky stuff like that sometimes.

Exchange 5.5 will run on NT4
Exchange 2000 and above use Active Directory Services - this could be a problem depending on if it is setup on the network already and how you integrate it with existing setup.

Normally you would buy a domain name and get some ISP , need not be the same one you use for internet to route mail through. If you have a 24/7 internet connection then your server IP's would be listed in the MX records on your ISP's DNS server as the primary destination for email - if you only dial up then the ISP's mail server would hold email until your server connects in and dequeues it using ETRN or somefink.

All email sent to the domain name would be presented to the exchange server and it would then try to match the bit in front of the @ symbol to local mailboxes. (if you want to pull down multiple accounts form multiple servers - eg: migration from where everyone used to have their own email address then Mdaemon is dead easy - don't even know if it's possible in exchange)

Exchange is usually setup to use windows logon security - windows usernames & passwords (unless of course you have a separate ADS for exchange) so you would normally use user manage on the exchange server to setup new users and then it kicks into the mailbox setup - on 5.5 , on 2K exchange adds in extra options in ADS so you can add mail box details when setting up users.

Don't forget that excahngel CAL's allow you to use Outlook on the clients - you don't need office licenses.

===================================
You can also setup on the exchange server which protocols are allowed on a per mailbox basis - so clients can use OWA (web browser) or Outlook with Exchange server service or SMTP/POP3 - outlook with internet service or OE - can't remember if you can use OE with LADP, don't care 'cos that is the worst of both worlds

cormon

thanks sincerely for your reply much obliged ........

so would you recommend mailerdamon instead of exchange .....???????

I presume it complicated enough to intergrate exchange with active directory or is there a import fuction that will import users into exchange ..... ???????

Finally the mail fuction in the control panel of xp what is the fuction of that in realtion to exchange ???????

Cheers

Capt'n Midnight

Exm does not import from ADS
It integrate's into ADS you get more tabs and boxes to fill in, and IIRC you can get it to generate mailboxes for all existing users with a wizard.

To use the full features of Exchange (public folders, centralised address lists, mailbox sharing, delegates etc.) you need an Exchange client, and Outlook is included in the price of the CAL's and it is the best exchange client and tends to have less vunerabilities than OE.

theciscokid

i recommend mDaemon also

make sure u get the latest version 7

there was a remote root exploit for it recently affecting 6.82 - 6.85

by the raw email handler

Jaden

I'll simplify this for you:

mDaemon 7.0.1 = Good.
Cheap software ,cheap hardware, easy to admin, comes with worldclient and comagent , so that you don't need Outlook, but you can use it if you want. We use Mdaemon in here, and for it's AntiVirus and Antispam capabilities it's worth it's weight in Gold.

Exchange - Bloated, expensive hardware, very expensive software. Pain in the arse to admin. Makes you Bill Gates bitch too.

Capt'n Midnight

Originally posted by Jaden
Exchange - Bloated, expensive hardware, very expensive software. Pain in the arse to admin. Makes you Bill Gates bitch too.

You forgot to mention security features like showing patch level to anyone who just telnet's in,
being unable what is going on in realtime,
fault tollerance costs even bigger bucks
also licensing means you have to full new copy each time you upgrade (or pay the same amount in SA)

Mdaemon is so cheap that it is an alternative to open source if you use windows & almost every setting and address is stored in test files. With Exchange you can export lists to CSV's for Excel - but the field names are off the wall - don't match with Outlook or OE or Windows address book (not sure about the word one as was)


Bottom line - I've let end users onto the console of an Mdaemon server - so they can check email queues and do dial outs. Most admins would be very nervy about techies from their maintanance company going near an exchange server.

ressem

I presume it complicated enough to integrate exchange with active directory or is there a import fuction that will import users into exchange

Exchange 2000 and 2003 are inseperable from Active Directory. When you install them, the add mailbox to user account option will be added to the Active Directory Users and Computers management plugin.

We've got exchange, and we spend tonnes of time rigging up workarounds for it's unresolvable flaws, like dropping exim on linux in front, for spam/av/security/patch-stopping-it communicating-with-preeminent-customer (not bitter at all am I :rolleyes: ) issues.

I'd suggest running Outlook connected over a VPN than secure POP/ IMAP/ SMTP for clients, given the low cost of a PIX these days. Depends on the size of your company. Have seen all manner of problems with POP, Exchange and directors that use the mailbox as a filing cabinet.

As for cost.
The real killer for upgrades are the CALs.
If you're a software development company though there is
the microsoft action pack option, which gives 10 CALs for latest Windows, Exchange and Windows Server, Office, ISA and a lot of other junk for ~eur 300 per year, the right to audit you for a year further, restrictions on external use and more. A deal designed to please the pointy haired ones and finance.

All in all though, I'd agree with Capt'n Midnight's comments.
Avoid Exchange if you don't have a good reason for it. Try the alternatives first. If you need to "eat your own dog food", get it through MSDN Enterprise and use it on a test box.

You know your company and users, you'll have to make the call. As an exchange dev/test/troubleshooter in this company I would not recommend it to a small company.