Microsoft Exchange Server Features

What's New

Microsoft Active Directory Integration
Exchange 2000 takes full advantage of the power of Windows 2000 Active Directory, enabling system administrators to create an enterprise directory, a single point of management for all users, groups, permissions, configuration data, network log on, file, and Web shares, etc.

Active Directory Connector
Active Directory Connector (ADC) allows administrators to replicate a hierarchy of directory objects between an Exchange Server 5.5 directory and the Active Directory, making it an essential tool for companies migrating from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2000.

Native Internet mail Content
Exchange 2000 significantly increases the performance of Internet e-mail by enabling e-mail clients to store and retrieve MIME content directly from the storage system, with "on demand" format conversion as needed.

Distributed Services
This feature enables Exchange services to be partitioned across multiple servers to provide scalability in hosted environments that can potentially serve millions of users. This feature requires Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server.

SMTP Routing
Exchange 2000 takes messaging integration with the Internet to a new level, providing high-performance routing of e-mail messages between servers using SMTP.

System Monitoring Using Windows Instrumentation
Exchange 2000 employs a brand new monitoring infrastructure and user interface to enable system monitoring of an Exchange infrastructure, providing a simple, filterable, flat view of all the servers and connectors within the enterprise.

Windows 2000 Access Control Lists
Access to all shared resources in Exchange is set using Access Control Lists, providing security integration.

Storage Groups
A storage group is a grouping of databases that share a single transaction log and therefore a single point of administration, backup, and restore for reduced backup and restore times.

Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Integration
Administration of Exchange becomes easier through integration with the familiar, single-seat management interface of MMC in Windows 2000.

Policies
Policies provide a powerful and flexible means of changing administrative options across a set of objects, for example, user mailboxes, servers, and public folders, in a single operation.

Collaboration Data Objects (CDO) for Exchange Management
CDO for Exchange Management is a comprehensive programming interface for building customized management applications that can perform a wide variety of management tasks.

Installable File System (IFS)
Exchange 2000 provides an installable file system, allowing seamless integration between Exchange-based data and the Windows file system.

Content Indexing and Search
Built-in indexing and search enables high speed, accurate full text searches across a diverse set of information types, such as e-mail messages, Web content and Office documents.

Web Application Hosting
Through the tight integration of Exchange 2000 and Internet Information Services, developers can host both their Web applications and application content from a single location in Exchange 2000. This integration allows developers to leverage the same security, programming, replication and backup/restore of both their data and application.

HTTP and XML Support
Exchange 2000 uses HTTP to allow Web-based access to all data within Exchange 2000 and Extensible Markup Language (XML) for the native representation of data.

OLE DB and ADO Integration
Exchange 2000 uses HTTP to allow Web-based access to all data within Exchange 2000 and Extensible Markup Language (XML) for the native representation of data.

Audio and Video Conferencing
Exchange 2000 offers full multi-party audio and video conferencing using IP-based multicast technology that is ideally suited to enterprise usage.

Graphical Workflow Layout
Workflow Designer for Exchange 2000 provides a graphical modeling tool for developers to model and implement their workflow solutions. Using this tool, developers can create new workflow solutions or can add workflow to existing applications.

Windows Explorer and Windows 32-bit Applications
Information stored in Exchange 2000, such as e-mail messages, documents, Web content, and applications can be accessed using the Windows Explorer or any Windows 32-bit application.

Presence Information
Exchange 2000 enables knowledge workers to see presence information (similar to the "buddy list" concept on the Internet) for co-workers indicating whether the user is online, out of the office or busy.

Instant Messaging
Users of Exchange can send spontaneous, urgent communications that appear on another user’s screen, opening up new avenues for team collaboration and business responsiveness.

Outlook 2000 Conferencing Integration
Users can take advantage of Outlook 2000 to schedule real-time conferences the same way they schedule ordinary meetings: select the attendees and a virtual meeting place, and the conferencing server handles the rest. They can also schedule meetings using Outlook Web Access.

Data Conferencing
Exchange 2000 provides multipoint data conferencing to enable groups of people to communicate and collaborate in real time over the Internet or corporate intranet. Services include desktop sharing, application sharing, text discussion, whiteboard capabilities, and file transfer.

Schedule Management
The Exchange 2000 Conference Management Service coordinates different conferencing technologies as well as the administration of limited corporate conferencing resources to ensure maximum effectiveness of conferencing and network resources.

Conference Technology Provider Architecture
Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server is built on an extensible Conference Technology Provider (CTP) architecture. The CTP architecture enables third-party software providers to deliver value-added conferencing solutions on the Exchange 2000 and Windows 2000 platforms.

Multi-Client Conferencing Support
Exchange 2000 data conferencing supports any T.120 client, such as Microsoft NetMeeting, on any platform (including Unix and Macintosh). A Web-based T.120 standard client is included with the product.

Item-Level Security
Security settings can be applied to individual items within a folder.

Support for WebDAV
Exchange 2000 supports the Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (DAV) interface, making it easy to access e-mail and documents from the Web.

Save and Read Directly From Office 2000 Applications
Office 2000 users can store and retrieve Office documents directly to and from Exchange 2000 using the standard File: Save As and File: Open commands. This feature provides a consistent model and set of tools for managing e-mail and documents together.

Multiple Message Databases
Exchange 2000 enables administrators to divide a single logical database into multiple physical databases. Multiple databases enhance server consolidation, system reliability and clustering. Backups are more flexible and restore times are decreased. This feature requires Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server.

Standard Features

Transacted Database
Each database transaction is written to a log file using a write-ahead model, so transactions are recorded as they occur, ensuring the highest levels of data integrity.

Transacted Database
Using a single console for managing all Microsoft servers, including Windows 2000 itself, means that administrators train once and reuse their expertise across management tasks.

Message Journaling
Enables administrators to save a copy of all mail messages sent or received by users of an individual Exchange Server, site, or organization. This feature will enable organizations to comply with laws, regulations, or policies that require archiving of all e-mail activity.

Public-Key Encryption
With Exchange and Outlook, e-mail can be digitally signed and encrypted. The encryption system uses the Windows Certificate Server and is managed by Microsoft Key Management Server (KMS).

S/MIME With X.509 Certificates
Microsoft Certificate Server issues industry standard X.509v3 certificates. KMS manages and distributes the certificates, allowing clients such as Outlook to send S/MIME encrypted and signed mail with Exchange.

E-mail Interoperability
Exchange Server includes tools for interoperating with the following systems for e-mail:

• Microsoft Mail
• Lotus cc:Mail
• Lotus Notes/Domino
• Novell GroupWise

Directory Interoperability
Exchange Server includes tools for interoperating with the following systems for directory information:

• Microsoft Mail
• Novell GroupWise
• Lotus cc:Mail
• Lotus Notes/Domino

Application Conversion
Exchange Server includes tools for interoperating with Lotus Notes scheduling information.

Outlook Forms
Outlook 2000 includes a complete forms development environment that is tightly integrated with Exchange Server.

Outlook 2000 Client
Exchange 2000 includes Outlook 2000, the leading messaging and collaboration client available. In addition to complete e-mail functionality, Outlook 2000 includes group scheduling, task, and contact management, and application development tools for custom business applications.

Replication
Replication of directory and public folder information is configurable by the administrator to ensure optimal user access and effective use of network bandwidth.

Unlimited Database
Exchange Server places no limitations on the amount of data that can be stored in a single database. This feature requires Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server.

Single-Instance Database
Messages delivered to more than one user on a server are stored only once on that server, with message pointers placed in recipients’ mailboxes.

Improved Features

Internet Information Server (IIS) Integration
Exchange 2000 tightly integrates with the IIS to provide a complete Web application platform and high-performance access to information from the Web.

Clustering
To increase already high levels of reliability in Exchange Server, Exchange 2000 provides two-way Active/Active clustering. Clustering requires Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server and Windows 2000 Advanced Server.

Anti-Spam Utilities
Exchange supports relay protection and filters to prevent mail from unwanted senders from entering the system in both systems. Exchange 2000 adds to this support with transport events to allow custom filtering.

Windows 2000 Security
Exchange 2000 is the only messaging and collaboration system that uses the full power of Windows 2000 to ensure messaging and collaboration security. System administrators can create and manage all user groups and permissions once for all network and messaging and collaboration scenarios.

Migration
Exchange Server includes tools for migrating from the following systems:

• Microsoft Mail
• Lotus cc:Mail
• Lotus Notes
• Novell GroupWise
• Collabra Share
• IMAP/LDAP Internet mail servers

Document Properties
Exchange 2000 allows user-defined and application-defined custom properties (such as document author, workflow recipient or description) to be stored with each item in the database, providing powerful opportunities for rich viewing and searching of information.

Replicated Application Folders
Exchange 2000 supports multiple replicated public folder trees, giving administrators greater flexibility in the deployment of collaborative applications in their enterprise.

Collaboration Data Objects
Comprehensive object library used to rapidly develop Web applications. CDO for Exchange 2000 includes enhanced calendaring and contact management, and is dual-interfaced for programming in C++, Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual Basic Scripting Edition, Java Script, and Java.

Reusable Collaboration Content
Content from the Web Storage System, such as group discussions and schedules, can be used to add knowledge and collaboration capabilities to Web sites and applications.

Web Storage System Forms
Web Storage System forms are custom forms generated by ASP scripts or ISAPI extensions that replace the default form and view renderings of Outlook Web Access. This technology gives application designers a powerful, integrated tool for linking Web applications to the business logic, events and meta-data properties of the Web Storage System.

Event Model
Enhancements to the Exchange 2000 event model enable designers to create applications using synchronous events that customize the core functions of Exchange and allow business logic or policies to be processed before a document, e-mail message, or workflow item is delivered.

URL Addressing
All data stored in the Web Storage System can be accessed through a Web browser with a user-friendly URL, enabling easy access to information.

Workflow Engine
Exchange 2000 provides a built-in workflow engine that allows developers to build robust workflow solutions. This workflow engine, combined with Microsoft Workflow Designer for Exchange 2000, lets developers add workflow to their applications to automate business processes.

Outlook Web Access
The Outlook Web Access client has been significantly improved in terms of performance, scalability, and ease of use, and provides a robust client for remote, home, and occasional users.

Chat Services
Chat services can now be scaled to 20,000 users per server and are integrated with Active Directory to provide a single point for configuring channels, bans, and network settings.

Unified Messaging Platform
Exchange 2000 provides built-in server and client support for multimedia messaging, including support for the Voice Profile for Internet Mail (VPIM) standard.

Fault-Tolerant Routing
Enhanced algorithms ensure that messages are delivered at least cost across complex topologies despite multiple network or machine failures.

Internet Standards Support
Native support for SMTP, POP, LDAP, HTTP, IMAP, NNTP, S/MIME, and X.509v3 enables Exchange to be an organization’s gateway to the Internet.

FrontPage 2000 Integration
Application designers can use Microsoft FrontPage 2000 to build and maintain Web applications.

System Requirements:

Computer/Processor
Pentium-compatible 133 MHz processor or higher.