Replication technology with Exchange 2010

This topic is related to log file copying and seeding between active and passive databases in Exchange Server 2010. Will Exchange Server 2010 offer changes or improvements in the way log file copying and seeding occurs with Local Continuous Replication (LCR), Cluster Continuous Replication (CCR) and Standby Continuous Replication (SCR) in Exchange Server 2007?

Although the asynchronous replication technology used in Exchange 2007 works quite well, that doesn't mean it can't be improved, right? Exchange Product Group has made several interesting changes and improvements to the asynchronous replication technology with Exchange 2010.

In Exchange 2007, the Microsoft Exchange Replication Service copies log files to the passive database copy (LCR), passive cluster node (CCR) or SCR target over Server Message Block (SMB), which means you need to open port 445 in any firewalls between the CCR cluster nodes (typically when deploying multisite CCR clusters) and/or SCR source and targets. Those of you who work for or with a large enterprise organization know that convincing network administrators to open port 445/TCP between two datacenters a far from a trivial exercise. With the Exchange 2010 DAG feature, the asynchronous replication technology no longer relies on SMB. Exchange 2010 uses TCP/IP for log file copying and seeding and, even better, it provides the option of specifying which port you want to use for log file replication. By default, DAG uses port 64327, but you can specify another port if required. For this, use the following command:

Set-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup -identity -ReplicationPort

In addition, the Exchange 2010 DAG feature supports the use of encryption whereas log files in Exchange 2007 are copied over an unencrypted channel unless IPsec has been configured. More specifically, DAG leverages the encryption capabilities of Windows Server 2008—that is, DAG uses Kerberos authentication between each Mailbox server member of the respective DAG. Network encryption is a property of the DAG itself, not the DAG network. Settings for a DAG's network encryption property are: Disabled (network encryption not in use), Enabled (network encryption enabled for seeding and replication on all networks existing in a DAG), InterSubnetOnly (the default setting meaning network encryption in use on DAG networks on the same subnet), and SeedOnly (network encryption in use for seeding on all networks in a DAG). You can enable network encryption using the Set-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup cmdlet. For instance, if you wanted to enable encryption for log copying and seeding, you would execute the command:

Set-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup -identity -NetworkEncryption Enabled

Finally, with Exchange 2010 DAGs you can enable compression for seeding and replication over one or more networks in a DAG. This is a property of the DAG itself, not a DAG network. The default setting is InterSubnetOnly and has the same settings available as those of the network encryption property. To enable network compression for log file copying and seeding on all networks in a DAG, use the command: Set-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup –Identity -NetworkCompression Enabled. To find the status of the port, encryption and compression settings for a DAG, use the Get-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup –status command.

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Exchange 2010 HA - Database Availability Group (DAG)

Database Availability Group (DAG)

Database Availability Group (DAG) is the new high availability solution in Exchange 2010. None of the clustering technologies in 2007 is valid in 2010.

DAG is a collection of upto 16 mailbox servers with a maximum of 16 copies of each database. It makes the database independent of any server and gives us failover on a mailbox level rather than a hardware or storage group level as in 2007. To illustrate it, if one database gets corrupted or the disk having the files fails, you can quickly mount a copy of the same database in any of the servers which is part of the DAG.

Once first node becomes a part of a DAG, the failover clustering quorum settings will be set to “Node Majority”. Once the second node is added, the quorum setting is automatically changed to “Node and file share majority”. The file share witness is only created once the second server is added to the DAG as the quorum setting is only changed at that time.

Log shipping no longer uses SMB; instead it uses the ESE streaming API for seeding, which is considerably more efficient, and raw TCP sockets for replication. In Exchange 2007, there was one SMB session for all databases on a server. In Exchange 2010, there's one TCP socket per database, so scalability and parallelization are greatly improved.

This provides HA for systems that are built on top of DAS; in fact, it's optimized for DAS. You can use dedicated storage per node; replication means that you can use JBODs without even using RAID.

DAGs can span AD sites, subnets, and so on (although all servers in the DAG must be in the same AD domain). You can control and throttle DAG replication at the network level or using the DAG controls for log lag.

The setup experience is completely different than SCC. To enable a DAG, you create a DAG and then add database replicas to it. You don't have to manually create any of the failover mechanisms, install any Windows prerequisites, or any of the stuff you'd have to do with single-copy clusters (SCC).

Public folders: no changes, except that you can no longer use continuous replication for public folders. You can put a PF database on a server that's in a DAG, but you can't put the PF database itself into the DAG. Because Exchange 2007 limited you to having a single PF database per CCR-protected storage group, this isn't actually a loss.

DAG Information

When an administrator creates a DAG, it is initially empty, and an object is created in Active Directory that represents the DAG. The directory object is used to store relevant information about the DAG, such as server membership information. When an administrator adds the first server to a DAG, a failover cluster is automatically created for the DAG. DAGs use a subset of Windows Failover Clustering technologies, namely, the cluster heartbeat, cluster networks, and the cluster database (for storing data that changes or can change quickly such as database mount status, replication status, and last mounted location).

- File Share Witness (FSW) is configured for the cluster, but must be server outside the DAG.

- Although a Windows Failover Cluster is created, no cluster resources are created and all DAG administration is managed from Exchange. Failover management is also managed entirely within Exchange.

- Replication of database copies, and failover of those database copies, can only be with servers which are members of the same DAG.

Mailbox Servers

- In Exchange 2007 database server either hosted only active or passive copies of a database. In Exchange 2010, a server within a DAG can hold both Active and passive copies of databases, so the mailbox server needs to service both of these types of databases.

- Executes Store services on active mailbox database copies.

- Executes Replication services on passive mailbox database copies.

- Active definition of health – Is Information Store capable of providing email service against it?

- Passive definition of health – Is Replication Service able to copy logs and play them into the passive copy?

- Each server can host up to 100 database copies.

Because DAGs rely on Windows Failover Clustering, they can only be created on Exchange 2010 Enterprise Edition Mailbox servers that are running Windows Server 2008 Enterprise or Windows Server 2008 Datacenter. In addition, each Mailbox server in the DAG must have at least two network interface cards in order to be supported.

Mailbox Database

A failover or switchover occurs at the database level. Since a failover now only involves a database, rather than an entire server, the failover time has been reduced from around 2 mins to 30 seconds which considerably improves the client experience.

Database names for Exchange 2010 must be unique within the Exchange organization, as these are now Organization-wide objects rather than being tied to a server. Within a DAG a database may have a copy on any server within the DAG.

When a mailbox database has been configured with one or more database copies, the full path for all database copies must be identical on all Mailbox servers that host a copy.

Mailbox Database Copy

Only one copy of a database can be active with a DAG

Replication

Continuous replication has the following basic steps: Database seeding; Log copying; Log inspection; Log replay

Exchange Server 2007 utilized SMB and notifications to get logs. Exchange Server 2010 utilizes TCP sockets and notifications to the source about which logs are required on the target.

Exchange 2010 supports options encryption and compression of the logs. These features are set at the Database Availability Group Level.

After the log files have been inspected, they are placed within the log directory so that they can be replayed in the database copy. Before the Replication service replays the log files, it performs a series of validation tests.

Once these validation checks have been completed, the Replication service will replay the log iteration.

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How to provision a Domain Controller as File Share Witness for an Exchange 2010 DAG

One of the most attractive features (my opinion) of Exchange 2010 is the ability to provide high-availability for all 4 server roles by using just 2 actual machines. There are definitely some caveats, like the fact that you need a hardware load-balancer to distribute inbound request to the CAS and HT roles, but I think we’ll see a lot more adoption of high-availability using a collocated CAS/HT/MBX in the smaller or midsize business space with this model.

The 2010 DAG feature is similar to 2007’s CCR in that it requires a file share witness. Since your two Exchange servers are part of the DAG, neither can actually be a witness. In this case you’ll need a 3rd server to act as the file share witness which would normally be another Exchange server, but again, we only have two here. In my lab the only other server I had was a domain controller so I decided to use that as my FSW instead of standing up another server. When I ran through DAG wizard I received the following errors.

Warning: Specified witness server DC.DELHI.ORG is not an Exchange server, or part of the Exchange Servers security group.

Warning: Insufficient permissions to access file shares on witness server ‘DC.DELHI.ORG’. Until this problem is corrected, the database availability group may be more vulnerable to failures. You can use the Set-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup cmdlet to try the operation again. Error: Access is denied

The DAG is still created, but really doesn’t have the FSW ability at this point. I recommend deleting it. The first warning is also a little misinformative because the problem actually lies in the Exchange Trusted Subssytem group permissions, not the Exchange Servers security group. You can follow these steps to get your DC to act as FSW:

Add your domain controller’s computer account to Exchange Trusted Subsystem group in AD.

Add the Exchange Trusted Subsystem group to the Builtin\Administrators group of the domain.

Obviously the second change isn’t ideal and if you’re going to use the DAG features I’d really recommend putting your FSW folder on something other than a DC, but it’s necessary in this case.

At this point go ahead and try to create your DAG again. This time it should succeed.

I also found that if I created the folder on the DC ahead of time and then ran the DAG wizard it would fail because the folder and share permissions were not correct. The best action here is to not create the FSW folder or share ahead of time and just let the cmd-let take care of the hard work.

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Database Availability Group (DAG) in Exchange 2010

The new concept of the Database Availability Group (DAG) is exciting Exchange 2010 technology to bring low cost high availability without costly hardware SAN infrastructure.

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 clients will connect to Client Access Servers, which will proxy the requests to the client. No more LCR, SCR, or CCR…DAG (or Super CCR) uses low cost DAS storage to leverage a “Raid 5” striping of databases to multiple servers. Client Access Servers (set in load balanced server farms), will provide primary HTTP and a new “distributed RPC endpoint” for Office 2010, Office 2007, Office 2003 emulation of a “standard exchange mailbox server” without needing to upgrade the clients.

Since clients connect to the CAS servers to proxy requests to the mailbox servers, failover from mailbox server to another in the DAG happen in less than 30 seconds in a failover or move command.

Some other notable highlights in Exchange 2010 database and HA architecture:

- Replication between databases will change from being a RPC method, to a TCP socket method which will increase performance on heavily loaded servers.

- Replication can be locally or remote (cross-subnet). You will need CAS servers at the DR site however if you lose the primary datacenter.

- You can have upto 16 mailbox servers in a DAG.

- There will be no integration with Microsoft Online at the DAG level. Microsoft Online cannot be used as DR site for a on-premise hosted mailbox. Either it’s on-premise or hosted, not a mixture of the two.

- You still need Windows Server 2008 Enterprise, as failover clustering feature is required.

- The concept of Storage groups is depreciated.

- Jet is still the storage engine for Exchange 2010 databases.

- Exchange IO has been reduced 50% from 2007 to 2010 (and already a 70% IO reduction from Exchange 2003 to 2007).

- Single Instance Storage is going away, as well as the per database table. A new table is created for each mailbox, creating the scenario for 10,000+ messages in mailboxes due to the sequential read capability.

- Server based PST files allow archiving with anywhere access. Help for e-discovery, OWA searches, and compliance management.

Public folders are not covered by the new DAG changes, and the only way to replicate Public Folders in Exchange 2010 is using the same 10 year old Public folder replication methods we have used for years. SCR replication of the public folder database for DR scenarios, possible in Exchange 2007, is depreciated in Exchange 2010. Also, clients will continue to connect to public folder on mailbox servers in the DAG directly. Public Folders will not take part in the new Client Access Server 2010 model that is introduced with Exchange 2010 mailbox databases. Public folders are a legacy platform and significant changes won’t be introduced.

What has been removed?

No more EVS/CMS

Database is no longer associated to a Server but is an Org Level resource

There is no longer a requirement to choose Cluster or Non Cluster at installation, an Exchange 2010 server can move in and out of a DAG as needed

The limitation of only hosting the mailbox role on a clustered Exchange server

Storage Groups have been removed from Exchange

Is anything the same?

1. Window Enterprise Edition is still required since a DAG still uses pieces of Windows Failover Clustering

What’s New?

1. Other roles can be installed on the mailbox server when it is a member of a DAG

2. A database name must be unique in the Exchange Org

DAG is a collection of Exchange 2010 Mailbox Servers (maximum 16) who help monitor and protect mailbox databases defined within the DAG. Gone are LCR and SCC and still there and evolved are SCR and CCR both now known as DAG.

One major change when it comes to clustering is that you can have any combination of Exchange 2010 roles on your server. So if you want to create an Exchange 2010 cluster based on 2 Servers you could do so if you want. Even the UM role is fine with it. The Edge Transport role is the only exception to this rule but so it also lives it´s own life in the DMZ.

Another cool feature of DAG is that you don´t have to create Windows Failover Cluster, WFC, beforehand. This also means that you don´t risk ending up with a hard coded cluster node but instead you´re free to remove it from the DAG and end up with a regular Mailbox Server role.

When you add the first Exchange Server to the DAG it senses if there is an underlying cluster or not. If it doesn´t find any cluster it automatically installs and configures WFC for you.

One interesting thing to notice is that every time the number of Mailbox Servers within the DAG makes an even number (2,4,6,..) the File Share Witness, FSW, is in the mix within the cluster but as soon as you have an odd number of servers it´s gone. Well, it isn´t deleted from the hard drive, just not a part of the cluster anymore. Its not that FSW would appear after the very first Server added to the DAG. When a DAG is formed, it will initially use the Node Majority quorum mode. When the second Mailbox server is added to the DAG, the quorum is automatically changed to a Node and File Share Majority quorum model. When this change occurs, the DAG will begin using the witness server for maintaining quorum. If the witness directory does not exist, Exchange will automatically create it, and provision it with full control permissions for local administrators and the cluster network object (CNO) computer account for the DAG.

For a CLI style, follow these steps:

1. Install your forthcoming nodes as you would any other Exchange 2010 Server

2. Then set your cluster NICs on their own subnet and all other things we normally configure on cluster NICs: Recommended private "Heartbeat" configuration on a cluster server - http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/258750

3. Create the DAG

Example: New-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup -Name DAG1 -FileShareWitnessShare \\EXHUB1\DAG1FSW -FileShareWitnessDirectory C:\DAG1FSW

4. Create the Networks for the DAG. Minimum of 2;

one public for client connections

Example: New-DatabaseAvailabilityGroupNetwork -DatabaseAvailabilityGroup DAG1 -Name DAGPUB -Description "Public Client traffic network" -Subnets 192.168.0.0/24 -ReplicationEnabled:$False

and one for dedicated replication traffic.

Example: New-DatabaseAvailabilityGroupNetwork -DatabaseAvailabilityGroup DAG1 -Name DAGCLU -Description "Replication network" -Subnets 10.0.0.0/8 -ReplicationEnabled:$True

5. Then add your nodes:

Add-DatabaseAvailabilityGroupServer -Identity DAG1 -MailboxServer EXMBX1 -DatabaseAvailablityGroupIpAddresses 192.168.0.25

Remember that you have to do this on the nodes directly if WFC isn´t already on the machine since it isn´t possible to install FWC remotely. BUT if you already have installed WFC AND you have cluster admin tool installed on the machine you´re sitting at, then you can perform this from that machine.

Also remember to add -DatabaseAvailablityGroupIpAddresses if you don´t have any DHCP or if you want to staticly set an IP Address to the DAG.

6. Add the database that DAG should protect:

Add-MailboxDatabaseCopy -Identity MBXDB1 -MailboxServer EXMBX3 -ReplayLagTime 00:10:00 -TruncationLagTime 00:15:00 -ActivationPreference 2

Now you have your very own DAG running!

Basic test of functionality: Try a Switchover (basically what you do when performing maintenance on the Server holding the currently active database copy): Move-ActiveMailboxDatabase "Executive Database" -ActivateOnServer EXMBX3 -MountDialOverride:None.

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Exchange Server 2010 Beta1 Known Issues & Solutions

Exchange 2010 has many new features, advance administration methods, significant changes in Information Store to give better performance, new and simple high-availability approach and role based access control features for permissions.

As we know that Exchange 2010 product is still under development and being optimized, so here are certain FAQs, Tips and Known Issues which might help you to evaluate it easily and save your time while finding solutions or workarounds on some common queries and issues.

1. Production Use?

First question comes in your mind while testing Exchange 2010 Beta1 is, can I use Exchange 2010 Beta 1 in production?
~ Answer is "NO", here is an official article from Exchange Team on why you shouldn’t use Beta in production environment.

2. Windows 2008 Editions

~ Exchange 2010 can be installed on Windows 2008 & Windows 2008 R2 but wait…

2.1 Can I install Exchange 2010 on Windows 2008 Server Core?
~ No, Exchange 2010 can NOT be installed on Windows 2008 Server Core, it requires full edition of Windows 2008 Standard or Enterprise.
~ Reason is, Exchange requires some of the components which are not supported on Windows 2008 Server Core, example is .Net Framework.

2.2 Can I use Exchange 2010 Beta 1 with Windows 2008 R2?
~ Yes, you can use Windows 2008 R2 but read below couple of points.

2.2.1 Which build of Windows 2008 R2 I can use for Exchange 2010 testing?
Exchange 2010 Beta1 PowerShell & WinRM are incompatible with post 7000 build of Windows R2 and requires wire-level change so it can be installed only on build 7000 of R2 and not on later builds so keep in mind if you are planning to install it on R2.

2.2.2 You may get below error while accessing EMC on Windows 2008 R2

Connecting to remote server failed with the following error message : The WinRM client received an HTTP server error status (500), but the remote service did not include any other information about the cause of the failure. It was running command ‘Discover-ExchangeServer -UseWIA $true’.

This is know issue and to solve it follow below two steps…
~ Disable “Anonymous Authentication” on PowerShell virtual directory of IIS.
~ Enable remote powershell for user with below cmdlet in “Exchange Management
Shell (Local Powershell)”
Set-User “User Name” -RemotePowerShellEnabled $true

3. Coexistence

Coexistence with legacy Exchange versions (2007or 2003) is NOT supported with Exchange 2010 Beta1. We may need to wait for next release of Exchange 2010.

4. Installation

4.1 Domain & Forest Functional Levels of your AD environment

Exchange 2010 requires Domain and Forest (both) Functional Levels to at least Windows 2003. You can refer below articles to raise Functional Levels of your AD to Windows 2003.

4.2 Setup fails at Hub Transport Server role installation with below error

The execution of: “$error.Clear(); if ($RoleStartTransportService) { start-SetupService -ServiceName MSExchangeTransport }”, generated the following error: “Service ‘MSExchangeTransport’ failed to reach status ‘Running’ on this server.”

~ This could be because you have disabled IPv6 in Local Area Connection. Correct method to disable IPv6 is with Registry Key and remove the entry from hosts file.
Refer below article.

4.3 You get below error while running installation

"An error occurred while copying file D:\Exchange2010-Beta1-x64\…\templates editor.msc"

Workaround:
~ Copy Setup dump to local hard drive and execute Exchange 2010 setup from there.
~ Make sure that account, being used to run Exchange 2010 setup, has Domain, Enterprise and Schema Admin rights.

4.4 You may get below error while installing additional Mailbox Server in Exchange 2010 Beta1 environment

"Object reference not set to an instance of an object"

~ This might be due to "Admin Audit Log Agent" Cmdlet Extension Agents enabled in your environment. This will be resolved in later builds but current Workaround for this problem is disable Admin Audit Log Agent with below cmdlet.
Disable-CmdletExtensionAgent "Admin Audit Log Agent"

5. Exchange Management Console / Shell Tips

5.1 When you try to access EMS/EMC with newly created administrator account, you get below error
EMS:

Connecting to remote server failed with the following error message : Access is denied. At C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\bin\ConnectFunctions.ps1:154 char:28 + $global:r = new-pssession <<<< -connectionURIhttps://$fqdn/powershell -ConfigurationName Microsoft.Exchange -Authentication NegotiateWithImplicitCredential -SessionOption $sessionOption #-erroraction silentlycontinue + CategoryInfo : OpenError: (System.Manageme….RemoteRunspace:RemoteRunspace) [New-PSSession], PSRemotingTransportException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : RemoteRunspaceOpenFailed

EMC:

Connecting to remote server failed with the following error message: Access is denied. It was running command ‘Discover-ExchangeServer -UseWIA $true’

Solution:
You need to enable Remote Powershell for newly created Admin account with below cmdlet.
Set-User “User Name” -RemotePowerShellEnabled $true

5.2 When you click on CAS Server properties you may get below error

————————— Microsoft Exchange ————————— Unable to create IIS (Internet Information Service) directory entry. Error Message is: Access is denied. . HResult = -2147024891 It was running command ‘get-ActiveSyncVirtualDirectory’.

This is know issue with current Beta1 and you need to add "Microsoft Exchange Security Groups\ Exchange Trusted Subsystem" group to Local Administrators group on all Exchange servers and Restart the CAS server.

5.3 If you create User with ADU&C and enable mailbox with EMC/EMS, now while removing the same mailbox in EMC you get below error

Active Directory operation failed on Server1.Contoso.com. This error is not retriable. Additional information: Access is denied. Active directory response: 00000005: SecErr: DSID-03151D12, problem 4003 (INSUFF_ACCESS_RIGHTS), data 0

Solution: You need to use EMS to remove the mailbox with Remove-Mailbox cmdlet.

5.4 How to manage mailbox folder permission with EMS

This is one of the New Mailbox and Recipient Functionality in Exchange 2010. Let’s take an example here, if you want permission on a folder named "SharedFolder1" of User1’s mailbox to User2 in Exchange Management Shell.

~ You can use Add-MailboxFolderPermission cmdlet. But what is the format of folder name which we should pass in cmdlet to give permission? So, format should be blow.

Add-MailboxFolderPermission -Identity User1:\SharedFolder1 -AccessRights Editor -User User2

6. Mailbox Access & Client Issues

6.1 How can I access Exchange 2010 mailbox?
~ You can access mailbox with MAPI clients like Outlook 2007 or 2003, OWA premium experience with IE, FireFox & Safari browser or Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0 devices.

6.2 Outlook 2007 is not able to access mailbox and/or unable to start "MSExchange Rpc Client Access" Service
This is know issue and it will be corrected in later build. Workaround is to add below two registry keys on Exchange 2010 Server.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem] "Mapi Rpc Endpoint Registration"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ MSExchangeRPC\ParametersSystem] "ExecutionFlags"=dword:00000002

6.3 Outlook 2003 is unable to access mailbox
RPC/MAPI Mailbox access with Outlook 2003 may not work while testing in Beta1, you need to use Outlook 2007 to gain mailbox access. You may use RPC/HTTPs method with Outlook 2003 to access Mailbox.

7. Public Folders Access & Client Issues

7.1 Public Folder Support in Exchange 2010

Public Folder is fully supported in Exchange 2010 life cycle as Exchange team is already announced earlier.
But you need to start looking for other alternative if PFs are being heavily used in your organization, Share Point is a good alternative from that stand point.

7.2 Where is Public Folder option in OWA?

Public Folder, Notes, Tasks, Views etc… modules are not included in current Beta, these will be available in later builds.

7.3 Unable to access Public Folder in Outlook 2007 and you get below error

"Cannot expand the folder. The set of folders cannot be opened. Your profile is not configured"

Public Folder access has problem with MAPI/RPC Outlook 2007 profile and can not be accessible, this will be corrected in later build.

8. Outlook Web Access

8.1 Certain features (like drag and drop items) are not yet fully implemented in this version of Beta to work on Firefox and Safari web browser so you can still find some gaps and which will be covered by RTM

8.2 OWA, where is integrated IM and Presence functionality?
~ IM & Presence functionality is not yet included into Beta1 so we may need to wait for next build releases.
~ However You need to have Office Communications Server 2007 R2 installed in your environment to have basic IM functionality then you can configure an integration between OCS and Exchange OWA to connect together and give you status indication (presence information) of other persons, have chat with them etc…

8.3 OWA gives blank display with below in address bar
"https://localhost/owa/auth/logon.aspx?url=https://localhost/owa/&reason=0"
You may need to reinstall CAS server role and IIS.

9. Exchange Control Panel (ECP)

9.1 When you click on Options in OWA to login on ECP, again it asks for authentication
~ This is expected behaviour in Beta1 because ECP virtual directory doesn’t support FBA yet. This will be corrected by RTM releases of Exchange 2010.

9.2 Authentication fails when you click on Options button in OWA and you get below error

Unexpected Error – An error occurred and your request couldn’t be completed. Please try again.

~ This happens if you are accessing OWA with FQDN of your OWA address like https://mail.domainname.com/owa but didn’t set urls on virtual directories.
~ You need to set InternalURL to https://FQDNofExchange/OWA and ExternalURL tohttps://mail.domain.com/owa of OWA virtual directory with Set-OWAVirtualDirectory cmdlet.

Set-OWAVirtualDirectory “Owa (Default Web Site)” –InternalURL “https://FQDNofExchange/owa” –ExternalURL “https://mail.domain.com/owa”

~ Similarly for ECP directory with Set-ECPVirtualDirectory cmdlet. Once these are configured it prompts for passwords (Refer #9.1) and authentication redirects to ECP.

Set-ECPVirtualDirectory “Ecp (Default Web Site)” –InternalURL “https://FQDNofExchange/ECP” –ExternalURL “https://mail.domain.com/ECP”

10. Archive or Alternate Mailbox

10.1 How to create Archive Mailbox?
You can use below cmdlet to create archive mailbox. In later builds you can create archive mailbox in EMC too.

New-AlternateMailbox -Name User-Archive -Mailbox UserName -Type Archive

10.2 Where will be Archiving mailbox created?

~ Archive mailbox will be created automatically on the same mailbox database where primary mailbox of user is available.

10.3 Does discoveries feature work on Archive mailbox to find emails by Compliance Officer?
Yes, Compliance Officer can search emails from Archive Mailbox. Exchange Control Panel (ECP) is an interface for Discovery feature of Exchange 2010.

10.4 How to access Archive Mailbox?
It can be accessed via OWA or Outlook 2010 but unfortunately OWA doesn’t have that feature included in current Beta1 to access Archive Mailbox and beta version of Outlook 2010 will be released in Q3 so we may need to wait until next build of Exchange 2010 available.

11. MailTips

11.1 What are supported clients for MailTips feature?
~ MailTips are supported in OWA and Outlook 2010.
~ But current Exchange 2010 public beta doesn’t have this feature module ported in OWA and Outlook 2010 Beta has not released yet so we may need to wait for next releases of Exchange 2010…

12. High Availability & Recovery

12.1 Database Availability Groups (DAG)

12.1.1 You get below error while adding a server into DAG by using EMC

Insufficient permissions to view the network shares on machines . Error code 5.

~ This is known issue, remote powershell can add a server in DAG since it requires to install Windows Failover Cluster (WFC) components which are not accessible through remote powershell.
~ Use "Exchange Management Shell (Local Powershell)" to add the server into DAG with Add-DatabaseAvailabilityGroupServer cmdlet.

Add-DatabaseAvailabilityGroupServer -Identity DAG1 -MailboxServer E2010SRV1

12.2 What is the alternative of Recovery Storage Group (RSG)?

~ As we know that there Storage Group concept is deprecated and we have only Databases so now we can use Recovery Databases for recovery purpose.
~ Here are cmdlets to create Recovery Database and to restore mailbox.
New-MailboxDatabase -Recovery –Server
Restore-Mailbox -Identity -RecoveryDatabase -RecoveryMailbox

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