Designing a High Availability Messaging Solution using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007

Describe high availability technologies.

This module explains how to evaluate the high availability technologies for Exchange Server 2007. Options for Mailbox and non-Mailbox servers are covered.

Evaluating High Availability Options for Mailbox Servers

Evaluating High Availability Options for Non-Mailbox Servers

Configuring LCR

Configuring CCR

Testing CCR

Discussion: Recommendations for Using the High Availability Solutions

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Evaluate high availability options for Mailbox servers.

Evaluate high availability options for non-Mailbox servers

This module explains how to create a high availability messaging strategy. This includes creating solutions for Mailbox and non-mailbox servers.

Designing a High Availability Strategy for Mailbox Servers

Designing a High Availability Solution for Non-Mailbox Servers

Designing High-Availability Improvements for a Messaging Infrastructure

Justifying Messaging Infrastructure Design Decisions

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Design a high availability strategy for Mailbox servers.

Design a high availability solution for non-Mailbox servers.

This module explains how to design the messaging portion of a business continuity plan. As well, information about identifying threats to the messaging organization and mitigating those threats is covered.

Overview of Business Continuity Planning

Identifying Threats to the Messaging Organization

Mitigating Threats to the Messaging Organization

Designing the Business Continuity Plan

Identifying Risks to a Messaging Environment

Discussion: Mitigating Risks to a Messaging Environment

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe business continuity planning.

Identify threats to the messaging organization.

Mitigate threats to the messaging organization.

Design the business continuity plan.

This module explains how to identify the backup requirements and design the backup procedures for a high availability messaging environment.

Identifying Backup Requirements

Designing Backup Procedures

Identifying Backup Requirements

Discussion: Creating Backup Procedures

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Identify backup requirements.

Design backup procedures.

This module explains how to ensure recovery readiness of a high availability messaging environment by designing recovery strategies and evaluating disaster recovery readiness.

Designing Recovery Strategies

Evaluating Disaster Recovery Readiness

Defining Recovery Procedures

Evaluating Disaster Recovery Readiness

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Design recovery strategies.

Evaluate disaster recovery readiness.

Before attending this course, students:

Must have a basic understanding of high availability concepts. For example, how clustering works at the operating system level (Windows clustering) and how network load balancing works.Must have a basic familiarity with deriving business requirements. For example, gathering business requirements and understanding that business needs come from a variety of sources (direct personnel needs, regulatory, business operations requirements).Must have a basic understanding of backup systems. For example, types of backups (disk to tape, disk to disk, Storage Area Networks (SAN) snapshot, imaging, etc.), backup rotation schemes, and offsite backup procedures.Must already know how to use:Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Management toolsExchange Best Practice Analyzer (ExBPA)WinNT backup (ntbackup.exe)Microsoft Visio or Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003 (to create infrastructure diagrams)Must understand hardware concepts. For example, what redundant array of independent disks (RAID) is, what a storage area network (SAN) is, processor options, memory requirements, how disk I/O functions and the limitations of disk I/O, and storage options for Exchange server. The differences in addressable memory spaces between 32 and 64 bit architectures.Must have extensive detailed knowledge of Active Directory concepts and design principles. For example, site replication, integrated authentication, schema extension, Domain Name Systems (DNS), group and organization unit structure and inheritance, etc.Must have working experience with designing and implementing Active Directory directory services in Microsoft Windows Server 2003.Must understand Exchange architecture. For example, the purpose of server roles, functions of specific server roles, how message routing and queuing works in Exchange, standard messaging protocols (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol [SMTP], Internet Message Access Protocol version 4rev1 [IMAP4], Post Office Protocol version 3 [POP3]), how Exchange replicates data stores, client access methods, etc.Must have working experience with Exchange 2000 Server or Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2007. For example, must have installed, maintained, and supported a production Exchange environment.Must already know how to use:Exchange Server 2007 management toolsExchange Best Practice Analyzer (ExBPA)Microsoft Visio (to create infrastructure diagrams)Must have familiarity and experience with a Windows scripting or command line scripting