Active Directory Cookbook, 4th Edition

Chapter 20. Microsoft Exchange Server 2013

Introduction

Microsoft Exchange Server is Microsoft’s flagship messaging and collaboration server application. Exchange manages email messages through a proprietary MAPI protocol for rich use with Microsoft Outlook clients as well as the Internet standard protocols POP3, IMAP4, and SMTP. It is a scalable enterprise solution from gateway to mailbox with expected functionality including backup and recovery, message hygiene, and mailbox management. Several features that have evolved over the years are still present in the latest version, including Outlook Web App (OWA), Public Folders, cached Exchange mode, and mobile device synchronization with ActiveSync (the primary mechanism for Windows RT devices to communicate with Exchange. Other features have been added or improved significantly for 2013, such as a single unified management console, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and OWA optimization for smartphones and tablets.

Exchange has a set of APIs that can be used to integrate custom applications or access specific Exchange data. Exchange can be an important component of a business collaboration system. We are not going to cover every single PowerShell cmdlet or all possible recipes for configuring Exchange, but we will introduce a good cross section of common tasks that Exchange implementers or administrators may need to perform their duties.

Exchange Server and Active Directory

Even with the major changes in Exchange, one of the mainstays over the ...