Overview of dependencies and requirements for Exchange Server 2003 features

This article contains information about the new features and the new functionalities that are included in Exchange Server 2003, and it lists the requirements and the dependencies for each of these features. Exchange Server 2003 runs on either Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or on Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 3 (SP3) or later. Exchange Server 2003 is optimized to run on Windows Server 2003; several new features in Exchange Server 2003 require Windows Server 2003.

Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition and Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition

Exchange Server 2003 is available in the following editions:

• Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition
• Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition

Note You cannot perform an in-place upgrade to Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition from Exchange 2000 Enterprise Edition.

To view a comparison of the features that are included in Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition and Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, visit the following Microsoft Web site: To view a comparison of the features of Exchange Server 2003, of Exchange 2000 Server, and of Exchange Server 5.5, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Upgrade and Installation: Exchange Server 2003 Requirements

You can run Exchange Server 2003 on the following operating systems:

• Windows Server 2003
• Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 3 (SP3) and later

If your environment contains Windows 2000 domain controllers and global catalog servers, the domain controllers and the global catalog servers that Exchange Server 2003 uses must be running either Windows 2000 SP3 or Windows Server 2003.

Note the following installation and upgrade considerations:

• Although Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 2 (SP2) or later is supported in an environment with Windows Server 2003 domain controllers and global catalog servers, Exchange Server 2003 is the first version of Exchange that is supported on computers that are running Windows Server 2003. Exchange 2000 is not supported on Windows Server 2003. In a situation where you run Exchange 2000 on a Windows 2000-based computer and you want to upgrade the operating system to Windows Server 2003, you must first upgrade Exchange 2000 to Exchange Server 2003. You can then upgrade Windows 2000 to Windows Server 2003.
• You must upgrade Active Directory Connectors (ADCs) to the version of ADC that is included in Exchange Server 2003 before you can install the first Exchange Server 2003 server in your organization. The installation of the first Exchange Server 2003 ADC increments all connection agreement version numbers that are hosted on the server.
• For front-end and back-end servers in the same administrative group, you must upgrade the front-end servers to Exchange Server 2003 before you upgrade the back-end server to Exchange Server 2003 (or install Exchange Server 2003 on the back-end server).
• Exchange Server 2003 can coexist with Exchange 2000. Exchange Server 2003 can also coexist with Exchange Server 5.5 when you are running in Exchange mixed mode. You can perform an in-place upgrade from Exchange 2000 to Exchange Server 2003; however, an in-place upgrade from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange Server 2003 is not supported.

For more information about Exchange Server compatibility with Windows Server operating systems, see the "Microsoft Exchange Server Compatibility with Microsoft Windows Server Operating Systems" white paper. To view this white paper, visit the following Microsoft Web site: For more information about the operating system and Microsoft Active Directory directory service requirements for Exchange Server 2003, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about system requirements for Exchange Server 2003, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Benefits of Running Exchange Server 2003 on Windows Server 2003

Exchange Server 2003 runs on the following Windows Server 2003 operating systems:

• Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
• Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
• Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition

The following list contains information about the benefits of running Exchange Server 2003 on Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition:

Exchange Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition

The benefits of running Exchange Server 2003 on Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition are listed as follows:

Memory tuning

• /3GB switch
• /Userva switch



Processor support

• Support for four-way Pentium 4 (P4) Xeon (hyperthreaded) processors



Features support

• Database backup by the Volume Shadow Copy service
• Support for compression in Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA)
• Remote procedure call (RPC) over HTTP support in Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
• IPSec support between front-end server and back-end clusters running Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
• Support for Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) in dedicated mode.

Exchange Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition

The benefits of running Exchange Server 2003 on Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition include the benefits listed earlier for Windows Server Standard Edition in addition to the following benefits:

Processor support

• Support for eight-way Pentium III (PIII) Xeon Processors
• Support for eight-way P4 Xeon MP (hyperthreaded) processors



Clustering

• Support for two-node, four-node, or eight-node clustering
• Mount point support

List of Features

The following section contains information about new features of Exchange Server 2003 and describes the requirements or dependences for each of the features. It also contains information about some features in Exchange 2000 that are not available in Exchange Server 2003.

Active Directory

Exchange Server 2003 runs in the following Active Directory environments:

• Windows 2000 mixed-mode domains
• Windows 2000 native mode domains
• Mixed Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 domains
• Windows Server 2003 domains
• Windows Server 2003 native-mode forest

Use of Active Directory in Windows Server 2003 includes the following benefits for Exchange Server 2003:

• Linked-value replication
• Enhanced management tools
• InetOrgPerson-enabled mailboxes
• RPC over HTTP support for Outlook 2003

RPC Over HTTP Support in Outlook 2003

Exchange Server 2003 on Windows Server 2003 enables Outlook 2003 users to use RPC over HTTP. Outlook 2003 clients can connect over the Internet to the corporate messaging system. The requirements for RPC over HTTP include the following:

Client

• The client must be running Outlook 2003 on a Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP) or later-based computer.
• The update that is documented in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article must be installed on the client computer:
  331320� Outlook 2003 performs slowly or stops responding when connected to Exchange Server 2003 through HTTP



• Server

  
  
  The following Exchange Server 2003 components must run on a Windows Server 2003-based computer:
  • Front-end server (if you use a front-end server and back-end server configuration)
  • Back-end server
  • System and public folder store
  • Global catalog server

Features That Require Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0

The following features require Internet Explorer 6.0 (or later):

• OWA with Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (S/MIME) support
• OWA compression
  
  You must also install the update (or later) that is documented in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
  328970� MS02-066: November 2002 cumulative patch for Internet Explorer
• OWA Clear Credentials on logoff

Outlook Web Access (OWA)

The requirements for OWA features in Exchange Server 2003 include the following:

• For the user to use the version of OWA that is included with Exchange Server 2003, you must install Exchange Server 2003 on both front-end and back-end servers (in a front-end and back-end server configuration). The following table contains information about the version of OWA that results in certain Exchange front-end and back-end configurations:
  Collapse this tableExpand this table

  Front-End Server	Back-End Server	Version of OWA
  Exchange 2000	Exchange 2000	Exchange 2000
  Exchange Server 2003	Exchange 2000	Exchange 2000
  Exchange 2000	Exchange Server 2003	Not supported
  Exchange Server 2003	Exchange Server 2003	Exchange Server 2003

• Messages and Posts in Public Folders

  
  
  To reply to and to forward messages and posts in public folders, the client must be using a front-end server.

• Forms-Based Authentication

  You can configure forms-based authentication in deployments where the front-end server is running Exchange Server 2003 and the back-end server is running Exchange 2000. However, session timeouts are handled better when the back-end server is running Exchange Server 2003.

• OWA Compression

  The requirements for the compression of static or dynamic content in OWA include the following:

  Client

  • The client must be running Windows 2000 or later.
  • Internet Explorer 6.0, with the update (or later) that is documented in the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base, must be installed on the computer:
    328970� MS02-066: November 2002 cumulative patch for Internet Explorer
    Or, Netscape Navigator 6.0 or later must be installed on the computer.
  
  

  • Server

    The server requirements include the following:
    • Forms-based authentication must be enabled.
    • If you use front-end and back-end server configuration, you must install Exchange Server 2003 on a front-end server running Windows Server 2003, and you must install Exchange Server 2003 on a back-end server that is running either Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 4 (SP4) or later.
    • If you use a back-end only configuration, Exchange Server 2003 must be installed on a computer that is running Windows Server 2003.

Note If you use an Exchange Server 2003 front-end server to access an Exchange 2000 back-end server, disable OWA compression support on the front-end server.

OWA with S/MIME Support

The requirements for using OWA with S/MIME support include the following:

• Server

  The server must be running Exchange Server 2003.

Client

• The client must be running Windows 2000 or later and Internet Explorer 6.0 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later.
• The client must have a smart card or a local certificate.

Outlook Mobile Access and Exchange ActiveSync

In a mixed Exchange environment, you must use Exchange Server 2003 for both the front-end and the back-end servers to gain access to mailboxes by using Outlook Mobile Access and Exchange ActiveSync. For mailboxes that are stored on a server that is running Exchange 5.5 and Exchange 2000, deploy Microsoft Mobile Information Server.

Native Mode

Note the following considerations about native mode:

• You can only create query-based distribution groups in a native-mode Exchange organization.
• If routing bridgehead pairs are upgraded to Exchange Server 2003 in a native-mode organization, they use 8BITMIME data transfers instead of converting to 7-bit.
• In native mode, the Exchange store automatically ignores and removes zombie access control entry (ACE) items, if an Exchange 5.5 Server computer previously existed in the organization.

Instant Messaging

Exchange Instant Messaging works only on Exchange 2000-based servers. You cannot perform an in-place upgrade of Exchange 2000 to Exchange Server 2003 if the Exchange Instant Messaging component is installed on the server. Do one of the following, as appropriate to your situation:

• Remove the Exchange Instant Messaging component from the server if you want to perform an in-place upgrade from Exchange 2000 to Exchange Server 2003.
• Leave the Exchange 2000 server that runs the Exchange Instant Messaging component in the organization.

Exchange Conferencing Server

Exchange Conferencing Server Service Pack 3 (SP3) is not supported on Windows Server 2003. Note the following:

• You cannot run Exchange Conferencing Server SP3 and Exchange Server 2003 on the same server.
• You cannot perform an in-place upgrade of a server that is running Exchange 2000 and Exchange Conferencing Server SP3 to Exchange Server 2003.
• You cannot use Exchange Conferencing Server resource mailboxes on a server running Exchange Server 2003. However, users whose mailboxes are stored on a server running Exchange Server 2003 servers can use Exchange Conferencing Server features.

Exchange System Manager

You can use the version of Exchange System Manager that is included in Exchange Server 2003 to manage all servers in the organization. However, if you want to manage an Exchange 2000 organization with Exchange Server 2003 Exchange System Manager, you must first execute Exchange Server 2003 forestprep.

• The improved view for queues appears when you manage Exchange 2000 servers, and if you run the forestprep command for Exchange Server 2003, the Move Mailboxes tool is available.
• You cannot configure new Exchange Server 2003 features on an Exchange 2000 server. The option for that feature in Exchange System Manager is unavailable (appears dimmed) for the Exchange 2000 server.
• You cannot use Exchange System Manager in Exchange Server 2003 to configure Exchange 2000 components that are not available of Exchange Server 2003. For example, you cannot configure the following Exchange 2000 components:
  • Key Management Server
  • Exchange Instant Messaging
  • Chat
  • Microsoft Exchange Connection (MS Mail), Microsoft Schedule+, and Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus cc:Mail
  • Directory synchronization

Do not use the version of Exchange System Manager that is included in Exchange 2000 to manage servers running Exchange Server 2003. When you try to do so, the options on the tabs of Exchange System Manager appear as read-only.

Requirements to Run Exchange System Manager

To run Exchange System Manager in Windows, the following components must be installed (as appropriate to the operating system):

Windows Server 2003

• Internet Information Services Manager



Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1)

• The computer must be a member of the domain or forest.
• The Internet Information Services snap-in
• The Simple Mail Transfer (SMTP) Service
  
  Note After you install the SMTP Service, disable it. You only require the snap-in component of the SMTP Service.
• The World Wide Web Service
  
  Note After you install the World Wide Web Service, disable it.
• The Windows 2000 Server Administration Tools Pack



Windows 2000 Server SP3

• The Internet Information Services snap-in
• The SMTP Service
  
  Note After you install the SMTP Service, disable it. You only require the snap-in component of the SMTP Service.
• The Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP)
  
  Note After you install the NNTP Service, disable it. You only require the snap-in component of the NNTP Service.



Windows 2000 Professional SP3

• The Internet Information Services snap-in
• The Windows 2000 Server Administration Tools Pack

For more information about Exchange Server 2003 features, visit the following Microsoft Web site:For more information about Exchange Server 2003, visit the following Microsoft Web site: