Microsoft Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server V6
There are two flavours of Exchange server depending on your requirements. If you are an SME then Exchange 2000 Server with its 16GB data storage limit may be just perfect.
However, if your needs extend to multiple databases per server, four-way clustering, and unlimited database size and storage, then Exchange 2000 Enterprise is the one you need. We were supplied with Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server for our testing purposes.
As far as Microsoft's minimum system requirements are concerned, while not a fantasy, they are pretty unrealistic if you actually intend your mail server to do any meaningful work.
However, our test system, the Dell PowerEdge 2250, was certainly more than adequate. Your choice of operating system for the server is pretty limited with Windows 2000 Server SP1 and above your only choices.
Like many Microsoft products, you need to buy the server software and then fork out for additional client access licences (CALs). Exchange 2000 Server is an inexpensive AU$1647, while Exchange 2000 Enterprise is AU$9572. CALs start off at a steep AU$161 per user but there are volume discounts. Antivirus support for Exchange from third-party vendors is extensive and a full list can be found at Microsoft's Web site.
Installation was not loathsome, but was certainly more long-winded than Imail. Because RMIT is a Netware based institution, we fell into a couple of simple traps that slowed us down. Exchange requires a Domain Server and Active Directory services. Given its capabilities, this makes sense, but since we didn't have either of these, we had to set them up before Exchange would install.
Exchange's default security settings were a curious mix. On install it's set to all relaying disabled, integrated Windows Authentication enabled, no size limits on sent or received messages, and a maximum recipient limit of 5000.
The former is a good out-of-the-box security feature as long as the administrator is aware that this is in place. Otherwise time will be wasted pondering why e-mail cannot be sent or received. On the other hand, not limiting e-mail size potentially allows e-mail viruses through, and spammers would be delighted to find a server that sends 5000 messages at a time.
The standard mail protocols such as POP3, IDAP4, and SMTP are supported, as well as secure messaging with SSL, X.509, and S/MIME. Mail relaying can be confined to internal users or domains.
Although the server has no native anti-virus capabilities, there are plenty of third party plugs to satisfy this requirement. Setting up e-mail filters is straightforward and simple. Anything from a single e-mail address to an entire Internet domain can be filtered with just a few clicks.
Setting up Web access was easy; in fact it is installed as default. However, the configuration needs to be adjusted partly through Exchange System Manager and partly through IIS. Of course if you use Microsoft's own client Outlook, then the setup is a no brainer. You can also access e-mail through mobile phones and pocket PCs.
The admin tools are integrated in the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and the MMC can be remotely accessed with Windows 2000 Server's Terminal Services. The admin tools can also be installed on a remote "client" computer. Third-party management tools are also available.
Exchange's admin interface, called System Manager, is pretty simple to use and utilises a tree structure to access relevant functions. There are quite a lot of branches on the tree so remembering exactly where an item may be located can take some familiarisation.
Most of the time it's quite logical. Logging options are virtually unlimited should they be required for troubleshooting or reporting, and again they are very simple to activate.
Microsoft has several assisted support offerings, but the one most applicable to this product would probably be the Premier support plan for Enterprise. Amongst other feel-good services, this option provides round-the-clock technical support.
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Tree years ago we were wondering which will be the best mail server to deploy in my office ( we are 25 users). The choice were between Xchg (altough we had a lot of troubles when our EXCHANGE Server bundled in MS Small bussines Server crashed and decided to quit Exchange also It was slow and the client was annoyingly slow)and Domino (my friends told me that Domino was rather complex an expensive to deploy).
My solaris trainer told me "Why don´t you use sendmail. It´s free and works fast"
One day I recieved RH6.2 and it took me 15 days to figure out how to deploy the mail service until I´ve found linuxconf :).
It´s been more than two years now, and the machine works very fast and very well . I used the CPU that nobody wanted (P133 48Mb 4Gb machine)
My experience is that those fifteen days spent in learning worth very well because we saved more than 15 thousand dollars. THNX Sendmail Linuxconf & RH!!!