Exchange 2003 Service Pack 1, Installation and Overview Fixes and New Features in Exchange 2003 SP-1 Ryan Smith
Microsoft officially released Exchange 2003 in October 2003. In May 2004, Service Pack 1 for Exchange 2003 was released. SP-1 is a collection of fixes, enhancements, and updates to Exchange 2003 designed to extend the product's stability. Let's take a closer look at what SP-1 offers for Exhcnage 2003 users.
Fixes and New Features
Exchange 2003 SP-1 is made up of fixes covered in more than 20 Knowledge Base articles. Previously, obtaining these fixes meant making a support call to Microsoft Product Support Services. While this is typically an easy (and free) call to make, it certainly requires more attention than simply downloading a hot fix.
In addition to the bundle of fixes, SP-1 packages various enhancements and new features, including:
Outlook Web Access and Outlook Mobile Access now offer beefed-up language support in the spellcheck feature and block more file types.
Enhancements were made to the Outlook Mobile Access user interface, including out-of-office modification, a larger text entry field, search folder support, and improved menu navigation.
Configuration improvements to RPC over HTTP front-end/back-end topology. It can also now be configured using Exchange System Manager. In the past, changes were made manually and required IIS Manager.
Support for Volume Shadow Copy.
Exchange System Manager can be used to merge or copy a restored mailbox without using ExMerge.
"Move Mailbox Wizard" allows the movement of mailboxes across administrative groups when in mixed mode (such as sites in Exchange 5.5).
The Migration Wizard now supports the Profile Update Tool, which runs on a user's computer and updates his or her Outlook profile after a cross-site or cross-organization move.
An admin can now move public folders, mailboxes, distribution lists, and contacts across site boundaries, even while in mixed mode.
Performance of Exchange 2003 on four- or eight-processor systems has been improved. This also includes HyperThreading systems.
Mailbox permissions, including delegate permissions, are now preserved during a cross-forest move.
Additional support is offered for portable devices that want to use the Outlook Mobile Access feature.
Badmail folder usage is disabled by default in SP-1. To activate it, two registry keys must be added.
SP-1 also contains a number of new tools for Exchange 2003. The following are available as separate downloads:
Exchange Domain Rename Fixup: Repairs Exchange Server attributes in Active Directory after using the Windows Server 2003 domain rename tool
Exchange 2003 Management Pack Config Wizard: Graphical user interface that configures test mailboxes, message tracking, and monitoring services in the Exchange Server 2000 and Exchange Server 2003 Management Packs
Outlook Web Access Web Administration: Web-based tool for administering Outlook Web Access
Exchange Server Profile Redirector: Updates Outlook profiles after moving mailboxes across Exchange Server organizations or administrative groups
Updated Exchange 2003 Deployment tools: Helps determine the steps you should take, the diagnostic tools you should use, and the setup links needed to successfully install Exchange Server 2003
AUTD Binding Cleanup: Enables the viewing and removal of AUTD (Always Up To Date) event registration items (bindings) on individual and bulk levels
Auto Accept Agent: Automatically processes meeting requests for resource mailboxes by checking the availability of the resource mailbox based on the resource schedule (not free / busy) and accepting or declining new or updated meeting requests
Badmail Deletion and Archiving: Automatically deletes or archives files in the Badmail directory of specified Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) virtual servers
E-mail Journaling Advanced Configuration: Augments the current Exchange Server archiving features and captures recipients on expanded distribution lists, Bcc recipients, and other message details
WinRoute: Provides a visual representation of the Exchange Server routing topology and the status of the different routing components
