When we often create distribution groups, we forget about them.

Then we can have empty distribution groups in our Exchange Organization.

To find empty groups we can use Powershell.

First solution we can use EMS with below commands:

$DGs = Get-DistributionGroup -resultsize unlimited
$DGs | where-object {!(Get-DistributionGroupMember $_)}

As a result we receive list of empty distributions groups.

Second solution is to use PowerShell and Quest ActiveDirectory snapin like below:

Get-QADGroup -SizeLimit 0 -Empty $true -GroupType Distribution

Then we can get also empty distribution groups, but we can also modify this command to find security groups.

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Post tags: Distribution Group, Exchange 2010

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Few days ago Microsoft released CU5 for Microsoft Exchange Server 2013.

Probably most of you says: “CU 5 ??? Where is CU4 for Exchange 2013, did I miss something ?”

No you didn’t. Microsoft servicing strategy for Exchange 2013 says new CU for Microsoft Exchange 2013 every 3 months and sometimes service packs indicating a particular milestone in terms of features and support for Exchange Server 2013.

So now you see that Exchange Server 2013 Service Pack 1 is CU4 Exchange Server 2013. This is the same update for Exchange Server 2013.

You can check all updates CU, RU, Service Packs for Exchange Server releases in your website:

Exchange Updates

For Exchange Server 2013 we have:

• Exchange Server 2013 RTM
• Exchange Server 2013 CU1
• Exchange Server 2013 CU2
• Exchange Server 2013 CU3
• Exchange Server 2013 CU4/Service Pack 1
• Exchange Server 2013 CU5

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Post tags: cumulative update, Exchange 2013, Exchange 2013 CU4

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After installing SP1 for Microsoft Exchange 2013, you can expect some issues.

One of them is that after applying SP1 your Exchange server will stop accepting inbound emails and connections to port 25.

If you check Event Log, in Applications Log you will find entries with ID 7012 with source MSExchangeFrontEndTransport and with information:

“The service state for frontedn transport is inconsistent. Current state – Inactive. Expected state – Active.”

Using Powershell you can check state of this component:

Get-ServerComponentState servername01 -Component FrontendTransport

But you will see that this component is Active.

Also you can test inbound external email using Microsoft Remove Connectivity Analyzer, where you can find information about connection error to TCP port 25.

To resolve this issue you need to restart Microsoft Exchange Frontend Transport service.

You can do this using Powershell:

Restart-Service MSExchangeFrontendTransport

or just restart service in Services.msc.

When you do this, your server should now accept connections to port 25, and also you shouldn’t see warnings in Application Log.

© Remigiusz Szatkowski for ExchangeBlog, 2014. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Exchange 2013, Exchange 2013 SP1, MSExchangeFrontendTransport

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Installation of SP1 for Microsoft Exchange 2013 introduces new protocol for Outlook to Exchange connections.
You can use MAPI/HTTP instead of RPC/HTTP.

First, you need to meet some requirements:

• install SP1 for Microsoft Exchange 2013 on all Exchange servers
• install SP1 for Microsoft Outlook 2013
• connect Outlook to mailbox on Exchange 2013 SP1
• enable MAPI/HTTP for Exchange organization using Powershell:

  Set-OrganizationConfig –MapiHttpEnabled $true

But sometimes when you do all of those requirements, you can’t still connect to Exchange 2013 SP1 using MAPI/HTTP.

To check protocol used by Outlook to connect to Exchange Server just hold Ctrl key and clik right on Outlook icon in System Tray and select Connection Status:

(...)
Read the rest of Exchange 2013 SP1 MAPI/HTTP not working (37 words)

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Post tags: MAPI/HTTP, Outlook 2013, Outlook 2013 SP1

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Last time we metion about Service Pack 1 for Microsoft Exchange 2013.

Below we present new features and improvements included in Service Pack 1:

Exchange Admin Center Command Logging

Finally Exchange 2013 will “tell” you how to use Powershell.
Like in Exchange 2010 EMC now in Exchange 2013 SP1 EAC you can see Powershell command for operation which was made in EAC.

The feature can be found in the top-right corner of the EAC, when clicking the question mark button, select Show Command Logging

You can see up to 500 command executed in the EAC user interface.

Support for Windows Server 2012 R2

Exchange 2013 SP1 adds Windows Server 2012 R2 as a supported operating system and Active Directory environment for both domain and forest functional levels.

Better text editor in OWA

In OWA Exchange Team added rich text editing features. Now you can easly add or modify tables, more paste options, previews to linked content.

(...)
Read the rest of Exchange 2013 SP1 new features (379 words)

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Post tags: Exchange 2013, Exchange 2013 SP1, Service Pack

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In Microsoft Exchange we can set distribution group as restricted.
Then this distribution group will only accept messages from specified users.

We can set this settings in distribution group properties in tab Mail Flow Settings, Message Delivery Restrictions.

In section Accept messages from select Only senders in the following list and add all users who can send messages to this group.

Messages from other users will be rejected

If we have many of distribution groups with restrictions and we need to assign send rights to this groups then we have a problem.

(...)
Read the rest of Exchange 2010 assign rights to send to restricted distribution groups (181 words)

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Post tags: accept messages from, Distribution Group, Exchange distribution group, restricted distribution group

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When you:

• connect to a Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 mailbox by using Microsoft Outlook.
• use the English UI in Outlook, so the default folder names (such as Inbox or Sent Items) are displayed in English.
• install a new language pack for Outlook, and then you change the Outlook UI to the new language.
• restart Outlook by running the Outlook.exe /ResetFolderNames command to reset the default folder names to the new language.

then folder names in Outlook are not changed to the new language.

To change language you need to use one of those methods:

In Exchange Management Shell run:

(...)
Read the rest of Microsoft Outlook cannot change the default folder names using ResetFolderNames (96 words)

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Post tags: default folder names, Outlook, OWA, ResetFoldernames

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Microsoft introduced new blog Top Support Solutions from Microsoft Support

This Blog included mostr relevant content that address the top questions or issues presented in the TechNet forums and other Microsoft support channels.

You can find there information about Microsoft products:

• Microsoft Exchange Server
• Microsoft Lync Server
• UAG
• Windows 8
• SCOM
• Windows Server
• SCCM
• SCDPM
• SCVMM
• SQL Server
• SharePoint Server
• i inne

You will find there valuable information about the Microsoft top support solutions for several of it’s popular products in the Server and Tools portfolio

In section Top Support Solutions for Microsoft Exchange Server you can find:

1. Solutions related to mobility and ActiveSync:

• How to temporarily deactivate the kernel mode filter driver in Windows
• Exchange ActiveSync: Frequently asked questions
• Current issues with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and third-party devices
• Under The Hood: Exchange ActiveSync Mailbox Log Analysis
• Announcing the release of Exchange Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer
• Introducing: Log Parser Studio
• Exchange TechCenter Forums – Filtered for Exchange 2010

2. Solutions related to client server connection issues and delays:

© Remigiusz Szatkowski for ExchangeBlog, 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Exchange, Lync, Microsoft, support

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If you have two or more public folders databases in Exchange 2010 servers then you probably think that you have HA for public folders.

All of your public folders are replicated between those public folders databases and you think that when you will lost one server with PF database then you have another one and you wll have no problem with public folders.

If you think that then you are wrong !

In mailbox database you can specify public folder database for this mailbox database.

But if you shutdown one Exchange 2010 server with Public Folders database like your default server with PF’s then you will see that messages sent to mail enabled public folders stuck at the delivery queue on each Hub Transport server.
When you check this queue you will see that all of those messages are trying to get to public folder database on shutdown server, they are not redirected to available public folders database on another server.

So how to resolve this problem ?

First Microsoft recommend to install at least RU4 for Exchange 2010 SP2.
But this won’t help to resolve this problem.

You need to do something more.

In C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V14\Bin directory find file:

EdgeTransport.exe.config

Edit it and manually add the following information to EdgeTransport.exe.config file:

<add key="SmartRoutingForPublicFoldersEnabled" value="True" />

Now save and restart Exchange Transport Service.

You need to do this on each Exchange 2010 Hub Transport server.

Now you will get fully redundant environment with Public Folders.

If one server with public folders database is missing then message are routed to another server with public folders database.

If this server will be missing for long time then remember to change default Public Folder database in mailbox database settings.

© Remigiusz Szatkowski for ExchangeBlog, 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Exchange 2010, Microsoft Exchange 2010, Public Folders

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Exchange Team Blog released new version of Exchange 2013 Server Requirements Calculator.

This version is updated to reflect changed incorporated in Exchange 2013 CU2 like increades maximum number of databases.

New version you can download here:

Exchange 2013 Server Role Requirements Calculator v6.1

List of changes in new version since 5.9 you can find below:

• Fixed operator mistake in calcNumActiveDBsSF formula
• Fixed missed validation scenario where the calculator could recommend a copy count that could not be deployed on the custom disk architecture
• Optimized remaining servers formula
• Fixed an issue where single datacenter, multiple databases per volume architecture with lagged copies didn’t calculate the correct number of
  copies/volume
• Fixed VirtCPUFactor reference
• Various comment changes
• Improved cell highlights for insufficient disk capacity on storage design tab
• Added additional storage capacities – 1.2TB, 6TB and 8TB
• Fixed database count validation logic to take into consideration dedicated lagged copy servers

Also all informations about changes in each version you can find here:

Exchange 2013 Server Role Requirements Calculator release notes

© Remigiusz Szatkowski for ExchangeBlog, 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Calculator, Exchange 2013, Exchange 2013 Requirements Calculator

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