Exchange 2007 and Outlook 2007 feature a less well known set of connection and monitoring tools.
To access the tools, CTRL-Right-Click the Outlook 2007 System Tray Icon.
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The tools provide a couple of useful means to examine and assess connection status and help Exchange 2007 administrators isolate configuration errors.
The first tool, allows the user, or administrator to test the connection status between the client computer and the host Exchange environment. This can be very useful when initially setting up Exchange 2007 in a mixed 2007/2003 Exchange Server environment where Public Folders were used and important to Exchange 2003 and de-emphasized in Exchange 2007. Users reporting persistent "Requesting Data" errors should look here and examine connection attempts from the client computer to older Exchange 2000, or 2003 Servers - in most cases, a latent public folder sync issue will be the cause of such errors.
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The second test reflects the e-mail AutoConfiguration used to support clients connecting to an Exchange 2007 server - in this case, remotely and using RPC over HTTPS and the AutoDiscover(y) Service [one of many new web services inherent to Exchange 2007]. This tool is especially helpful to administrators in testing their web services and the configuration of Unified Communications Certificates, which are recommended for use with Exchange 2007 and Live Communications Server.
Unified Communications Certificates, or UCC SSL Certificates allow administrators to support remote un-joined client computers without sacrificing security controls. More information here, UCC for multiple secure communications protocols NOTE: UCC Certs cost a great deal of money - depending upon how many URLs and servers are secured. The second test is easy to conduct, just enter the email address and password for the user/computer being tested and click the test button. The results are displayed in a panel below the type of connection test specified - the most common will be Use AutoDiscover.
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The second part of of the test reflects a log, which displays the AutoConfiguration URLs use by the AutoDiscover web service in Exchange 2007. There will be two log entries for each AutoDiscover URL, but only if the first, default principle name domain name is not resolved - which would indicate that either the administrator has not used a UCC SSL Certificate and is using the "Referral" method to support remote connections, or that the AutoDiscover Service is not configured properly [most often due to an improperly requested and applied UCC Cert [missing keys, I'd bet]). As you can see in the example provided, our team got it right and used a properly requested and installed UCC SSL Cert and only one set if URLs is logged.
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I still have not fully assessed what in the world Microsoft was thinking when they architected Exchange 2007. I reason that their push into Unified Communications, where integration of VOIP PBX systems and Windows SharePoint technologies are enabled via secure web services is the main reason, but I have to conclude that anyone considering a move or upgrade to Exchange 2007 had better be prepared for much higher costs, more complex configurations and significant disconnects in unified management - where Exchange 2000 and 2003 servers are to remain on-line. I would recommend businesses and administrators avoid Exchange 2007 UNLESS they have immediate plans to tightly integrate VOIP systems and or they intend to leverage connections to SharePoint Services based Document Libraries instead of Public Folders. While Exchange 2007 does offer better management of email in terms of compliance, I assess that small and medium sized businesses would do better with available third party compliance and retention policy management solutions. Where smaller businesses are concerned, I would recommend continuing to use Exchange 2003 and if such businesses wish to use VOIP, that they consider Packet8 services, or a similar provider provisioning small business phone systems based upon ESI communications technologies. For those that do take the Exchange 2007 plunge, the above tools may help you isolate problems and implement solutions.
Bottom line, don't count on getting a great deal out of Exchange 2007 right away and if you are not really solid in the CLI, wait on E2K7 SP1 - or be prepared to fat finger for a good long while - and for goodness sake, spring for a UCC SSL Cert - it'll save you a great deal of trouble and your platform will be more secure (we tested all ways, and lord of mercy.... what a pain in the fourth point of contact it was for our guys).