Exchange - why is it so stupid?

[DMcCoy]

The problem is exchange has some nice features, but I do notice that it is more enterprised based, where email is simply about communication - where as schools would be more geared towards *controlled* communication.

I just find myself trying to do something obvious and then find out that it can't be done or is not a normal option.

The address lists have taken more time to get right than anything else. If you follow microsofts instructions to the letter, it doesn't actually work - at least it didn't on mine, and I've not gone out of my way to change anything.

Its more a combination of outlook and exchange, and outlooks insistance on displaying address lists even if it is denied list access to them, the order in which it picks them up. The fact that you can't connect to your mailbox unless you aren't hidden from the address list is a particular annoyance.

Another great example, if the allowed GAL is empty, outlook falls back to the default GAL, students are denied read access to a number of staff objects in my AD, so they simply end up with a very long list of completely empty lines of addresses!

Still after spending many hours testing lots of different permissions with the All address lits and GAL I have different sets for different groups of people.

Oh and should you remove inherited permissions from an address list remember to put the exchange server objects back, otherwise it can't build them! (Took a little while to find that one)

Oh and I got the CMW to setup mandatory profile users outlook accounts (eventually - see the part about having to be on the GAL to find ones mailbox)

The reason I am using outlook is that I don't want students to get into staff email accounts via webmail, so it is secured with a client certificate. This will be worked around if I do use an alternate front end. I have spent many long days getting imp working so I've got the hang of it now.

On a related AD note, I have finally got around to complete delegation of the relevant OUs in AD, so none of us are administrators anymore (delegated within exchange too to allow mailbox creation by us it techs). Something I should have done a long time ago

[john]

I like exchange, Exchange 2007 is looking AMAZING! the web shots are ace I cannot wait for OVA