Exchange Server

[woody]

Posted this on the LGfL forum so sorry if your reading it twice.

 

So all of SMT are now using the calendars in MS outlook to organize themselves. And since the new headteacher asked for a PDA, the news has spread like wildfire and now evybody wants one. I've already ordered one for one dep. head and now I've got to get one for the other dept head. Anyway, that's beside the point.

 

SMT want to share their calendars with the office staff. They want office staff to be able to add appointments. If you remember a while ago, I set this up between two machines directly using outlook 2000 and net folders.

 

http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/forums/dg/index...owtopic=658&hl=

 

It worked but it was a bit of a patch up. So now that more and more are wanting to share, I have priced up Exchange Server 2003. It's cheaper than I thought!

 

Anyway, I know that Exchange server is principly an email server and that sharing calendars is only a small part of it. But initially, is it simple to set it up? Will it run on top of Windows server 2003 (indeed does it require server 2003 to run) or should it run on it's own server? Do I need to start setting up email and other things before I can get it to link with outlook and share calendars?

 

Hope there aren't too many questions there but I'm hoping for simple answers!

 

Cheers

[Dos_Box]

Its easy peasy, and calendar sharing is a doddle too.

[ChrisH]

WE are going down the same road as well Mark. 5 PDAs for SMT, exchange server and I manged to squeeze 5 APS in there as well so they could do stuff wirelessly.

Now I look at it all though I cant quite see how you would see a shared calendar from your PDA it only seems to have the option for your personal one ....

[Ric_]

Doesn't OMA do it?

 

I just can't believe so many SLTs use shared calendars!

[ChrisH]

I havent actually got the server set up yet I was just going of what I saw looking on my IPAQ. Gotta rename the domain first before I install exchange.

[woody]

Chris,

 

I don't want to share calendars on the PDAs, just through outlook. When Users sync their PDA through out the day, these changes will be reflected in Outlook and thus will be view by anyone who has permission to look at the shared calendar in Outlook

[ChrisH]

I would like that functionality if possible though .

[StewartKnight]

That sounds such a useful, and obvious "killer ap" that Microsoft must have thought of a way to charge you more money for that!!!

[Ric_]

That sounds such a useful, and obvious "killer ap" that Microsoft must have thought of a way to charge you more money for that!!!

 

They used to and then they had an off day. They did remove the messaging system though. You now have to buy some offshoot of the Office Server family to get that.

[Geoff]

What about Blackberry..?

 

http://www.blackberry.com/na/index.shtml

[russdev]

mark out of interest can you post a copy of the lgfl link for us know lgfl people...

 

russ

[woody]

Here it is:

 

http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/forums/dg/index.php?showtopic=851&st=0entry6638

[ChrisH]

While keeping on subject sorta I have got my domain renamed and got Exchange up and running locally. I have made OWA use SSL and made sure the server isnt an open relay.

Any more best practice tips from anyone out there? Also wouldnt mind any good exchange sites you have in your bookmarks

 

Cheers

 

Chris

[Geoff]

http://www.msexchange.org

 

Also check out

 

http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/downloads/2003/exbpa/default.mspx

 

 

Relevant articles from that site:

 

http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Designing-Active-Directory-Exchange-2003-Best-Practices-Analyzer.html

http://www.msexchange.org/tutorials/Optimizing-Exchange-Server-2003-Deployment-Best-Practice-Analyzer-2.html

[Ric_]

I take it that you downloaded the Exchange Best Practice Analyser? It's somewhere on the MS site - surprisingly good

[ChrisH]

Yup I was trying that this morning after finding a site referencing it.

I just need a bit of rearrange of servers now and patch in some new permanent points for the new server then I shall phone the ICT centre about having my mail sent here .

 

Oh one last thing while I remember. The mail is sitting on Curriculum network and will be dual honed to the admin. Im going to put a static entry in for the mail servers hostname. Will I need to stick in an MX record as well?

[tosca925]

We have been running the exact set up mentioned in the first post for over 18 months now. Most SMT have PDA's and all have their calendars shared. Security is a bit tighter though as only members of SMT can see each others calendars and not all staff. (Heads PA and Business manager and Bursa also have access)

 

The teaching staff have to put their timetable and room location in their calendars so we can find someone easily instead of asking someone with access to SiMS.

 

We also have calendars set up for booking ICT rooms, sports facilites, projector bookings, etc.

 

Works very well for us. Our head is a big fan of it.