The Microsoft Exchange Server Resource Guide provides useful information about several new features, including the following:
Setup Microsoft Exchange Server Setup can perform a fault-tolerant upgrade from a previous version of Microsoft Exchange Server to version 5.5. For information about how Microsoft Exchange Server performs this safer upgrade process, and how to handle a failure during a fault-tolerant upgrade, see Chapter 2, "Planning and Setup."
Clustering Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 fully supports Microsoft Cluster Server. For information about configuring and administering your Microsoft Exchange Server computers in a clustered environment, see Chapter 2, "Planning and Setup."
New and updated performance tools Performance Optimizer supports new options that give you a fine degree of control over performance settings. For information on customizing these options and using them to tune your Microsoft Exchange Server, see Chapter 10, "Optimizing Performance."
The Load Simulator tool has been updated and redesigned to run with Microsoft Outlook as well as the Microsoft Exchange Client. For information on using Load Simulator to set realistic performance expectations for your environment (without actually setting up a large number of client computers), see Chapter 10, "Optimizing Performance."
Collaboration applications You can combine Microsoft Exchange Server with other Microsoft BackOffice® products (such as Microsoft Internet Information Server and Microsoft SQL Server) to create collaboration applications that can help members of your organization work together more effectively and efficiently. For examples and ideas about how you can create your own collaboration solutions using Microsoft products and technologies, see Chapter 9, "Collaboration."
Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5 provides the Active Directory Services Interface (ADSI), which is a Component Object Model (COM) interface to multiple directory services. For information on how to use ADSI with the Microsoft Exchange Server directory, see Chapter 9, "Collaboration."
Updated troubleshooting and disaster recovery information Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 includes a new ESEUTIL utility that can defragment, repair, and check the integrity of the Microsoft Exchange Server information store and directory. For information on how to use the ESEUTIL utility as well as updated information about troubleshooting and disaster recovery for Microsoft Exchange Server version 5.5, see Chapter 11, "Troubleshooting," and Chapter 12, "Disaster Recovery."
Connector for Lotus cc:Mail Microsoft Exchange Server includes a Connector for Lotus cc:Mail that allows you to migrate from or coexist with Lotus cc:Mail. For suggestions on how to configure and use the Connector for Lotus cc:Mail, see Chapter 13, "Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus cc:Mail."
Directory replication The Microsoft Exchange Server directory can be replicated within a single site and between multiple sites. For details about the architecture and infrastructure of directory replication, see Chapter 15, "Microsoft Exchange Server Directory and Directory Replication."
Successful messaging operations Deploying a successful Microsoft Exchange Server messaging system and keeping it running smoothly is important to your organization. For information and recommendations that are based on Microsoft's internal messaging system, see Chapter 14, "Setting Up a Successful Messaging Operations System."
Public folder re-homing Microsoft Exchange Server allows you to re-home public folders so that you can control the home server for a public folder replica. For information on how to accomplish this and how to ensure that public folders cannot be relocated to other sites without the proper permissions, see Chapter 6, "Public Folders."