Chapter 19. Exchange Server 2003 Management and Maintenance Practices

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Managing Exchange Server 2003

• Auditing the Environment

• Managing Exchange Server 2003 Remotely

• Maintenance Tools for Exchange Server 2003

• Best Practices for Performing Database Maintenance

• Prioritizing and Scheduling Maintenance Best Practices

• Post-Maintenance Procedures

• Reducing Management and Maintenance Efforts

• Best Practices

The messaging system in most environments has come to be considered a mission-critical application. People are reliant on messaging as a primary form of communication. As a direct result, messaging dependability is no longer just a good thing to have—it is a requirement.

An integral part of ensuring that any system is dependable or reliable is care and feeding. Take the classic car example for instance. You should change the oil every 3,000–6,000 miles, replace air filters, change fuel filters, and more. In fact, even when you buy a new car the car dealership recommends a maintenance schedule to keep your car healthy.

The same principles apply when you are trying to keep Exchange Server 2003 running as smoothly as possible. Proper management and maintenance minimizes downtime and other problems and keeps the system well tuned. The more Exchange Server 2003 management and maintenance processes and procedures are neglected, the higher your chances of the system slowing to a crawl, becoming corrupted, or even being unavailable for any extended period of time. This chapter focuses on the details and best practices necessary for a knowledgeable administrator or engineer to manage and maintain the Exchange Server 2003 messaging environment to keep it stable and reliable.