Introduction
Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Pocket Consultant: Configuration & Clients is designed to be a concise and compulsively usable resource for Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 administrators. This is the readable resource guide that you’ll want on your desk at all times. The book covers everything you need to perform the core administrative tasks for configuring Exchange Server 2013 and setting up Exchange clients, whether your servers are running on Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2008 R2. Because the focus of this book is on giving you maximum value in a pocket-size guide, you don’t have to wade through hundreds of pages of extraneous information to find what you’re looking for. Instead, you’ll find exactly what you need to get the job done.
In short, this book is designed to be the one resource you turn to whenever you have questions about configuring Exchange Server 2013 and setting up Exchange clients. To this end, the book zeroes in on daily administrative procedures, frequently performed tasks, documented examples, and options that are representative although not necessarily exhaustive. One of the goals is to keep the content so concise that the book remains compact and easy to navigate while at the same time ensuring that it is packed with as much information as possible. Thus, instead of a hefty 1,000-page tome or a lightweight 100-page quick reference, you get a valuable resource guide that can help you quickly and easily perform common tasks and solve problems.
Although you might not install Exchange Server 2013 on touch-enabled computers, you can use these devices to manage your installation. If you do manage the software this way, understanding the touch UI as well as the revised interface options will be crucial to your success. For this reason, I reference both the touch UI and the traditional mouse and keyboard techniques throughout this book.
Touch-enabled computers allow you to manipulate onscreen elements in ways that weren’t possible previously. In addition to entering text by using an onscreen keyboard, you can also use the following actions to interact with the UI:
Tap. Tap an item by touching it with your finger. A tap or double-tap of elements on the screen generally is the equivalent of a mouse click or double-click.
Press and hold. Press your finger on the screen and leave it there for a few seconds. Pressing and holding elements on the screen generally is the equivalent of a right-click.
Swipe to select. Slide an item a short distance in the opposite direction compared to how the page scrolls. This selects the item and also reveals any related commands. If pressing and holding doesn’t display commands and options for an item, try using swipe to select instead.
Swipe from edge (slide in from edge). Starting from the edge of the screen, swipe or slide in. Sliding in from the right edge opens the charms panel. Sliding in from the left edge shows open apps and allows you to easily switch between them. Sliding in from the top or bottom edge shows commands for the active element.
Pinch. Touch an item with two or more fingers and then move the fingers toward each other. Pinching zooms in or shows less information.
Stretch. Touch an item with two or more fingers and then move the fingers away from each other. Stretching zooms out or shows more information.
As you’ve probably noticed, a great deal of information about Exchange Server 2013 is available on the web and in other printed books. You can find tutorials, reference sites, discussion groups, and more to make using Exchange Server 2013 easier. However, the advantage of reading this book is that much of the information you need to learn about Exchange Server 2013 is organized in one place and presented in a straightforward and orderly fashion. This book has everything you need to master Exchange Server 2013 configurations and clients.
In this book, I teach you how features work, why they work the way they do, and how to customize them to meet your needs. I also offer specific examples of how certain features can meet your needs and how you can use other features to troubleshoot and resolve issues you might have. In addition, this book provides tips, best practices, and examples of how to optimize Exchange Server 2013. This book won’t just teach you how to configure Exchange Server 2013; it will teach you how to squeeze every last bit of power out of it and make the most from the features and options it includes.
Unlike many other books about administering Exchange Server 2013, this book doesn’t focus on a specific user level. This isn’t a lightweight beginner book. Regardless of whether you are a beginning administrator or a seasoned professional, many of the concepts in this book will be valuable to you, and you can apply them to your Exchange Server 2013 installations.
Who is this book for?
Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Pocket Consultant: Configuration & Clients covers the Standard and Enterprise editions of Exchange Server 2013. The book is designed for the following readers:
Current Exchange Server 2013 administrators
Current Windows administrators who want to learn Exchange Server 2013
Administrators upgrading to Exchange Server 2013 from Exchange 2007 or Exchange 2010
Administrators transitioning to Exchange Server 2013 from Exchange 2003
Administrators transferring from other messaging servers
Managers and supervisors who have been delegated authority to manage mailboxes or other aspects of Exchange Server 2013
To pack in as much information as possible, I had to assume that you have basic networking skills and a basic understanding of email and messaging servers. With this in mind, I don’t devote entire chapters to explaining why email systems are needed or how they work. I don’t devote entire chapters to installing Exchange Server 2013 either. I do, however, provide complete details on the components of Exchange organizations and how you can use these components. You will also find complete details on essential Exchange configuration tasks.
I also assume that you are fairly familiar with Windows Server. If you need help learning Windows Server, I highly recommend that you buy Windows Server 2012 Pocket Consultant (Microsoft Press, 2012) or Windows Server 2012 Inside Out (Microsoft Press, 2013).
How is this book organized?
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and this book wasn’t intended to be read in a day, in a week, or even in a month. Ideally, you’ll read this book at your own pace, a little each day as you work your way through. This book is organized into nine chapters. The chapters are arranged in a logical order, taking you from planning and deployment tasks to configuration tasks.
Ease of reference is an essential part of this hands-on guide. This book has an expanded table of contents and an extensive index for finding answers to problems quickly. Many other quick-reference features have been added to the book as well, including quick step-by-step procedures, lists, tables with fast facts, and extensive cross references.
As with all titles in the Pocket Consultant series, Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Pocket Consultant: Configuration & Clients is designed to be a concise and easy-to-use resource. This is the readable resource guide that you’ll want on your desktop at all times. The book covers everything you need to perform the core configuration tasks for Exchange servers and Exchange clients. Specifically, this book focuses on:
Deploying Exchange Server 2013
Exchange administration essentials
Managing Exchange clients
Administration of users, contacts, and mailboxes
Configuring distribution groups and address lists
Implementing Exchange Server security and permissions
Although designed and written to stand on its own, this book also can be used with Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Pocket Consultant: Databases, Services & Management, which focuses on:
Managing availability groups and Exchange databases
Managing mail flow and transport services
Working with Client Access servers
Managing mobile messaging users
Maintaining and monitoring Exchange servers
Backing up and restoring Exchange servers
Because the focus is on giving you maximum value in a pocket-size guide, you don’t have to wade through hundreds of pages of extraneous information to find what you’re looking for. Instead, you’ll find exactly what you need to get the job done, and you’ll find it quickly.
In short, the book is designed to be the one resource you turn to whenever you have questions regarding core configuration tasks for Exchange servers and Exchange clients. To this end, the book zeroes in on daily administration procedures, frequently performed tasks, documented examples, and options that are representative while not necessarily inclusive. One of my goals is to keep the content so concise that the book remains compact and easy to navigate while at the same time ensuring that it is packed with as much information as possible.
Conventions used in this book
I’ve used a variety of elements to help keep the text clear and easy to follow. You’ll find code terms and listings in monospace type, except when I tell you to actually type a command. In that case, the command appears in bold type. When I introduce and define a new term, I put it in italics.
Other conventions include:
Caution. To warn you of potential problems you should look out for.
Important. To highlight important concepts and issues
More Info. To provide more information on the subject.
Note. To provide details on a point that needs emphasis.
Real World. To provide real-world advice when discussing advanced topics.
Tip. To offer helpful hints or additional information.
I truly hope you find that Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Pocket Consultant: Configuration & Clients provides everything you need to perform essential administrative tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible. You are welcome to send your thoughts to me at [email protected]. Follow me on Twitter at WilliamStanek and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/William.Stanek.Author.
Other resources
No single resource for learning everything you’ll ever need to know about Exchange Server 2013 exists. While some books are offered as all-in-one guides, there’s simply no way one book can do it all. With this in mind, I hope you use this book as it is intended to be used—as a concise and easy-to-use resource. It covers everything you need to perform core configuration tasks for Exchange servers and Exchange clients, but it is by no means exhaustive.
Your current knowledge will largely determine your success with this or any other Exchange resource or book. As you encounter new topics, take the time to practice what you’ve learned and read about. Seek out further information as necessary to get the practical hands-on knowledge and experience you need.
For topics this book doesn’t cover, you may want to look to Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Pocket Consultant: Databases, Services & Management. I also recommend that you regularly visit the Microsoft website for Exchange Server (microsoft.com/exchangeserver/) and support.microsoft.com to stay current with the latest changes. To help you get the most out of this book, you can visit my corresponding website at pocket-consultant.com. This site contains information about Exchange Server 2013 and updates to the book.
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http://aka.ms/ExPC2013CC/errata
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