Datasheet

Part I: An Overview of Exchange Server 2007

Understanding the Service

Pack 1 (SP1) Differences

Microsoft seems to provide two kinds of service packs: those that simply fix

bugs and those that add a number of new features. Exchange Server 2007

SP1 falls into the second category. Microsoft uses SP1 to roll all the bug fixes

it has produced so far into an easy-to-install package. In addition, Microsoft

had to provide a way for Exchange Server 2007 to run properly on both

Vista and Windows Server 2008 (Exchange Server 2007 requires that you use

a 64-bit version of Windows), so SP1 makes installation on these systems

easier. Finally, technology has changed since the initial Exchange Server 2007

release, so Microsoft uses SP1 to implement these technology changes as

well. Consequently, SP1 is a major update to Exchange Server 2007, and you

need to consider whether to install it on your organization’s servers.

You may decide that you don’t want to obtain and install SP1 immediately. In

many cases, organizations need to test service packs for potential problems

and want to know that the new features they provide are worth the effort.

Fortunately, you can obtain a five-day hosted trial version of SP1 at https://

signmeup.exchange2007demo.com/exchange2007demo/. This hosted

trial relies on the Microsoft servers, so you don’t need to upset your current

configuration or create a test server for compatibility testing until you know

the update is worth the effort. After you decide to test SP1, you can download

and install the trial version of Exchange Server 2007 SP1. The “Obtaining a trial

version” sidebar of this chapter provides additional details on getting the trial

version. The following sections provide an overview of the SP1 features and

tell you where to find additional details in the book.

Considering the addition

of S/MIME support

The Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) standard

provides a means of sending encrypted nontext message content over

the Internet. Keeping e-mail content secure is gaining more importance as

employees begin sending more sensitive content through e-mail. An alterna-

tive to this encryption technique is the Pretty Good Privacy/Multipurpose

Internet Mail Extensions (PGP/MIME). You can find a discussion of both

encryption technologies and links to their associated standards at http://