Exchange Server Archiver 3.0

It's a totally new approach to archiving, based on conversations and usability sessions with hundreds of Exchange Sys Admins. Here's what the developers say about it:

Richard Mitchell, lead developer, says it solves the dual problems of unmanageably large Stores and 'PST hell.'

Rob Chipperfield, developer, touts the fact that there's one integrated search for both Exchange and the archive.

Marine Barbaroux, usability, uses the 't' word - transparent - to describe the end-user experience.

Intriguing, but remember that this is the development team. They love their baby.

To get a more objective opinion, we decided to talk to someone outside of the inner circle - a high-level administrator who has put the product through its paces on behalf of his clients.

Meet Thomas Stensitzki, a senior consultant for iCOMcept GMBH, a German security and infrastructure consulting and custom programming firm that has been a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner since 2006. Thomas has a fist-full of certifications of his own, including MCITPs as an Enterprise Messaging Administrator and a Server Administrator.

Bob: Why did you decide to try out Red Gate's archiver?

Thomas: I learned about the beta version from the Simple-Talk enewsletter. My company uses SQL Toolbelt and we're happy with those tools. I tried out the archiver primarily to see if it fits in with the portfolio of software we recommend to our customers. We have customers using Exchange Server 2007 in high-availability environments with steadily growing mailbox database sizes. I'm looking for a solution to archive emails with an administrative focus (database sizes) and not with a regulatory focus (archiving for compliance reasons).

Bob: What test environment did you use?

Thomas: Our customers typically use multiple servers in a distributed environment, so that's how I set up Exchange Server Archiver. The test environment included:

• VMware HA Cluster, Compaq MSA1000 SAN
• 1 Exchange Server 2007, Mailbox Role
• 1 Exchange Server 2007, Hub, CAS Role
• 1 Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard, Exchange Server Archiver Storage Service, Stores
• 1 Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard, Exchange Server Archiver Archive Service
• 1 Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard, Exchange Server Archiver User Archive Access Service
• 1 Windows XP Workstation SP3, Outlook 2007

Bob: How long did it take to set up and how difficult was it?

Thomas: It took four hours from the first setup until running the first archive rule. The documentation was straight-forward and led me through the setup without any issues. Well, I had one issue, but only because I read the manual incorrectly. I was able to install the client setup (the Outlook Add-In) without any issues, too. That is usually a tough thing to do - taking a lot of time and many steps.

Bob: Were you able to apply the rules you wanted?

Thomas: Yes, it was easy to set up and apply the rules. I didn't use all of the rule configuration options during the evaluation, but I would say there are enough options. I used rules to archive messages older than a year and attachments larger than 5 MB. Both rules worked well.

Bob: What features/characteristics of the archiver did you like?

Thomas: Ease of use in the setup process for the administrator, the administration console, and the end-user experience in Outlook. The OWA support is nice, too.

Bob: What didn't you like?

Thomas: Honestly, nothing.

Bob: Do you think this approach to archiving will make life any easier for your customers who are Exchange Server Admins?

Thomas: The fact that it archives messages within the company network will make life easier for administrators and help-desk people dealing with mailbox quotas. That's even considering the low cost of hard drives. It prevents users from archiving messages themselves using local PST files when reaching a mailbox quota. Those exported messages could be lost if the users leave the company or the drive is corrupted. Help-desk people will get fewer requests because mailboxes won't be reaching quotas. It also eliminates the time normally required to archive and store messages manually. The automated process and granular archive rules will be a great help to any Exchange Administrator.

Bob: How do you think users will react to this archiver?

Thomas: They'll have to be informed about the new icons within Outlook, but otherwise they won't know that this tool is there and working. As an administrator, I'd want to make sure users know in advance what will be happening to the archived messages - there will always be some users concerned about messages being lost if the messages are not in their mailbox. After the initial orientation, the tool will be invisible for the end user.

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