Module 5

Planning and Deploying Message Transport in Microsoft® Exchange

Server 2010

Module Overview

• Designing Message Routing for Exchange Server 2010

• Designing Hub Transport Servers

• Designing the Message Routing Perimeter

Lesson 1: Designing Message Routing for Exchange Server 2010

• Overview of Message Transport Components in Exchange Server 2010

• Default Message Routing Configuration in Exchange Server 2010

• Modifying the Default Message Routing Topology

• Designing Message Routing to Mitigate the Effects of Message Routing Failure

Overview of Message Transport Components in Exchange Server 2010

Component Description

Submission queue Stores all messages on disk until processed

Store driver Retrieves messages from sender’s Outbox

Microsoft Exchange Mail Submission service

Notifies a Hub Transport server in the local Active Directory site when a message is available for retrieval from a sender’s Outbox

Categorizer Processes one message at a time from the Submission queue

Pickup directory Submits messages to the Submission queue

Default Message Routing Configuration in Exchange Server 2010

2020

2020

1010

Destination site

Destination site

Delayed fan-outDelayed fan-out

1010

1010

Source site

Source site

Default message

flow

Default message

flow

Site 1Site 1

Site 2Site 2

Site 3Site 3

Site 4Site 4

Modifying the Default Message Routing Topology

55

55

10101010

Hub siteHub site

2020

2020

Distribution group expansion

server

Distribution group expansion

server

1010Hub siteHub site

Exchange routing costs

Exchange routing costs

Designing Message Routing to Mitigate the Effects of Message Routing Failure

2020

2020

10101010

Source site

Source site

Destination site

Destination site

1010

Queue at the

point of failure

Queue at the

point of failure

Lesson 2: Designing Hub Transport Servers

• Hardware Requirements for Hub Transport Servers

• Default Hub Transport Server Configuration

• Planning SMTP Send and Receive Connectors

• Planning for Internal SMTP Relay

• Designing Accepted Domains and Remote Domains

• Designing Message Throttling, Back Pressure, and Size Limits

• Troubleshooting Internal Message Delivery

Hardware Requirements for Hub Transport Servers

Factors Recommendations

Processor cores 12 cores maximum

Memory 1 GB memory per core, minimum of 4 GB

Hard disk Optimize disk subsystem, and ensure sufficient free space

Network connections Keep drivers up-to-date

Server ratios Mailbox to Hub Transport: between 5:1 and 7:1

Default Hub Transport Server Configuration

Component Description

Accepted domainsDefine the SMTP namespaces for which the Exchange Server organization receives e-mail

Remote domains Define message settings to external domains

Receive connectors

Enable inbound SMTP communications. By default, two receive connectors exist on each Hub Transport server

Transport agents

Perform tasks that support messaging policy and compliance, journaling, and assist with AD RMS functionality

Planning SMTP Send and Receive Connectors

• Configuring Internet mail flow through a subscribed Edge Transport server

• Configuring Internet mail flow directly through a Hub Transport server

• Configuring external SMTP relay

• Configuring internal SMTP relay

• Configuring Internet mail flow through Exchange Hosted Services, or an external SMTP gateway

The configuration of Send and Receive connectors depends upon how you implement mail flowThe configuration of Send and Receive connectors depends upon how you implement mail flow

Mail flow options include:

A. Datum forest

Planning for Internal SMTP Relay

Edge Transport

MX: adatum.comMX: contoso.com

Send ConnectorsHub

Transport

Hub Transport

Edge Transport

Contoso forest

Designing Accepted Domains and Remote Domains

Remote domains define SMTP domains that are external to your Exchange Server organization. Properties include:

Accepted domains define SMTP domain names for which the Exchange server will accept e-mail. Accepted domains can be:

• Authoritative domains

• Internal relay domains

• External relay domains

• Out-of-office message delivery

• Message format options, including acceptable character sets

Designing Message Throttling, Back Pressure, and Size Limits

Exchange Server features that enable you to control message flow are:

• Message throttling

• Back pressure

• Message size limits

Troubleshooting Internal Message Delivery

Exchange Server 2010 provides several tools for troubleshooting SMTP message delivery:

• Exchange Server Best Practices Analyzer

• Exchange Mail Flow Troubleshooter

• Queue Viewer

• Message Tracking

• Routing Log Viewer

• Protocol Logging

• Telnet

Lesson 3: Designing the Message Routing Perimeter

• Default Edge Transport Server Configuration

• Designing Edge Subscriptions

• Designing Outbound Message Flow

• Designing Inbound Message Flow

• Designing Message Routing to the Perimeter

• Planning Address Rewriting

Default Edge Transport Server Configuration

Component Description

Transport agentsPerform tasks that support message hygiene, address rewriting, and other functions

Connectors Enable inbound and outbound SMTP communications

Accepted domainsDefine the SMTP namespaces for which the Exchange organization sends and receives e-mail

A critical role of the Edge Transport server is message hygiene A critical role of the Edge Transport server is message hygiene

Considerations for designing edge subscriptions:

Designing Edge Subscriptions

• An Edge Transport server can only be subscribed to a single Active Directory site

• An Edge subscription is specific to each Edge Transport server

• Deploy multiple Edge Transport servers to enable high availability and load balancing

Considerations for designing outbound message flow:

Designing Outbound Message Flow

• Will you use a single location for routing all messages to the Internet, or will you enable message routing through multiple locations?

• How will you configure the SMTP Send connectors?

• Use Edge synchronization to configure the SMTP Send connectors

• Create additional SMTP Send connectors

• Manually configure Send connectors for Internet e-mail

• How will you configure DNS lookups?

Considerations for designing inbound message flow:

Designing Inbound Message Flow

• Will you use a single location for inbound routing from the Internet, or will you enable message routing through multiple locations?

• If you are going to implement multiple inbound routing points, how will you design the MX records?

• How will you configure SMTP Receive connectors?

When designing message routing to the network perimeter, determine whether to:

Considerations for multiple Active Directory sites:

Designing Message Routing to the Perimeter

• Use an Edge Transport server

• Configure an Edge subscription

• Determine whether to implement a single path or multiple paths for routing messages

• Plan the internal message routing when using multiple paths

• Use the connector scope to control whether messages are sent between Active Directory sites

Planning Address Rewriting

Address rewriting scenarios include:

Considerations for address rewriting:

• Group consolidation

• Mergers and acquisitions

• Partners

• Outbound-only address rewriting

• Bidirectional address rewriting

• Priority of address rewriting entries

• Digitally signed, encrypted, or rights-protected e-mail

Lab: Planning and Deploying Message Transport in Exchange Server 2010

• Exercise 1: Designing a Message Routing Topology

• Exercise 2: Designing a Messaging Perimeter

• Exercise 3: Discussion: Improving an Active Directory and Message Routing Design

• Exercise 4: Modifying the Routing Topology

Logon information

Estimated time: 75 minutes

Lab Scenario

You are a messaging engineer for A. Datum Corporation, an enterprise-level organization with multiple locations.

You have been tasked with designing the new routing infrastructure for your organization. You must examine the documentation that details the existing infrastructure, and then make proposals regarding any changes you might need to make to address the organization’s needs. You must also document your proposals.

Finally, use various Exchange Server management tools to investigate the current routing topology and make some changes.

Lab Review

• In exercise 4, task 7, you examined the routing topology. You discovered that there were new connectors. Where did these connectors come from?

• In exercise 4, task 7, there is an address space entry under SMTP, which is denoted with a single asterisk. What does this mean?

Module Review and Takeaways

• Review Questions