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Remove-HybridConfiguration Cmdlet

For various reasons, the aforementioned Remove-HybridConfiguration cmdlet has been something that has been something I've had to review recently.

This cmdlet is not present in Exchange 2010, it is only available in newer versions of Exchange.  For example if we try to find this cmdlet on an Exchange 2010 server, it is not present.

Only the Get, New, Set and Update-HybridConfiguration cmdlets are avai… Read the rest “Remove-HybridConfiguration Cmdlet”

4

“Unexpected” Exchange Certificate

When reviewing a customer’s Exchange server to appraise the current state of their certificates, they saw an "unexpected" certificate on the Exchange server.

 

The below is an Exchange 2010 SP3 RU24 server with a repro of the issue.  There was nothing wrong, but the reason for seeing the additional certificate was not readily apparent to them.

Background

The customer was looking in Exchange Manag… Read the rest ““Unexpected” Exchange Certificate”

1

Expediting NET Framework Install For Exchange

Managing and maintaining an Exchange server requires multiple actions.  Not only do the Exchange CU and security updates need to be installed along with the Windows OS updates, it is also required to update and maintain the .NET Framework.  This is not a new requirement, and has been a required task for many years now.  With that being said, there is now a tighter requirement and is enforced by Ex… Read the rest “Expediting NET Framework Install For Exchange”

2

Exchange CAS Namespace Planning

CAS Namespace planning is frequently an issue with Exchange deployments.  Why?  For the simple reason that it is either totally skipped or glossed over.

Any Exchange design worth its salt must have careful attention applied to the CAS role.  While it is possible to drop in the HUB role, and it works well in the default configuration this is not also true for CAS.  Unless your org… Read the rest “Exchange CAS Namespace Planning”

0

Managed Availability Resources

Exchange Managed Availability Overview

The Managed Availability (MA) feature provides a very capable automated monitoring and management framework.  Managed Availability allows Exchange to self diagnose and to self correct issues without having to escalate to a human.  The requirement for this feature was born out of necessity for Exchange Online.  MA was one of the things released with Exchange 2013 but not every Exchange admin was im… Read the rest “Managed Availability Resources”

3

Exchange 2013 CU23 Released

Exchange 2013 CU23 has been released to the Microsoft download centre!  Exchange 2013 has a different servicing strategy than Exchange 2007/2010 and utilises Cumulative Updates (CUs) rather than the Rollup Updates (RU/UR) which were used previously.    CUs are a complete installation of Exchange 2013 and can be used to install a fresh server or to update a previously installed one.  Exchange 2013 Read the rest “Exchange 2013 CU23 Released”

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Exchange 2013 CU22 Shows Incorrect Name In Add/Remove Programs

After installing Exchange 2013 CU22, you might notice that there is a cosmetic issue with how the update is listed in Add/Remove programs. In the screenshot below, note that Exchange 2013 Cumulative Update 20 is listed, but the version number is not the CU20 version number.

Exchange 2013 CU22 Shows Incorrect Version

For reference the versions of the relevant CUs are shown below.  Note that the above screenshot shows the CU22 version, but th… Read the rest “Exchange 2013 CU22 Shows Incorrect Name In Add/Remove Programs”

1

Incorrect or Misleading Exchange Attribute Date

When looking at the details of objects in Exchange Management Shell, it is often useful to know when an object was created or modified.  In a recent Office 365 engagement, the customer was convinced that one of the other administrators had made an unauthorised change to their environment as there was an apparent recent change to the Exchange Hybrid Object.

The details of the this object can be view… Read the rest “Incorrect or Misleading Exchange Attribute Date”

0

Exchange Not Using New Domain Controller

Many enterprises are moving forward with their digital transformation plans, and as part of this and server updates Domain Controllers are being updated to newer versions.  The Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 end of support in January 2020 is also a business driver.

DC upgrades can happen independently of the Exchange team.  In many cases the Exchange admins are not notified of the p… Read the rest “Exchange Not Using New Domain Controller”

0

Cmdlet Extension Agent Blocks New Exchange Server Install

One of the edge features in Exchange is the Cmdlet Extension Agent.  You can find some documentation online for this component along with some previous blog posts on this site.

What can sometimes take people by surprise is that Exchange setup checks to see if the Cmdlet Extension Agent is enabled during setup.  If it is enabled and the necessary configuration XML file is not present on the server b… Read the rest “Cmdlet Extension Agent Blocks New Exchange Server Install”