James Leeds, Jr.
Senior Consultant - Messaging, InfraScience
So, you're all excited about the new features in Exchange 2010, but disappointed that it isn't released yet? You've looked at the documentation available, and were frustrated, but unsurprised, to find that it was still a work in progress? While you're waiting for all of that to get worked out, you can make sure that your environment is ready.
As with any new release of Microsoft's flagship products, there are a number of tasks that will need to be performed before installing Exchange 2010. Many of these can be started right now, so that you can be ready for Exchange 2010 when it's ready for you.
First, your Active Directory will need to be at Windows 2003 functional level. This applies to both the domain that Exchange will be installed in, and also to the forest. In multiple-domain forests, this means that every domain needs to be at 2003 functional level. So, no more Windows 2000 Server domain controllers... Of course, there are plenty of good reasons to be retiring your Windows 2000 domain controllers anyway, so you'll get benefits as soon as you make this move.
Second, Exchange 2010 requires Windows Server 2008 SP2 or R2. If you haven't worked with Server 2008, it's time to start. (And if you haven't, you really should. Server 2008 is much improved over 2003.) There is definitely a learning curve for Windows Server 2008, but the componentization and improved security alone make it worthwhile. And if you're planning to roll out Windows Vista or Windows 7 desktops soon, rolling out Windows Server 2008 file servers at the same time will improve network performance.
Third, update your Exchange service packs. If you have any Exchange 2003 servers in your organization, ensure that they're all running at least Exchange 2003 SP2. If you will be deploying Exchange 2010 into an existing Exchange 2007 environment, you will need Exchange 2007 SP2, which was released in Q3 2009.
Fourth, while older versions of Outlook are supported, Exchange 2010 works best with Outlook 2007 and the upcoming Outlook 2010. This may be the opportunity you've been looking for to upgrade your Office suite.
One last thing to keep in mind when planning for Exchange 2010: There will be no 32-bit version of the product available, even for testing purposes. Microsoft will be making preconfigured VHD files available for Hyper-V, which you can use for evaluation purposes. This is becoming a common practice for Microsoft, so it's a good idea to add a Hyper-V machine to your lab environment. No matter what, for testing purposes, you'll want to have 64-bit support in your lab. There is also no 32-bit version of the management tools. There are a number of options to choose from for administration: 64-bit workstation OSes (Vista or Windows 7), an administrative Terminal Server running x64 Windows Server 2008 (either SP2 or R2), or remote PowerShell, which will work with 32-bit workstation OSes.