Exchange 2007 Transition - First impressions

Today I finished installing Exchange 2007 to coexist with Exchange 2003. The installation process went fine except for two issues regarding connectors. 

The environment contains one Exchange 2003 (which is also a DC/GC, BAD THING TO DO, Inherited). Here are the steps taken: 

1. Make sure the Domain functional level is Windows server 2003.
2. Switch the legacy Exchange organization (2003) to Native mode.
3. Suppressing link state updates - via registry.
4. Extending Active directory scheme. I could install Ex2007 and let setup make all necessary changes, but preferred to do the process manually. this includes:
   
• Run setup.exe /PrepareLegacyExchangePermissions.
• Run setup.exe /PrepareScheme.
• Run setup.exe /PrepareAD.
• Run setup.exe /PrepareDomain.
  
5. Installing Exchange 2007 with the following Roles in command-line mode:
   
   Note: During setup accept the Routing connector creation dialog. There is also the option to install Exchange from command line:
   >> Setup /mode:Install /roles:HT,CA,MB,MT /EnableLegacyOutlook /on:<OrgName>
   
• Hub Transport role (HT).
• Client Access Role (CA).
• Mailbox Role (MB).
• Management tools (MT).
• /EnableLegacyOutlook. Creates a Public Folder database on the Exchange 2007 server for sharing of Free/Busy calendar information using the legacy Outlook client.
  
6. Moved all database stores to another physical disk.
7. Replicating public folders to Exchange 2007.
8. Installing latest Exchange Rollup (v4).

 

When setup finished I moved one mailbox to the 2007 server and tested it with Outlook 2003. All looked fine but no mail could be send or received even though nothing was on the Outbox folder. All messages were stuck in the Queue.

Checked the Application log and found:

 

Event Type:    Warning
Event Source:    MSExchangeTransport
Event Category:    Routing
Event ID:    5006
Date:        8/26/2007
Time:        16:13:52
User:        N/A
Computer:    ServerName
Description:
Cannot find route to Mailbox Server CN=SERVER,CN=Servers,CN=First Administrative Group,CN=Administrative Groups,CN=First Organization,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=domainName,DC=com for store CN=UsersStore,CN=First Storage Group,CN=InformationStore,CN=ServerName,CN=Servers,CN=First Administrative Group,CN=Administrative Groups,CN=First Organization,CN=Microsoft Exchange,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=domainName,DC=com in routing tables with timestamp 26/08/2007 13:13:52.  Recipients will not be routed to this store.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

 
I suspected that the creation of the Routing connector during setup (Phase 5 note) didn't succeeded. I launched PowerShell and searched for cmdlets that contain the word "Routing" in its name.

PS C:\Scripts> get-command *routing*

CommandType     Name
-----------     ----
Cmdlet          Get-RoutingGroupConnector
Cmdlet          New-RoutingGroupConnector
Cmdlet          Remove-RoutingGroupConnector
Cmdlet          Set-RoutingGroupConnector

 

I Executed Get-RoutingGroupConnector and nothing returned. 
Then I executed New-RoutingGroupConnector and mail started flowing internally.

>> New-RoutingGroupConnector -Name "InternalRGC"
-SourceTransportServers "Ex07SRV"
-TargetTransportServers "Ex03SRV" 
-Bidirectional $true

To redirect inbound mail from the Internet to the 2007 server I changed the "Permission Group" settings on the Default server receive connector (under Server Configuration node > Hub Transport ) to allow Anonymous users to connect via SMTP and thus internal users to receive emails from outside the organization. Then I issued the following:

>> New-SendConnector -Name "Internet Mail Connector" -AddressSpaces "*"

 

OOOOfffffff <sigh>, "Out of the box" I expected setup to create the Routing group for internal and external use, and that mail flow will behave transparently, but hey... Now I have 381 more cmdlets to work with, CANT WAIT!.

 

Shay