Just can't get enough of IT

It happend again.

A new .Net Framework version has been released via the Windows Update distribution channel and the Exchange Server Team has decided to skip support for the new release.

You're only option is to block the automatic installation by the local Windows Update Agent using a registry.

The follow BlockNetFramework472.reg file simplifies setting the registry key.

Links

• Do Not Install .NET Framework 4.7.2 on Exchange Servers
• How to temporarily block the installation of .NET Framework 4.7.2

As always... Enjoy Exchange Server

The PowerShell script New-RoomMailbox has been updated and release v1.2 has been published to GitHub and TechNet Gallery.

The script now creates a third mail-enabled security group to limit the set of users which are allowed to book the resource. The group itself is created (prepared) only, but not assigned to the room resource.

Additionally, the default language (locale) is configured. This prohibits the "Set locale" - dialogue when accessing the room mailbox using Outlook on the Web. 

Read more here: https://www.granikos.eu/en/justcantgetenough/PostId/337/create-a-new-room-mailbox-with-security-groups

Enjoy Exchange.

Description

The Category List Manager is a C# Visual Studio Solution that allows you to connect to a source mailbox which is either hosted on an on-premises Exchange Server or in Exchange Online using Exchange Web Services (EWS).

You can use AutoDiscover or a static Url to connect to the Exchange Server or Office 365. By default the solution uses the credentials of the user executing the program. These credentials are referred to as default credentials. You can use the Settings form to set dedicated credentials of an user with appropriate access rights to the mailbox(es).

The program helps you to

• Export the master category list from a mailbox to a Xml file
• Import a master category list Xml file to into a mailbox
• Copy a master category list from a source mailbox to a target mailbox

The supported target mailbox types are:

• User Mailbox
• Shared Mailbox
• Microsoft Teams Mailbox

The GUI comes with an easy-to-use UI. The execuable works a command line tool as well and can be used for automation purposes.

Use CategoryManager.exe -help to get the most recent command line help information.

Example Screenshot

Presentation

Watch the presentation held at the Exchange User Group Berlin Meetup on May 31st 2018.

Version History

• 1.0, Initial community release

Links

• Download and follow at Github: https://github.com/Apoc70/MailboxCategoryListManager
• Download and like at TechNet Gallery: https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Manage-Category-List-for-3a9103f9

Additional Credits

Additional credits go to Henning Krause

Follow

• Twitter @stensitzki
• LinkedIn
• Xing

Exchange Server extends the Active Directory schema during the PrepareSchema step during setup. The steps PrepareAD, PrepareDomain, or PrepareAlLDomains create Active Directory containers and objects that are crucially important for a stable operation of Exchange Server.

There are different Active Directory objects that are used to determine, if Active Directory has a proper Exchange Server configuration up and running.

Forest level

At Active Directory forest level the following attributes are used to determine the Exchange Server release:

• rangeUpper attribute of the ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt schema object 
• msExchProductId attribute of the Exchange organization object in the configuration partition
• objectVersion attribute of the Exchange organization object in the configuration partition
• objectVersion of the Microsoft Exchange System Objects (MESO) container 

Domain level

At Active Directory domain level the following attribute is used to determine the Exchange Server release:

• objectVersion of the Microsoft Exchange System Objects (MESO) container 

Schema versions

Links

• Script to gather Exchange schema information across all domains in an Active Directory forest

Enjoy Exchange Server!

Description

This script reads the Exchange schema version from the Active Directory schema partition.

The Exchange organization name is fetched from Active Directory automatically.
  
The script fetches at forest level:

• objectVersion of MESO Container
• rangeUpper of ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt 
• msExchProductId of Exchange Organization container
• objectVersion of Exchange Organization container

The script fetches at domain level:

• objectVersion of MESO Container

Examples

Code Samples

# Fetch all version information in the Active Directory forest
.\Get-ExchangeServerVersionInfo.ps1

Sample Output:

PS D:\Scripts> .\Get-ExchangeServerVersionInfo.ps1

Exchange Server Schema and Object Information for forest [VARUNA.ROOT]
Exchange Organization Name        : VARUNA-GROUP
Active Directory Schema rangeUpper: 15332

Working on VARUNA.ROOT
MESO Container objectVersion           : 13236
Exchange Configuration msExchProductId : 15.01.1466.003
Exchange Configuration objectVersion   : 16213

Working on VARUNAGROUP.DE
MESO Container objectVersion           : 13236

Version History

• 1.0, Initial community release

Links

• Download and follow at Github: https://github.com/Apoc70/Get-ExchangeServerVersionInfo
• Download and like at TechNet Gallery: https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Get-Exchange-Schema-73d3e629

Follow

• Twitter @stensitzki
• LinkedIn
• Xing

Enjoy Exchange Server!