Automate with provisioning tools and services
Following the lead of application service providers (ASPs), you can use a provisioning process to set up and manage a hosted environment for Exchange 2000 Server. Provisioning is just a fancy name for automating the setup and management of a hosted environment. Why automate? The most important benefit of automation isn't saving time or money but rather creating an effective, high-quality environment. Because you define the provisioning process up front rather than case by case, servers and applications are consistently set up properly. Having a properly set up hosting environment reduces the number of deployment problems, helps ensure security, and aids in disaster recovery.
Before you decide to implement the provisioning process, you need to realize that automation doesn't necessarily mean a lower total cost of ownership (TCO). The up-front costs of creating the automation system can offset the savings realized during deployment of the hosted application. In addition, too many exceptions or differences between deployments can offset the savings.
The provisioning process encompasses a wide variety of tasks. For example, provisioning a hosted Exchange 2000 environment might involve the following tasks:
- installing and configuring the hardware (e.g., BIOS, storage)
- installing and configuring Windows 2000 Server and related components (e.g., service packs, hotfixes, updated drivers)
- installing Exchange 2000
- configuring Exchange 2000 and the hosting environment (e.g., creating user accounts)
- managing Exchange 2000 and the hosting environment (e.g., managing user accounts, tracking system use for billing purposes)
ASPs that host Exchange 2000 can help you learn about provisioning tools and services. Knowing what's available and where to find it is a good starting point, assuming that you're familiar with Exchange 2000 hosting. If you're unfamiliar with using Exchange 2000 in a hosted environment, see "Exchange 2000 Hosting: The ASP Model," November 2001, InstantDoc ID 22404, and "Exchange 2000 Hosting: The ASP Model, Part 2," December 2001, InstantDoc ID 22895. If you're unfamiliar with ASPs, check out the Microsoft Service Providers Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/serviceproviders).
Installing and Configuring the Hardware
To automate the installation and configuration of hardware, you can use any hardware vendorprovided tools or the Microsoft Automated Purposing Framework. APF is a collection of scripts and utilities for installing and configuring hardware, Windows OSs, and applications on one or more machines. Microsoft designed APF to work with many server vendors' products, but APF isn't a tool that you can just download and use. Instead, you must use Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) or one of Microsoft's approved partners. For more information about APF, go to http://www.microsoft.com/serviceproviders/deployment/automated_purposingp67545.asp.
Configuring the OS
Manually installing Win2K requires that you answer a few questions, which means you must wait for the installation process to reach that point. Fortunately, you can use APF to eliminate the wait. APF takes advantage of the unattend setup method, which lets you store answers to setup questions in an answer file. Currently, creating the APF answer file requires customizing scripts; however, a GUI designed to create XML files will be available in the near future.
You can use other tools besides APF to rapidly deploy Win2K. For example, you can use the System Preparation (Sysprep) tool with third-party disk-imaging software to clone Win2K Server to other machines. Similarly, you can use Microsoft Remote Installation Services (RIS) to clone Win2K Professional. In addition, Compaq offers Automated Software Installation (ASI) services for deploying Windows OSs and applications.
Installing the Application
Installing Exchange 2000 is the next task in the provisioning process. Unlike Win2K Server, Exchange 2000 doesn't include any rapid deployment tools. However, you can use APF or a third-party solution, such as what Altiris offers. APF has a scripted utility to automate the Exchange installation. One of its most useful features is that you can build infrastructure dependencies into the Exchange deployment. As a result, the additional Exchange servers don't launch their installation until the Exchange setup extends the Active Directory (AD) forest schema. In addition, the cluster nodes wait for their partners to finish installing before they join the cluster.
Configuring and Managing the Application
Configuring Exchange 2000 and the hosting environment is by no means easy. The tasks are many. For example, you must create storage groups (SGs) and mailbox stores and set their drive locations. You must define limits on mailbox size, set retention intervals for deleted items, and set diagnostics logging levels. You must also define the AD structure by creating organizational units (OUs) and configuring the OUs' security settings, then add mailbox-enabled users to the proper OU. Although administrators often perform these tasks manually, you can automate most of these tasks.
After you've completed the configurations, someone needs to manage the hosted Exchange 2000 environment. One goal of provisioning is to create tools that let others perform minor administrative tasks (e.g., updating users' personal information). ASPs typically use an automated, Web-based tool to delegate minor administrative tasks to customers. In a company, the IT organization might use such a tool to delegate minor administrative tasks to the end user.
To accomplish application configuration and management tasks, you have five options. These options provide varying degrees of automation, ranging from no automation (the first option) to extensive automation (the last option):
- Manually perform the tasks with such tools as Exchange 2000's Exchange System Manager (ESM), Win2K Server's Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in, and Win2K Server's MMC ADSI Edit snap-in.
- Create and use scripts that incorporate tools and technologies such as Win2K Server's LDAP Data Interchange Format Data Exchange (LDIFDE) utility, Win2K Server's Comma Separated Value Data Exchange (CSVDE) utility, and Microsoft Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI).
- Use the Web Admin tool.
- Use the Exchange 2000 Hosting Pack.
- Purchase a third-party provisioning tool, such as Xevo's XevoWorks.
Let's take a closer look at Web Admin and the Hosting Pack. With these tools, you can achieve a high level of automation without having to purchase a product.