Customizing Your Exchange 2000 Server Installation

In Exchange Server 5.5 and earlier versions, the Exchange Performance Optimizer lets you tune and customize Exchange. Exchange 2000 Server doesn't include an equivalent tool to tailor the finer points of an installation. However, you can use tools such as ADSI Edit and regedt32 to customize an Exchange 2000 installation. Let's see what these tools can do to help you in your installation tasks. (I don't cover performance tuning in this article.)

Improve Exchange Performance
You can optimize Exchange performance by distributing the various components across different drives instead of placing all the components on one drive. For example, transaction logs and Exchange databases (.edb and .stm files) should be on separate drives. Separating the databases and logs from the other components also makes file-based virus scanning easier because you can exclude the database and transaction log drives from scans.

Exchange 2000's Setup program isn't as flexible as Exchange 5.5's Performance Optimizer. The Performance Optimizer lets you move from one drive to another the directories that Exchange components use, whereas the Setup program lets you choose the directory only for the Exchange binaries (i.e., the Exchange program files, DLLs, and executables such as the Information Store—IS—and the System Attendant service). However, you can use ADSI Edit and modify the registry to move components after the installation is complete.

ADSI Edit and regedt32 are powerful utilities that you must use with care. Incorrect use can seriously damage your Windows and Exchange installation. Perform a full backup before making any changes to your server. You must install ADSI Edit separately after you install Windows 2000 because ADSI Edit is one of the Win2K Support Tools, all of which are available on the Win2K CD-ROM. The support tools' Setup program is in the \support\tools directory. For more information about ADSI Edit, see Tony Redmond, "Introducing the ADSI Edit Utility," July 2000, InstantDoc ID 8901. To perform the changes I describe, you need Microsoft Exchange Administrator permissions.

Moving Exchange Components
Let's look at the steps you need to take to move Exchange components in a single-server Exchange 2000 installation. You can also use these steps to move Exchange components in a clustered Exchange 2000 installation. The following examples assume that the system is a new Exchange 2000 installation in which all the components are installed on the D drive. Table 1, page 2, lists each Exchange component with its current directory path and the proposed new location.

Be sure to use folder names that are consistent and meaningful. You should be able to determine a folder's contents by the folder name (e.g., S:\exchsrvr\mtadata holds the Message Transfer Agent—MTA—database). The directories in Table 1 follow the usual Exchange naming convention; only the drive letter differs.

Ideally, you should perform the steps I describe as soon as possible after you install a new Exchange 2000 server. All the changes I mention require you to stop the Exchange services and therefore interrupt user access. If you want to customize an active production server, be sure to schedule and announce the necessary downtime well in advance.

When you relocate components, copy files, don't move them. Copying the files reduces the risk of inadvertently losing or damaging a file and lets you compare file sizes after you move the component. Use a utility such as Robocopy (from the Microsoft Windows 2000 Resource Kit) to copy files and folders. Using Robocopy with the /sec switch retains permissions during the copy process. To move components, follow these steps.

Move the MTA. The Exchange 2000 MTA provides backward compatibility with the Exchange 5.5 MTA. Exchange 2000 routes all mail to Exchange 5.5 servers and X.400 connectors over the MTA. Moving the MTA will improve performance if your server hosts an X.400 connector or is in a mixed-mode site. The MTA work directory holds temporary files for messages while the messages are being processed.

Before moving the MTA work directory, use Exchange System Manager (ESM) to verify that no messages are queued on your server. However, if messages are in the queue, Exchange will process them when you restart the MTA. In ESM, you'll find the MTA queue under Protocols, X.400, Queues. Follow these steps to move the MTA work directory:

1. Stop the Microsoft Exchange MTA Stacks service.
2. Run the exchsrvr\bin\mtacheck utility to verify that no corrupt messages are in the MTA database and work directory. When the run is successful, the message Database Clean—No errors detected will display.
3. Create a new folder for the MTA (e.g., S:\exchsrvr\mtadata). Start the Registry Editor (regedt32) and navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeMTA\Parameters\MTA database path subkey. Change the MTA database path to S:\exchsrvr\mtadata. In the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeMTA\Parameters\MTA Run Directory subkey, change MTA Run Directory to S:\exchsrvr\mtadata
4. Use Robocopy with the /sec switch to copy all the files from the current MTA folder (i.e., D:\exchsrvr\mtadata) to the new MTA folder (i.e., S:\exchsrvr\mtadata).
5. Verify that permissions on the new MTA folder match those on the old MTA folder.
6. Run the exchsrvr\bin\mtacheck utility again to validate the MTA database and work directory.
7. Start the Microsoft Exchange MTA Stacks service.

The Microsoft article "XCON: How to Change the Location of the MTA Database and Run Directory" (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q259896) provides more information about this procedure.