Updated 12-2008: Required Reference Materials for the Exchange 2007 System Engineer

In August 2007 I posted a Blog entry detailing some of the necessary reference books for the Exchange 2007 System Engineer.  Since that time, and after reading 100s of Microsoft TechNet Articles combined with chapters from various Authors I am offering an update to the list of required reference materials.  In addition to the books referenced in the prior Blog entry, here's my current favorites:

Exchange 2007 Powershell Administration Reference Materials

Exchange 2007 Exam Preparation Reference Materials

 Some insights into each of these books:

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 - Tony Redmond's Guide to Successful Implementation (Tony Redmond) - by far the best book on the market for experienced Exchange System Engineers.  Tony covers everything from API changes from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2007 to Exchange 2007 Powershell Commandlets useful for the large enterprise Administrator.  If you are working with Clients to transition them (or migrate them) from Exchange 2003 (or other SMTP systems) this is a definitive guide.  The author includes numerous valueable insights into many of the new capabilities in Exchange 2007 and the shortest route to making them available to end users.  Additionally, many of the professional insights gained by the author in working with prior versions of Exchange are evident by examples of how the Exchange 2007 Development Team has improved, modified or eliminate specific functions.  I repeat, this is one of the best resources available for experienced Exchange System Engineers.

Windows Powershell for Exchange Server 2007 SP1 (Joezer Cookey-Gam, Brendan Keane, Jeffrey Rosen, Jonathan Runyan and Joel Stidley) - this is the new standard for Exchange Powershell reference books.  The authors cover everything from using setup parameters for unattended installs to very detailed use of the Powershell 1.0 Environment for Administration, Configuration, Reporting and Documentation.  An excellent resource for System Administrators considering Powershell Scripting.  The authors (several from Microsoft Consulting Services) include detail specific to Exchange Powershell Commandlets focused exclusively on Exchange Server 2007 SP1.  I particularly appreciate the clarity with which the authors use Pipelining of Exchange Powershell Commandlets in examples.  Each example provides useful insights into Administering from a Command Line Interface (CLI).

MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-236): Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 (Ian McLean, Orin Thomas) - the material in this book focuses on many of the tasks associated with transitioning from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2007.  These tasks range from User Administration to proper Connector configuration for coexistence.  The Authors provide useful Exchange Powershell Commandlets continually for reference.  Additionally, you will find detailed instructions on how to use tools like Message Tracking and Queue Viewer, along with Monitoring an Exchange 2007 Enironment using the output from Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 and Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007.  The authors provide 'real world' experiences throughout the book and offer valid examples easily referenced in many Production environments.

MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-237): Designing Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 (Paul Mancuso, David Miller and Sam Sena) - the material in this book focuses on Backup and Recovery, High Availability and Messaging Records Management.  If you are looking for reference materials regarding Transport, messaging classification and establishing compliance standards this book provides that detail.  Additionally, if you are establishing procedures for Disaster Recovery for Exchange Server 2007, you definately need this book in your library.  The detailed materials focused on Backup methodology, using Recovery Storage Groups and proper input into edbutil from a command line makes this a useful reference.

MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-238): Deploying Messaging Solutions with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 (Nelson Reust and Danielle Ruest) - the material in this kit is quite thorough and covers the considerations for deploying Exchange 2007 whereby the starting point may be from various perspectives.  Specifically, if you are considering transitioning to Exchange 2007 and need to understand the requirements for server installation, the Exchange 2007 server roles, how your Active Directory environment will be effected or the effects of interoperability with existing mail-enabled applications.  Additionally, I found the Chapter on Transport Rules and Compliance some of the best reference material I found on filtering messages in Transport Rules for character patterns (Customer Information for example).  This kit is required reading as it includes numerous charts, checklists and detailed technical requirements for successful deployments of Exchange Server 2007 SP1.

Finally I would state each of these books has a place in a well-rounded (not literally, of course!) Exchange System Engineers library.  I would not recommend taking on a large Exchange 2007 SP1 deployment without any of them!

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Lynn Lunik
Independent Security Consultant
Windows(R) Platform
IT Pro Secure Corporation
and
exchangesummit.net