Microsoft Gold-Certified Consulting
Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Expertise:
Planning, Integration, Technical Support
Introduction to Microsoft Exchange Server 2013
Microsoft Exchange 2013 builds on the proven technology of Exchange 2010. Existing features have been enhanced, new ones have been added, and a sleek new architecture simplifies configuration, administration, and expansion. The result is a messaging system that is easier to manage, less likely to fail, more secure and compliant, less expensive to provision and operate, faster, more supportive of team projects, and simpler for end users to learn and use. Exchange Server 2013 is designed to run in the cloud, at an on-premises datacenter, or in a hybrid environment. Although Exchange 2013 can work with many legacy servers from Microsoft, to realize all the advantages of Exchange 2013 requires the most current releases of Windows Server, SharePoint, and Lync.
Progent's Microsoft-certified consulting experts can help you evaluate the advantages and risks of upgrading to Exchange 2013 and can provide comprehensive project management services for migrating from an older version of Exchange or from a different messaging platform. Progent can help you design your Exchange environment, develop a testing and roll-out plan, prepare Active Directory forest and its domains to support your Exchange 2013 environment, integrate your collaborative applications with Exchange 2013, create a suitable security and compliance strategy, and train your IT staff on leading practices for managing Exchange 2013. Progent also offers both online and onsite consulting and troubleshooting services as well as 24x7 system monitoring. Whether you are looking for occasional help in deploying and maintaining Exchange 2013 or you need full-service project management, Progent has the expertise to make sure you derive maximum business value from your Exchange 2013 solution.
If you are currently running Exchange Server 2013 and want to upgrade your Exchange environment, Progent can help you implement a seamless Exchange Server 2016 migration.
Important enhancements to Exchange Server 2013 include:
Exchange 2013 cuts the number of core server roles in half by consolidating them into the Client Access server role (CAS) and the Mailbox server role (MBX). This simplified architecture allows more efficient hardware utilization, more flexible and less complex deployment and administration, plus lower cost and easier to manage load balancing.
Exchange 2010 is managed primarily by the Exchange Management Console (EMC) and the Exchange Control Panel (ECP). With Exchange 2013, the functions of the EMC and ECP have been consolidated, and in many cases enhanced, in the web-based Exchange admin center (EAC). Various tools have also been incorporated into the EAC as well as brand new functions. Web access to the EAC frees administrators from being tied to a specially provisioned desktop. Centralized control simplifies training and saves on the cost of managing Exchange.
Exchange 2013 provides major improvements to this popular and powerful feature introduced by Exchange 2010 to improve the availability and resilience of Exchange Mailbox servers. Enhancements to Database Availability Groups such as managed availability, multiple databases per disk, managed store, and autoreseed help to improve fault tolerance and failover speed and lower operating costs.
Exchange 2013 supports an improved version of Outlook Web App that simplifies the management of portable devices and enhances the productivity of mobile workers. OWA offers stronger support for iPhones and iPads, the ability to work offline, plus better handling of contacts, calendars, and presence.
Exchange 2013 expands the possibilities for collaboration and simplifies compliance through tight integration with SharePoint 2013 and Lync 2013. Innovations such as site mailboxes, unified contact store, and in-place eDiscovery take advantage of Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync cross-product functionality to boost productivity and cut management costs.
Streamlined Architecture
Exchange 2013 now has only two core server roles, CAS (Client Access server ) and MBX (Mailbox server). The optional Edge Transport server role is available for environments that require a perimeter network. The MBX incorporates Client Access protocols, Transport service, Mailbox databases, and Unified Messaging. All these functions are handled by separate server roles in Exchange 2010, which added to the complexity of deployment and management.
The Exchange 2013 Client Access server is a thin, stateless server where nothing is queued or stored and which supports HTTP, POP and IMAP, and SMTP protocols. Because the Client Access server proxies all user connections to a specified Mailbox server, session affinity is not necessary at the CAS servers. Eliminating the session affinity requirement (known as "session indifference") does away with the need for expensive and complex Layer 7 load balancing that is protocol aware. Inbound connections to CAS servers can be load balanced using inexpensive Layer 4 techniques such as least connection or round-robin. The new architecture of Exchange 2013 also provides version upgrade flexibility and, by lowering the required number of namespaces for a resilient site design from 8 to 2, dramatically simplifies deployment.
Centralized Management
Exchange Server 2013 consolidates management tools and enhances management options through the Exchange admin center (EAC). This web-based tool combines the functions of the Exchange Management Console (EMC) and the Exchange Control Panel (ECP) introduced in Exchange 2010. The EAC also adds the functionality of various stand-alone management tools and utilities while providing additional features that were previously unavailable. Because the EAC is web based, Exchange managers are no longer limited to a dedicated desktop PC that has to be provisioned and kept up to date with specialized software. By providing centralized, site-independent control over any Exchange environment (local, cloud, or hybrid), the EAC cuts management training time and reduces management workloads.
New or enhanced features incorporated into the EAC include a vastly expanded list view, a new notification viewer for long-running processes, and improved Group management. Importantly, you can partition Internet vs. intranet access at the level of the virtual directory in IIS, allowing managers to control whether users can access the EAC via the Internet from outside your organization, while at the same time permitting end-user access to Outlook Web App Options.
Database Availability Group (DAG) Improvements
In Exchange 2013, the basic unit of high availability for mailbox servers continues to be the database availability group (DAG), which relies on Windows Server failover clustering and supports file and block mode for continuous replication. Improvements to DAG technology introduced with Exchange 2013 address availability, failover speed, fault isolation, resource utilization, and support for public folders.
Exchange 2013 DAG now supports managed availability by providing integrated monitoring and recovery features that can anticipate and ward off failures, restore services, launch failovers, and send alerts to administrators. The Exchange Store in Exchange 2010 has been renamed "Managed Store" and revamped to offer improved availability and faster failover. Exchange 2013 offers improved disk utilization by supporting multiple databases per disk, and the new AutoReseed feature improves the speed at which the contents of a failed redundant disk can be copied to a backup disk. Because public folders are now stored in mailbox databases, they benefit from the high availability provided by DAG technology.
Improved Outlook Web App
Outlook Web App (OWA) works with supported browsers to allow users to access their Exchange mailbox from virtually any computing device connected to the web. Exchange 2013 supports a new version of OWA with a redesigned set of interfaces to match the client's type of computer (desktop, smartphone, or tablet) and a variety of features that improve usability, collaboration, and productivity.
Offline access allows OWA users to get work done even without a web connection. Lync support allows OWA users to see and manage IM contacts and groups and to conduct Instant Messaging sessions. Microsoft has developed two apps, OWA for iPhone and OWA for iPad, that simplify the sign-in process and support offline email access. Contact linking allows you to link, automatically or manually, multiple entries for the same person to create a single contact card that shows the combined information. Calendar views have been enhanced to show multiple calendars in a merged view, display an agenda for a selected day, and provide item details via pop ups. New controls permit you to accept/decline meetings and edit or delete appointments, and users can search simultaneously across primary and archive mailboxes. Developers can now produce OWA apps for distribution at Office.com, and users can integrate OWA apps from the Office marketplace.
Tighter Integration with SharePoint and Lync
Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 offers tight integration with SharePoint 2013 and Lync 2013. Together, these platforms can form the basis of a solid solution for collaboration and compliance. By allowing features such as eDiscovery, archiving, and in-place hold to be managed centrally and performed seamlessly on Exchange mailboxes, SharePoint web sites and documents, and Lync content, this cross-platform integration makes it easier to coordinate team projects and comply with regulatory requirements or internal standards. (For information about Progent's consulting and application development services for SharePoint 2013, see SharePoint Server 2013 Migration and Development Support.)
The new site mailbox allows project members to share Exchange emails and SharePoint documents through Outlook 2013. The new unified contact store (UCS) feature makes it possible for contact information stored in Exchange 2013 to be accessible from Lync, Exchange, Outlook, and Outlook Web App (OWA). OWA users can also see Instant Messaging groups and contacts in the OWA Navigation Panel and conduct IM sessions from within OWA. SharePoint 2013's new eDiscovery Center provides a single interface for compliance officers to locate, hold, and analyze immutable in-place data from Exchange 2013 mailboxes, SharePoint 2013 websites, and archived Lync 2013 content. Exchange 2013 can now store user profile photos for sharing via SharePoint 2013, Lync 2013, and OWA. A low-res version of each photo is also stored in Active Directory. This spares users the trouble of storing their profile photos individually in each application.
Additional Enhancements to Exchange 2013
Exchange 2013 features important additional enhancements, many of which concern security and compliance. Exchange 2013's improved Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution includes advanced and extensible transport rules, monitoring, and policy tips for clients. These enhancements help enforce compliance policies and prevent sensitive data contained in email from being leaked or lost. In-Place Hold is a new unified hold model that allows you to comply with legal hold requirements by protecting email messages from deletion, alteration, and tampering.
Exchange 2013 also lets you archive Lync 2013 content in a user's mailbox and use In-Place eDiscovery to search archived Lync content. New Messaging records management (MRM) features in Exchange 2013 help you to enforce your organization's email lifecycle policies. Retention policies now support Calendar and Tasks retention tags. Another new feature is a basic level of anti-malware protection incorporated into Exchange 2013. This uses the same anti-virus engine as System Center Endpoint Protection and is easy to configure and monitor. You can also disable Exchange 2013 anti-malware protection if you prefer to use another solution.
Progent's Consulting Services for Microsoft Exchange Server 2013
Progent's Microsoft-certified Exchange consultants can help you assess the business advantages and technical risks associated with moving to Exchange 2013 from your current messaging environment. Progent can assist you to upgrade to Exchange 2013 while keeping your current hardware or migrate to Exchange 2013 on a new networking infrastructure. Progent can help you to plan and carry out an efficient upgrade or migration from Exchange 2010, Exchange 2007, Exchange 2003, or Exchange 2000. Progent's Exchange experts have the experience to design and manage an upgrade or migration plan that avoids business disruption, facilitates security and compliance, provides high availability and throughput, cuts management time and costs, lowers operating expense, and increases worker productivity. For complicated Exchange environments that may involve multiple datacenters or hybrid cloud and on-site deployments, Progent offers the network infrastructure skills required to execute a successful upgrade on schedule and within budget.
Progent can provide a broad array of consulting and support services to make sure you extract the greatest possible business value from your Exchange 2013 migration. Progent can help you set up Exchange 2013 in conjunction with Active Directory following industry best practices, design and implement a DAG solution for high availability and fast failover, design and validate a disaster recovery plan that takes advantage of Exchange 2013's HA technology, and provide services such as iPhone and iPad integration, Android phone and tablet consulting, and RIM BlackBerry expertise in order to integrate smartphone and tablets with Exchange 2013 to enhance the productivity of your mobile workforce. Progent can also provide the help of certified network security engineers to help you plan and implement an organization-wide strategy for security and compliance.
Microsoft 365 Exchange Online Integration with On-prem Exchange
Microsoft supports seamless hybrid networks that combine Microsoft 365 and on-premises installations of Exchange. This allows you to have specific Exchange mailboxes hosted at your on-premises datacenter and other mailboxes hosted by Microsoft 365. Progent's Microsoft-certified Exchange consultants can help your organization with any facet of designing, integrating and troubleshooting your hybrid Exchange network. Progent's Exchange specialists can provide occasional expertise to help you resolve stubborn technical problems and also can provide extensive project management outsourcing to make sure your hybrid Exchange initiative is successfully completed on time and within budget. To find out more about Progent's consulting services for integrating Microsoft 365 and on-prem Exchange environments, visit Microsoft 365 integration solutions with on-premises Exchange.
Download Progent's Exchange 2013 Migration Support Datasheet
To download a single-page printable datasheet in PDF format describing Progent's Exchange 2013 Migration Support, click:
Progent's Exchange 2013 Migration Support Datasheet. (PDF - 101 KB)
Progent's World-class Online Consulting and Technical Support Services
Progent's consulting team has more than 20 years of experience delivering online high-level consulting and technical support to businesses of all sizes in every state in the U.S. (Refer to Progent's testimonials from customers nationwide.) By combining world-class expertise with online delivery, Progent is able to provide enterprise-class network support services at a price that fits small business budgets. Online consulting eliminates travel expenses and delays and preserves productivity by resolving problems quickly, before they can seriously disrupt business. For projects that require it, Progent can also provide prompt onsite service in major metropolitan areas throughout the United States.
Another key to Progent's effectiveness is breadth of expertise. Progent is not only a Microsoft Certified consulting firm, but has also put together one of the world's largest independent group of Cisco-certified CCIE network engineers. This networking expertise makes it possible for Progent to fix even the most stubborn issues associated with network infrastructure. In addition, Progent's team of CISA, CISSP, GIAC, CISM, and ISSAP certified network security consultants offer a comprehensive array of online services including affordably priced security audit packages to assess the vulnerability of networks of any size to external and internal threats.
Progent's Support Services for Microsoft .NET Servers
For small companies throughout the United States, Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can provide computer assistance and professional consulting support for the entire array of Microsoft .NET Enterprise Servers and Microsoft Windows Servers. Progent's planning, integration, update, and consulting services include system design, configuration, and administration help for
project management and documentation, on-site and off-site
technical support and system troubleshooting,
Standard Help Desk Support or Co-managed Help Desk Call Center Services, comprehensive
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If your organization is looking for fast remote support from a Microsoft certified consultant, visit Progent's Emergency Online Network Help.
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An index of content::
Microsoft 365 Portal Network Engineer
Exchange Online Archiving Integration Support
Microsoft supports transparent hybrid ecosystems that combine Microsoft 365 Exchange Online and local Exchange deployments. This permits you to have certain mailboxes hosted at your corporate datacenter and other mailboxes resident on Microsoft 365. Progent's certified Exchange consulting team can assist you with any facet of designing, implementing and troubleshooting your hybrid Exchange solution. Progent's Exchange specialists can provide as-needed expertise to help you resolve challenging technical issues and also offer extensive project management outsourcing or co-sourcing to ensure your hybrid Exchange solution is successfully completed on schedule and on budget.
Ekahau Wi-Fi Network Design Consulting Services
Top Ekahau Predictive Wi-Fi Site Design Professional
Progent's Ekahau-certified Wi-Fi site design consultants can assist your business to design, implement, optimize, manage and debug a Wi-Fi solution customized for your facilities. Progent offers remote or onsite support for Ekahau Pro for predictive Wi-Fi design, Ekahau Sidekick for onsite RF signal analysis, Ekahau Analyzer for troubleshooting RF issues, and Ekahau Insights for managing the health of multiple Wi-Fi sites.
24/7 24x7 Network Specialists
Online Help Application Monitoring
Remote 24x7 monitoring, proactive alarms, and periodic analytical reporting are vital to preserving the proper operation of your IT system and avoiding preventable and costly disruptions. Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) solutions have advanced so far that companies of any size can get a level of network stability that was once limited to large enterprises. Progent offers a variety Remote Monitoring and Management options delivered as low-cost service packages designed to help you to identify and resolve a an array of network problems before they get big enough to hurt your business.
Cisco Firewall integration Specialist
Technical Support Services Cisco ASA and VMware
Progent's certified Cisco network security consultants provide high-level PIX Firewall and ASA Firewall consulting support covering architecture, configuration, and support of Cisco firewall and Cisco security solutions. The PIX and ASA Series of Cisco firewall products delivers robust user and software policy enforcement, mutlivector attack protection, and safe connectivity services. Ranging from compact, plug-and-play desktop appliances for small and home businesses to modular enterprise-grade products, Cisco PIX and ASA Firewalls provide advanced protection, high throughput, and excellent reliability for network environments of all sizes. PIX and ASA Firewalls are based on a proven, purpose-built platform, minimizing common OS-specific security gaps.
Protect Cybersecurity Pen Testing
Stealth Penetration Testing Computer Security
Stealth intrusion testing is a key part of any comprehensive network security plan. Progent's security professionals can perform extensive intrusion tests without the knowledge of your company's internal IT resources. Unannounced penetration testing uncovers whether current security monitoring systems such as intrusion detection warnings and event log analysis are correctly configured and actively observed.
Network Security Audit Check Point Sandboxing
Check Point Sandboxing Auditing
Progent's Check Point Software experts can show you how to select and configure Check Point Software Firewall/VPN software and appliances based on Check Point Software's security platform to offer an economical and efficient security solution for your corporate network. Progent can also show you how to integrate other Check Point technologies including Check Point ZoneAlarm and Check Point UTM-1 appliances with security solutions from other vendors and offer a central stop for on-going technical support, administration, training, and consulting expertise.
Top Quality Cisco Network Management IT Outsource
Cisco Network Management Recovery Services
Progent's Cisco-Certified network consultants can show you how to run Cisco's network management utilities along with a selection of specialized third-party applications to build a comprehensive network management solution in order to keep your environment running smoothly, conserve limited resources, guard your data, recover rapidly from hardware failure or deliberate attacks, and allow you to add or reassign valuable resources sensibly and affordably as your business grows.
Apple MACos with Windows IT Consulting
Network Consultant Mac Office
Microsoft Mac Office allows Apple Macintosh users to receive the benefits of the industry's most familiar office productivity applications. Progent's Apple-certified Macintosh experts can help you set up Mac Office on a mixed-platform environment combining Apple OS X and Windows-powered platforms so that Mac users can access the new features in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Entourage in order to share information and system resources with co-workers who use Microsoft Windows. Progent's consultants have experience with both Mac and Windows technology and can provide service for networks that mix Apple Macintosh with Microsoft Windows systems with extensive resource sharing, or networks which carefully limit collaboration between Mac and Windows systems.
scom 2016 high availability Technical Consultant
scom 2016 agents Computer Consultant
System Center 2016 Operations Manager is designed to ensure top performance and maximum uptime for key workloads by providing unified, cross-platform monitoring of IT infrastructure deployed throughout local systems and cloud environments. Progent's SCOM consulting group can provide advanced online and onsite support to assist organizations of any size to plan, integrate, tune, enhance and repair SCOM 2016 deployments. Progent can assist you to migrate to Operations Manager 2016 from earlier releases or from different IT infrastructure monitoring products, or integrate a variety of monitoring tools into a cohesive infrastructure management ecosystem. Progent can also help you extend your Operations Manager 2016 scope to incorporate infrastructure hosted on public clouds such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS.
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