Why Do I Need Active Directory for Exchange 2007?

The Microsoft Exchange development team posted an entry last week on the Microsoft Exchange Team Blog that I thought was great: Why you need Active Directory for Exchange Server 2007. Not only does the article cover the “Why” of AD and Exchange but it’s full of tips and tricks like this one:

Tips & Tricks: To prevent clients from discovering a server (maybe the PDC emulator), increase its priority. To lessen the likelihood clients will choose it, lower its weight.

My favorite part is the discussion of building a new server that you will/may have with the network sysadmins. Should you install your Exchange Server on a Windows 2003 or Windows 2008 box? Here’s their answer:

If you deploy Windows Server 2003 today, what is the life of that computer? 3, 4, even 5 years? In 2013 will you really want to be running Windows Server 2003?

This is a hard core article - kudos to the Exchange Team for such posts!

While you’re here, you may want to check out Grant Moyle’s Exchange Server videos over at LearnItFirst. Grant has a great Exchange 2007 training class that is very popular and can teach you Exchange Server 2007.