Security and Privacy

To uphold the tenets of the Microsoft Trustworthy Computing initiative, Exchange Server 2003, along with Windows Server 2003, is committed to be secure by design, secure by default, and secure in deployment. Exchange Server 2003 protects your messaging environment as well as your privacy with:

• Distribution lists restricted to authenticated users.
• Support of real-time Safe and Block lists.
• Inbound recipient filtering.
• Privacy protection in Outlook and Outlook Web Access.
• Antispam integration with Outlook 2003 and Outlook Web Access.
• Microsoft Exchange Intelligent Message Filter. Integrated in Exchange Server 2003 for server-side filtering of unsolicited junk e-mail messages and also in Outlook 2003 for client-side filtering,
• Virus Scanning API 2.5.
• Clustering security.
• Administrative permissions.
• Restricted relaying.
• Restricted submissions. .
• Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA). Download an easy, streamlined method of identifying common security misconfigurations for Microsoft products including Exchange Server and Windows Server 2003.

Reliability

Exchange Server 2003 is deeply integrated with Windows Server 2003 for enhanced reliability of the IT environment. These capabilities include:

• Support for up to eight-node clusters.
• Mailbox Recovery Center.
• Automatic error reporting.
• Virtual memory usage and monitoring. 
• Integration with Dr. Watson 2.0.

Performance

Consolidate and centralize your messaging servers and realize a greater return on your IT investments with the performance gains in Exchange Server 2003.

• Blocking Out of Office messages from distribution lists.
• Outlook synchronization performance.
• Distribution list member caching. .
• Enhanced DNS-based Internet mail delivery. Get load balancing, better performance, and better tolerance of problems associated with network or host unavailability and external Domain Name System (DNS) server responsiveness.

Administration

Save time and increase productivity with:

• Volume Shadow Copy service. Exchange Server 2003 supports the Volume Shadow Copy service implemented in Windows Server 2003. The copy service functionality gives you a nearly instantaneous backup and restore because a mirrored copy of the database exists at any time and can be used for restore processes.
• Dynamic distribution lists.
• Exchange Server System Manager.
• Auto Accept Agent. This tool enables Exchange Server to automatically handle initial meeting scheduling requests, cancellations, and updates and generates responses to the meeting organizer.
• Public folder management.
• Public folder referral.
• Inter-organization Replication tool.
• Move Mailbox tool.

Deployment

Upgrading, migrating, and deploying Exchange Server 2003 is easier and faster with:

• Deployment tools and Help files.
• New cross-site migration tools.
• Public Folder Migration tool.
• Active Directory Connector tools.
• Internet Mail Wizard.
• Active Directory Schema.
• Exchange Server 2003 Connectors. Get co-existence and migration for IBM Lotus Notes R5 and R6 and Novell GroupWise 5.x (requires Exchange Server 2003 SP1).

Easier Development

The portal enhancements in Exchange Server 2003 include:

• Exchange 2003 Software Development Kit (SDK).
• Workflow Designer for Exchange. Use the Workflow Designer for Exchange Server to design workflow applications that run on Exchange 2000 Server, Exchange Server 2003, and Microsoft SharePoint® Portal Server.
• Redirection support.