Exchange server roles were introduced three years ago with Exchange Server 2007 as a way to group specific Exchange management tasks together often on separate dedicated servers. Think of Exchange Server roles as similar to the Windows Server server roles, you CAN run all the roles on the same server, but generally it is not a good idea in anything other than the smallest deployments. For example, if you download the Hyper-V Evaluation VHD for Exchange 2010 testing, that server has all the roles installed on a single virtual machine.
The server role groups a set of features and components which perform specific functions in the messaging infrastructure. By using server roles you are able to reduce the attack surface of the Exchange Server and allows you to deploy and customize Exchange to fit your business goals and needs. The Exchange Server 2010 server roles are as follows:
- Mailbox Server: This is the host server for all mailbox and public folder databases. Address lists and offline address books are also generated and maintained on the Mailbox server. The server indexes all the databases and provides the ability to search across multiple mailboxes and Public folders. The Mailbox server also enforces messaging records management and retention policies for the organization.
- Client Access Server: The CAS is basically the communication gateway between the messaging client and the mailbox. The server hosts the client protocols for mail access including POP3, IMAP4, HTTPS, Outlook Anywhere, the Availability service, and the Auto-discover service.
- Unified Messaging Server: Unified Messaging basically refers to the marriage between e-mail and the telephone system. This allows you to access your voice mail through your email client, and allows you to access your e-mail through your telephone (system can read your email to you). Users can also receive faxes through this integration.
- Hub Transport Server: The Hub Transport server is the router for the Exchange organization. This handles all mail flow inside the organization, applies transport rules, applies journaling policies, and delivers messages to the recipient.
- Edge Transport Server: This server is your protective layer between the internal messaging environment and the outside world. Anti-spam and Antivirus scanning take place on the Edge Transport server. As such, this server is typically placed on a perimeter network with a firewall on either side of it, meaning a firewall between the Internet and the perimeter and a firewall between the perimeter and the company network.
Posted Monday, April 12th, 2010 at 9:28 pm by peterl
Tags: Exchange Server 2010
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