Product Reviews
Doing the Mundane Easily
Managing mailboxes and users can be a chore in large organizations—ExMS makes it easier and almost automatic.
If your company has a small number of employees, only rarely changes
reporting structures, or has Exchange administrators that do not feel
stretched too thin, then you don't need ExMS 3.5 from Discus Data. Quite
frankly, this tool is designed for larger organizations or those with
a relatively fluid, sometimes volatile, structure (read: frequent reorgs).
In fact, Discus Data's own corporate statement indicates that small companies
are not its target market: "…enable large organizations to automate user
account administration…"
So what does ExMS actually do? It handles the mundane, repetitive tasks
that administrators wish they could offload to others or automate. It
ensures that when new mailboxes on an Exchange 5.5 server are created,
that they have the appropriate attributes and those that need to be notified
of the existence of this mailbox are. It ensures that when a mailbox is
deleted, it can be recalled within a specific time period or off-loaded
to a PST file for later retrieval. It automates changes to or allows the
user to perform modifications of their own Exchange mailbox's properties
so that that administrator does not have to. It allows the administrator
to create roles (using Dynamic Administrative Roles Technology, or DART)
and delegate the administration of certain aspects of Exchange to others.
Finally, and the best part of the product, it allows for the creation
of scripts using common Microsoft interfaces (ADO, CDO, ADSI, etc.) to
automate the bulk of what needs to get done. Simplicity in the application
of business rules in the creation, deletion and management of mailboxes
is what ExMS is all about.
The product consists of four services, three of which deal with creating,
deleting and updating mailboxes on Exchange 5.5 servers (an Exchange 2000
version is in development). The fourth component, ExMS Directory Integrity
Agent (DIA), is the real powerhouse of the product. It allows you to configure
and execute scripts that can be run against mailboxes, distribution lists,
public folders, and custom recipients. The idea behind the scripts is
to ensure that when, for example, a user's manager changes, the Exchange
5.5 directory is updated to reflect this. Combined with DART, you can
configure decentralized administration of Exchange directory objects,
and keep the info current using DIA scripts.
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| ExMS provides the ability to create scripts and configure
flexible creation, deletion and update of user mailboxes. (Click image to view larger version.) |
ExMS has several interfaces: an MMC snap-in, its own administrative console,
and a Web page. Administrators will use the MMC snap-in or the administrative
console to configure rules for account creation, deletion and update,
or to create scripts and schedule their execution. Users can use the Web
page interface to modify their own settings. Administrators can also use
the Web pages to create roles and assign them to users to decentralize
Exchange administration. If the interfaces provided don't satisfy your
requirements, Discus Data also provides a set of APIs that can be integrated
into your own applications or Web sites to provide a customized interface.
While a lack of an Exchange 2000 version is something that needs to be
quickly corrected, ExMS has enough functionality that it can take the
mundane from the typical Exchange administrator and allow it to be automated.
It is a useful tool for larger organizations, for which it is intended.
About the Author
Damir Bersinic, MCSE, MCDBA, MCSA, MCT, is an independent consultant, trainer and author.