What’s New in Exchange Server 2007 SP2

Exchange Server 2007 SP2 is a mission-critical update that provides administrators with advanced protection options against e-mail security threats, such as spam and viruses, as well as the tools to help manage internal compliance and high availability needs.

Download details: Exchange Server 2007 SP2:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=4c4bd2a3-5e50-42b0-8bbb-2cc9afe3216a
Since Exchange Server 2007 has been originally offered as either a 64-bit (recommended and the only version supported for production), and as a 32-bit version (only used for testing purposes and to provided 32-bit management tool capabilities for client workstations), here too, 64-bit and 32-bit versions are made available:
32-bit version (870 MB):
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/4/4/9444906E-647B-4EED-AC36-F0F75682FAAD/E2K7SP2EN32.exe
64-bit version (884.3 MB):
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/4/4/9444906E-647B-4EED-AC36-F0F75682FAAD/E2K7SP2EN64.exe
So, what’s new in SP2? Exchange Server 2007 SP2 introduces many new features for each server role.
Migration, transition and co-existence with Exchange Server 2010 – Only after installing Exchange Server 2007 SP2 you will be able deploy Exchange Server 2010 in your organization. First, you must upgrade all of the Client Access servers. Next, any Exchange 2007 Server, regardless of server role, in the Active Directory site you are transitioning, must be upgraded to Exchange 2007 SP2.
Exchange Backup Functionality built-in to Windows Server 2008 – Exchange Server 2007 RTM and SP1 didn’t have this capability on Windows Server 2008 and additional solutions were required to perform this task. Finally, Exchange 2007 Service Pack 2 includes a VSS plug-in for Windows Server Backup to support Exchange backups. Now you can use Windows Server Backup in Windows Server 2008 to back up and restore Exchange 2007 SP2 databases. The new plug-in, called WSBExchange.exe, is automatically installed by SP2 on all Exchange 2007 Mailbox servers. The plug-in enables Windows Server Backup to be able to make Exchange-aware VSS backups.
Enhanced Auditing – New Exchange auditing events and audit log repository enable Exchange administrators to more easily audit the activities occurring on their Exchange servers. This simplifies the auditing process itself, and makes review of audited events easier by segregating audited events in a dedicated location.
Dynamic Active Directory Schema Update and Validation – The dynamic AD schema update and validation feature allows for future schema updates to be dynamic deployed as well as proactively preventing conflicts whenever a new property is added to the AD schema. Once this capability is deployed it will enable easier management of future schema updates and will prevent support issues when adding properties that don’t exist in the AD schema. SP2 now supports the following: The addition of attributes that are independent of schema changes; The ability to reference attributes that may not exist in the schema; Compatibility with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 code and more.
Public Folder Quota Management – SP2 enables a consistent way to manage quotas by improving the current PowerShell cmdlets to perform quota management tasks.
Centralized Organizational Settings – SP2 introduces new PowerShell option that enable centralized management of many of the Exchange organization settings.
Named Properties cmdlets – SP2 enables Exchange administrators to monitor their named property usage per database.
New User Interface for Managing Diagnostic Logging – SP2 enables Exchange administrators to easily configure and manage diagnostic logging from within the Exchange Management Console.
Notes:
1. You can use the following methods to install Exchange 2007 SP2:

  • Upgrade a computer that is running the original release version of Exchange 2007 to Exchange 2007 SP2.
  • Upgrade a computer that is running Exchange 2007 SP1 to Exchange 2007 SP2.
  • Perform a new installation of Exchange 2007 SP2.

2. One reboot or more might be required to finish the installation of SP2.
3. The Active Directory Schema must be updated if this is the first SP2 introduced to the Exchange Organization. This means that you must have the appropriate administrative rights to perform the installation of the first server running SP2.
4. You can install Exchange 2007 SP2 from the command line or by using the Exchange 2007 Setup wizard.
5. After you have prepared Active Directory and each domain, you can install Exchange 2007 SP2 by using an account that has been delegated the Exchange Organization Administrator role.
6. You cannot uninstall Exchange 2007 SP2.
7. If you have Windows Server 2003 with Exchange Server 2007 and you want to install SP2 and also upgrade the server to Windows Server 2008, make note of the following: Microsoft does not support upgrading the operating system to Windows Server 2008 and then upgrading Exchange 2007 to Exchange 2007 SP2, or upgrading Exchange 2007 to Exchange 2007 SP2, and then upgrading the operating system to Windows Server 2008. In order to deploy Exchange 2007 SP2 on a Windows Server 2008-based computer, first install Windows Server 2008 on a computer that does not have Exchange installed, and then install Exchange 2007 SP2.
As always, before installing Exchange Server 2007 SP2 I strongly advise you to read the release notes:
Download details: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 SP2 Release Notes:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=EE7829A3-0AE8-44DE-822C-908CD1034523&displaylang=en
Additional reading:
You Had Me At EHLO… : Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 2 available in Q3 2009:
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2009/05/11/451281.aspx