Exchange 2007 Discontinued Features
Many features found in earlier versions of Microsoft Exchange Server have been removed from Exchange 2007. Some of these features have replaced by other Microsoft products, other simply do not exist, and require you to keep an older version of Exchange 2000/2003 if you wish to continue using them. This article describes the components, features and functionality that has been removed, discontinued, or replaced in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.
Items marked in red should be of special interest to most system administrators.
Architecture Features
| Feature | Comments and mitigation |
| Routing groups, Link state routing, Routing objects | Routing groups are no longer needed since Exchange 2007 now uses Active Directory site-based routing. |
| Administrative groups | Exchange 2007 uses the Exchange 2007 split permissions model that is based on Universal Security Groups. |
| Intelligent Message Filter | No longer needed since Exchange 2007 now uses the anti-spam agents in the Hub Transport and Edge Transport server roles. |
| Network-attached storage | Exchange 2007 supports Internet SCSI (iSCSI). |
| Exchange Installable File System (ExIFS) | Exchange Web Services or MAPI enable you to perform the necessary tasks. |
| Event service | No longer available. Retain a computer that is running Exchange 2000/2003 in the Exchange 2007 organization if you need this functionality. |
Recipient-Related Features
| Feature | Comments and mitigation |
| Exchange extensions in Active Directory Users and Computers (DSA.MSC) | No longer available. DSA.MSC no longer has the Exchange Tasks and Exchange tabs for the recipients. Recipient management is included in the Exchange Management Console in Exchange 2007. |
| ExMerge support | ExMerge is no longer supported. The Exchange Management Shell Export-Mailbox cmdlet or the Move Mailbox Wizard can be used to perform the necessary mailbox tasks. |
| Recipient Update Service (RUS) | Use the Update-AddressList and Update-EmailAddressPolicy Exchange Management Shell cmdlets instead. |
Exchange Server 5.5 Features
| Feature | Comments and mitigation |
| Installing Exchange Server 5.5 into an Exchange 2007 organization, support for Exchange Server 5.5 in the same forest as Exchange 2007 and installing Exchange 2007 into an organization that contains computers that are running Exchange Server 5.5 | Move the mailboxes from Exchange Server 5.5 to Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003, and then move them to your Exchange 2007 servers by using Exchange Management Shell cmdlets or the Move Mailbox Wizard. |
| Active Directory Connector (ADC) and Site Replication Service (SRS) | Exchange 2007 does not directly interoperate with Exchange Server 5.5. |
Mobile Access Features
| Feature | Comments and Mitigation |
| Outlook Mobile Access (OMA) | Switch to Exchange ActiveSync or retain a computer that is running Exchange 2003. |
| Outlook Mobile Access Browse | Use a hardware device that supports Exchange ActiveSync. |
| Exchange ActiveSync: SMS Always-Up-To-Date | Switch to Direct Push technology. |
| Exchange ActiveSync: S/MIME abilities | Retain a computer that is running Exchange 2000/2003 in the Exchange 2007 organization if you need this functionality. |
Outlook Web Access Features
| Feature | Comments and mitigation |
| S/MIME control, Rules, post forms, monthly calendar view, Custom forms, Public folder access, Editing personal distribution lists | Retain a computer that is running Exchange 2000/2003 in the Exchange 2007 organization if you need this functionality. |
| URL commands except for free/busy, galfind, navbar, and contents | Use Exchange Web Services |
| Exchange Web forms | Use Outlook Web Access custom forms. |
Public Folder Features
| Feature | Comments and mitigation |
| Public folder graphical user interface (GUI) management, Non-MAPI top-level hierarchies in a public folder store, Public folder access by using Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP), Public folder access by using IMAP4 | Retain a computer that is running Exchange 2000/2003 in the Exchange 2007 organization if you need this functionality. |
Protocol Features
| Feature | Comments and mitigation |
| NNTP, X.400 Message Transfer Agent (MTA) | Retain a computer that is running Exchange 2000/2003 in the Exchange 2007 organization if you need this functionality. |
| POP3 or IMAP4 graphical user interface management | Use Exchange Management Shell cmdlets. |
| SMTP virtual server instances | Use Exchange 2007 SMTP connectors. |
Connector Features
| Feature | Comments and mitigation |
| Microsoft Exchange Connector for Novell GroupWise and migration tools | Retain a computer that is running Exchange 2000/2003 in the Exchange 2007 organization if you need this functionality. |
| Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus Notes | Use the appropriate tools for coexisting and migrating from Lotus Notes available at the Resources for Moving to the Microsoft Collaboration Platform Web site. |
High Availability Features
| Feature | Comments and mitigation |
| Active/active clustering | Switch to active/passive clustering. |
APIs and Development Features
| Feature | Comments and mitigation |
| Transport event hooks, Microsoft Collaboration Data Objects for Exchange Management (CDOEXM), Exchange Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) classes | Retain a computer that is running Exchange 2000/2003 in the Exchange 2007 organization if you need this functionality. |
| Workflow Designer that was included with the Exchange 2003 SDK, Collaboration Data Objects (CDO) for Workflow that was included with Exchange 2003. | Use Windows Workflow Services (WWS). |
| MAPI client and CDO 1.2.1 on the Exchange installation | Exchange 2007 no longer depends on these components. They are a separate component that will be available for download. |
Tools and Management Features
| Feature | Comments and mitigation |
| Monitoring and status node | Use a monitoring solution such as Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM). |
| Message Tracking Center node and tracking mechanism | Use the Exchange Server Mail Flow Analyzer. |
| Mailbox Recovery Center | Use the Exchange Server Disaster Recovery Analyzer. |
| Mailbox Management Service | Use Messaging Records Management. |
| Clean Mailbox tool | Use the Export-Mailbox Exchange Management Shell cmdlet. |
| Migration Wizard | Use the Move-Mailbox Exchange Management Shell cmdlet. |
| ExProfRe | Use the Autodiscover service. |
| Inter-Organization Replication tool | If you are using Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 to access e-mail, you can use the Availability service to share free/busy data across forests. The Availability service is supported only for Outlook 2007 clients. If you are using any other versions of Outlook, you must install an Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 server into the Exchange 2007 organization and use the Microsoft Exchange Inter-Organization Replication tool to synchronize free/busy data across multiple forests. |
Other features are still supported for the current version, but will be deemphasized in future versions. Read Exchange 2007 Deemphasized Functionality for more info.
More documentation can be found on the Exchange 2007 Documentation page.
