Hi All, I am ready to install Exchange 2010 into a single Exchange 2003 server environment soon. I have run the Exchange pre deployment analyzer and one of the warnings it has come back is we have SMTP configured to route all messages to a smart host. "Remove this option if this SMTP instance wil be set as the source or target transport server of a routing group connector between Exchange Server 2010 and an Exchange Server 2003 routing group." I would like to keep routing all of our outbound emails through this smart host. What do i need to do here. When Exchange 2010 is installed will all of the email be routed through the new exchange server - if so do I remove the smart host from the Exchange 2003 server and just configure 2010 to use it? Thanks

Hi Tim, Thankyou for you quick reply - I have marked your answer as correct. It would probably make sense to install the new send connector onto the Exchange 2010 server as I want to retire the exchange 2003 server eventually. Could I just ask one more thing (I hope you dont mind) when I install Exchange 2010 into my 2003 environment should I install the roles seperately or should I just select typical installation allowing it to install the 3 roles that I need. The reason I ask is I have read several articles saying do it seperatlely as it can cause issues. I also have the Exchange 2010 with SP1 iso and Exchange 2010 iso. Is it best to install SP1 afterwards or just use the combined sp1 media? Many Thanks Chris

Thanks thats an excellent point. Would it be best to remove the smart host from the virtual default server first and setup the smtp connector in 2003 and get it working. Then setup 2010 so there is no disruption to outbound email. Many Thanks

That would be the way that I would do it. That way you can test out all functionality for coexistence and then move over mail flow once you are comfortable with it. Tim Harrington | MVP: Exchange | MCITP: EMA 2007/2010, MCITP: Lync 2010, MCITP: Server 2008, MCTS: OCS | Blog: http://HowDoUC.blogspot.com | Twitter: @twharrington