I wanted to ask this question of our exchange tech experts out there. 'What is the most basic and most critical part of the Exchange Server system (2003 or 2007)?" I was asked this question at a interview, and I provided an answer but all the guy would say was 'Lower, lower...' I consider myself very knowledgable about Exchange, and have installed/configured/troubleshot/mainained it from 5.5 to 2010, but I am not certified. All trial by fire for me. My assumption was it was a service... and it's intregration with AD makes me think this is what he meant, but I think it was him just being a difficult person who wanted the position I was interviewing for (he was a junior tech). Of course, he would not provide his answer. Thanks, and I appreciate any inputs.

See you can have a look for the below chart will get some info and difference between both (2003- 2007) there are lot of things which can be answered respective to 2003/2007 basic and critical part. If i will say there nothing basic and should not take it lightly all are important and critical. You should ask what it means basic in what term is he asking basic functionality/administration/ Routing/implementation/Support etc etc... Storage/Mailbox data/Database is the most critical component of any of the Exchange server and organization. But not that only everything is important if any of the Role in exchange 2007 does not work nothing will work. And same in exchange 2003 if the Routing group does not configured properly or any of the below server (Frontend, bridgehead, backend) stuckup then again you will be in a trouble. And as you mentioned that service and AD integration then yes basic thing of any application is service if that will be stop then it won't respond and no only AD like i said above there are other things too which are imp and critical) Exchange Server 2003 Exchange Server 2007/2010 Front End Server Client Access Server role Bridgehead Server Hub Transport Server role Back End Server Mailbox Server role Third-party AV/AS system Edge Transport Server role Third-party phone/voicemail system Unified Messaging Server role

IMHO, the most basic and critical part of an Exchange Server system is an accepted domain. Without a namespace, it's a paperweight.[string](0..33|%{[char][int](46+("686552495351636652556262185355647068516270555358646562655775 0645570").substring(($_*2),2))})-replace " "

See you can have a look for the below chart will get some info and difference between both (2003- 2007) there are lot of things which can be answered respective to 2003/2007 basic and critical part. If i will say there nothing basic and should not take it lightly all are important and critical. You should ask what it means basic in what term is he asking basic functionality/administration/ Routing/implementation/Support etc etc... Storage/Mailbox data/Database is the most critical component of any of the Exchange server and organization. But not that only everything is important if any of the Role in exchange 2007 does not work nothing will work. And same in exchange 2003 if the Routing group does not configured properly or any of the below server (Frontend, bridgehead, backend) stuckup then again you will be in a trouble. And as you mentioned that service and AD integration then yes basic thing of any application is service if that will be stop then it won't respond and no only AD like i said above there are other things too which are imp and critical) Exchange Server 2003 Exchange Server 2007/2010 Front End Server Client Access Server role Bridgehead Server Hub Transport Server role Back End Server Mailbox Server role Third-party AV/AS system Edge Transport Server role Third-party phone/voicemail system Unified Messaging Server role

Hello BrianC15, Any update pls let us know if you wann know more about the query ? Thanks

Funny, I would've said the same thing as you, the critical dependant component of Exchange is AD. I would've asked him to be more specific, every interviewer has different answers they're looking for.James Chong MCITP | EA | EMA; MCSE | M+, S+ Security+, Project+, ITIL msexchangetips.blogspot.com

For Exchange 2003/2007 AD is critical. For Exchange 5.5 not so much because it had it's own directory. But the one common denominator in all of them is that namespace. That is it's sole purpose for being. Even starting out from scratch without an AD domain, before you can even create the domain you need to know what that namespace is going to be for the domain before you can create the AD infrastructure that Exchange will inherit that namespace from.[string](0..33|%{[char][int](46+("686552495351636652556262185355647068516270555358646562655775 0645570").substring(($_*2),2))})-replace " "