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Exchange Server 2007 Supportability Matrix

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The_Exchange_Team
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Sep 09, 2009

With the release of Exchange 2007 SP2 we are providing a supportability matrix that identifies the various supported configurations of Exchange Server (operating system, Active Directory, Clients, .Net Framework, etc). You can find this document on our Exchange TechCenter at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee338574.aspx. Here are some notable guidelines from the article:

  • Exchange Server 2003 is not supported in Active Directory environments whose domain/forest functional levels have been raised beyond Windows Server 2003. However, Exchange Server 2003 SP2 is supported against Windows Server 2008 Active Directory servers.
  • Exchange Server 2007 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 R2. However, Exchange 2007 SP1 RU9 and SP2 are supported against Windows Server 2008 R2 Active Directory servers. In addition, Exchange 2007 SP1 RU9 and SP2 are supported in Active Directory environments whose domain/forest functional levels have been raised to Windows Server 2008 R2.
  • Exchange 2007 SP2 is supported with PowerShell 2.0.

-- Ross Smith IV

Updated Jul 01, 2019
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  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Sep 10, 2009
    Just a quick added note:

    Seeing that it is highly likely that there will be a lot of questions around bullet #2 in this posts, we just wanted to let you know that we are working on a blog post specifically about that subject and are hoping to have it posted soon.
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Sep 10, 2009
    I am really happy to learn that Exchange 2007 SP2 is supported with PowerShell 2.0.
    But Powershell 2.0 is available with Windows 2008 R2 ... and W2K8R2 is not supported for Exchange 2007 SP2.
    And Powershell 2.0 is not available for Windows 2008 SP2...

    So, can you confirm me that you mean Exchange 2007 is supported to be used to access Exchange 2007 servers... And the only way to do this, is from a Windows 7 computer or a Windows 2008 R2 for the moment?
    Thanks for your reply :)
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Sep 10, 2009
    Can MS please expand on the statement in the SP2 release notes that states "PowerShell Version 2 is supported on all Exchange 2007 SP2 server roles. PSv2 is the preferred solution for PowerShell on Windows Server 2008 servers and servers" ?

    After SP2 for Exchange 2007 is installed can the Powershell V2 release candidate be installed on the Exchange 2007-SP2 server ?  If not what is it that we are waiting for, the RTM of Powershell 2.0 for Windows 2008 ?  Another post-SP2 update to Exchange 2007 that will fully support Powershell V2 ?  Please advise.  Thank You.

    Sam
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Sep 10, 2009
    Sam - Thanks for your comments.  When Powershell 2.0 RTMs we will fully support using Powershell 2.0 on Exchange 2007 servers and Exchange 2007 management tool workstations.  In addition, one of the reasons for this configuration is to enable side-by-side

    coexistence of the Exchange 2007 management tools and the Exchange 2010 management tools on workstations (Windows Vista) and servers (Windows Server 2008).



    philippegilb - Powershell 2.0 will be available for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008 in both x86 and x64 flavors. You can check out the CTP version here -

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=c913aeab-d7b4-4bb1-a958-ee6d7fe307bc



    Ross

  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Sep 10, 2009
    I think I speak for every admin out here that it had better be one hell of a detailed, thoughtful explanation on WHY 2008 R2 won't be supported with Exchange 2007... and I don't mean "we want you to buy all new hardware, OS, and Exchange platform."

    As I said several blog posts ago, you've made upgrading and migrating a pain in the butt for years... it's time you spend a version to make transitions more administrator friendly in terms of cost and time, not just in functionality.
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Sep 10, 2009
    We've been planning on upgrading our domain from Windows 2003 to Windows 2008 R2 whilst still running Exchange 2003 SP2. Then when Exchange 2010 hits we're planning on going straight to that (bypassing E2K7). Are there plans to support Windows 2008 R2 Active Directory environments whose domain/forest functional levels have been raised beyond Windows Server 2003? Can Exchange Server 2003 SP2 function against Windows Server 2008 R2 Active Directory servers?
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Sep 10, 2009
    It sounds strange that Exchange 2003 sp2 is not supported with 2008 R2 DC. This implies that upgrading AD to 2008 R2 might have an impact on lot of other applications if it has one on  Exchange 2003 which is a core application from Microsoft.
    This also narrows the upgrade path for customers which are still running Exchange 2003 with AD 2003 (first upgrade to Exchange than to AD 2008 R2)
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Sep 10, 2009
    There's still one area I'm not clear on; we're planning to upgrade our schema/forest/domain to Win 2008 R2 but we're only putting in Win 2008 DCs*.  Forest & domain functional level will still be 2003.  

    Are 2007 SP1 RU9 & 2003 SP2 servers supported in this configuration?  

    The articles covers OS versions for DCs and forest/domain levels, but not the schema/forest/domain prep levels.


    *We aren't covered for 2008 R2 under Software Assurance. We only have 2003 DCs at the moment and are replacing them with 2008.  At some point we'll go to 2008 R2 DCs and we want to avoid doing schema/forest/domain prep twice.  We need to do the 2008 prep work, so we decided to do the 2008 R2 prep work too.  
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Sep 11, 2009
    @maclarena
    "schema prep levels" have no impact.  This just means additional object classes are defined in the schema.  Exchange doesnt access the schema partition in this way, it uses domain controllers instead.  so having this extra data in the schema wont matter until the domain controllers want it to.
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Sep 11, 2009
    I'm not surprised that Exchange 2003 SP2 isn't supported under AD 2008 R2 because Exchange 2003 SP2 is End of Life, no feature enhancements means no support enhancements in my book. No one should be surprised by this.