Announcing the release of Service Pack 2 for Exchange Server 2007!
Published Aug 25 2009 12:36 PM 2,490 Views

We are pleased to announce the release of Service Pack 2 for Exchange 2007. This marks an important milestone in the development process for Exchange Server 2007. Our team has provided a couple of blog posts here and here outlining what is available in this service pack release. During this week, we will feature a series of posts to add additional information which will hopefully assist in answering questions you may have on SP2.

As we mentioned previously, there are many important updates to Exchange 2007 in this service pack including:

  • Enhanced Auditing - New Exchange auditing events and audit log repository enable Exchange administrators to more easily audit the activities occurring on their Exchange servers. It allows the right balance of granularity, performance, and easy access to audited events via a dedicated audit log repository. This simplifies the auditing process and makes review of audited events easier by segregating audited events in a dedicated location.
  • Exchange Volume Snapshot Backup Functionality - A new backup plug-in has been added to the product that will enable customers to create Exchange backups when a backup is invoked through the Windows Server 2008 Backup tool. Exchange Server 2007 didn't have this capability on Windows Server 2008 and additional solutions were required to perform this task.
  • 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.
  • 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.

As always, we encourage you to use our Exchange Software update forums to post your question so that we can ensure a response.

Links:

1. Download SP2 here.
2. Before installing, read the release notes
here.
3. Questions? Ask us
here.

Thanks!

The Exchange Customers Experience Team

49 Comments
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Sweet.  Now has anyone tested against a BES to see if that sh!t breaks?
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Can't understand why Exchange 2007 is not supported on Windows 2008 R2 :( even with SP2
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BES 4.1.6 here and it works fine.
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Where's the R2 support?
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The link seems to not work ?
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working now sorry for the inconvenient
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Any idea when the other language packs will be released? An upgrade of the UM server requires all packs excluding en-US to be removed, but you appear to require an updated version of each language pack to reinstall. Naturally given their size, these aren't included with the SP2 download. Trying to explain what the "pound" key is to fellow Brits will be fun :)
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Did I read the release notes correctly in that you need to uninstall all Update Rollups before installing SP2?
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@ T Man

I'm pretty sure that's not the case.
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I have Exchange 2010 in my organization and it gave an error when I tried to install Exchange 2007 SP2. However, I am lead to believe that Exchange 2010 RC and RTM are both backwards compatible with Exchange 2007 SP2.

What are the ways of working around this because I need Exchange 2007 SP2 in my organization.
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@Mr G: The release notes contain the following remark:

"You must uninstall all Interim Updates prior to installing Exchange 2007 SP2"

What do they mean with "Interim Update"? Is that the same as an Update Rollup?
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T Man: Nope... what relnotes say is "You must uninstall all Interim Updates prior to installing Exchange 2007 SP2.". Interim updates are different than regular roll-ups. You can get an interim only if you worked on a support case with us and we built it for you. You'd probably know.

Liam Dye: Are you saying that you have E2003/E2010 organization and are trying to install E2007 into it? Or that you have E2003/E2007/E2010 organization and are trying to add the E2007 SP2 server into it? What is the error? Also - when you say "organization" you mean to say this is your lab, right?
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@Exchange: Haha yeah it's my lab.

I had nothing in my organization until last week where I installed AD DS and Exchange 2010 RC on Windows Server 2008 R2 RTM.

So I don't have any previous versions of Exchange before 2010.
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@Liam Dye

If you dont have Exchange 2007 in the domain yet, I'm guessing your going to have use the /adprep switch with the Exchange 2007 installer to import the schema updates for 2007.  
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Are there any bug fixes in this release, and if so, where are those documented?
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SP2 will update your AD schema to the same version as if you were installing Exchange 2010. Unfortunately, this is something that is as publicized as the NUMEROUS benifits it brings. Be mindful of that.
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@PaulP

I tried setup /adprep and it didn't recognize it as a command. So I tried a couple other switches to no avail. What interests me is what someone from Microsoft has to say if this is even supported (it should be).
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I would hold off on this, or at the very least make sure you have a backup taken before you run SP2.

We ran into issues where none of the Exchange services would start after the upgrade - they all reported "File not found" or "Cannot start".

We have had to go to a backup and repair the exchange install from scratch.
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My bad - existing UM lang packs will reinstall - but run setup.com from the SP2 extracted directory - not your previous source.
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Install went perfectly but Windows Server 2008 Backup isn't deleteing my transaction logs after a successful backup - http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/exchangesvrgeneral/thread/ed16b43b-66cc-4b7f-95ac-3...
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We are running Exchange 2007 sp1 with all the latest update rollups (ur9 now..). Do we need to run a command to update the schema for sp2 or does the installer do this automatically?

Before installing Exchange 2007 we had to use setup /p and setup /pd etc etc to update our environment (before running setup.exe)

cheers,
Joe
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As with Joe L, we are also running 2007 SP1 at the moment and I would like to know exactly which bits I need to run to prep the schema for SP2 (just schema, or forest and AD too).

I want to run the schema changes from the command line on a DC, with replication disabled until the changes have been completed and no errors, as Exchange and AD are managed seperately.
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For those asking about schema updates: yes, all you need to do is run Exchange 2007 SP2 update, and it will take care of this for you. You do not need to run any separate switches.

Jeff with the backup problem: are you saying that both transaction logs and databases for all of your storage groups are on D:, that is what you backed up and still no transaction log flush?
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I'm installing this onto a new exchange server that we just stood up yesterday, into an existing Exchange 2007 org.  The new server is Server 2007 SP1 + RU9 running on Server 2003 R2.  The first step of Organization Preperation is taking a very long time, so far 38+ minutes and Status: is Creating Exchange Configuration Objects in Active Directory.  Can anyone comment if this is normal for it to take this long, it's really difficult to tell if the progress bar has moved at all in the past 20 minutes or so.
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Update: Looks like after 45 minutes it finally went through.  
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Yes - exactly. Both are on D: right now, and D: was backed up by the built in 2008 Backup utility, and yet my transaction logs are still there.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/exchangesvrgeneral/thread/ed16b43b-66cc-4b7f-95ac-3... is the thread I created if you want to talk there (might be easier).
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Downloaded Language Pack for Exchange 2007 SP1 and installed with setup of SP2 but it's saying: error 1603 and that it can't find a complaint version.
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Was mostly good for me, System Attendant service wouldn't startup until I performed one more reboot, then it was good to go.  It did reset a couple IIS settings, like the HTTP Redirect.  BES is still working, and TDP for Exchange can still perform backups.
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I am really dissappointed by the backup functionality to be not the same flexibility as ntbackup so i use the well-known workaround with ntbackup on w2008, even with sp2 installed. Till today i am unable to understand why you took out important backup features compared to windows 2003.
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@Exchange but I normally run schema updates on a DC, not from an Exchange installer app, using ldifde.

Are there instructions on how to do this? A lot of organizations Exchange admins arent allowed to make schema changes ya know! :)
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I agree with Joerg, the backup functionality is so poor it's actually useless for me, and I can see how it would be very restrictive for those who might want to use it (small companies).
Oh well.
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Do I need schema update? On the release notes the "Upgrading to Exc.." doesn't any words of that, or have I lost something?
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Any news on when/if there is be a version of the Exchange 2007 management tools that will install on Windows 7?
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Zippgit:
I have succesfully installed the Exchange Management Console on Windows 7 RC and RTM. Just run the setup as administrator and you should be good to go.
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" Just run the setup as administrator and you should be good to go."

WHo would have thought it was that simple <DOH>

Thx..
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To address questions on extending schema:



Release notes (http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/3/E/83E9DB24-0041-4F7E-A0DD-26043BBF7CAA/RelNotes.htm) point to the article on how to prepare AD for Exchange 2007 (also updated for E2007 SP2): http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb125224.aspx



Just to make sure, I just ran through this in my lab: downloaded publicly available SP2 bits. Installed Windows Installer 4.5. Then ran setup /ps from the folder where SP2 files were extracted to. It ran and did extend the schema.



Are we saying that this does not work for some people?



C:E2007SP2RTM>setup /ps



Welcome to Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Unattended Setup



Preparing Exchange Setup



No server roles will be installed



Performing Microsoft Exchange Server Prerequisite Check



   Organization Checks              ......................... COMPLETED



Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server



   Extending Active Directory schema


   Progress                         ......................... COMPLETED



The Microsoft Exchange Server setup operation completed successfully.

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Still no progress on the transaction log issue. I'm going to have to move them to another machine soon if I can't convince exchange to get rid of them...
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I have successfully installed Exchange Server SP2 on Hub Transport, Client  Access, Mailbox Server, but failed to install on Edge Server. Here is the error message:

  Edge Transport Role  ...............................FAILED
     Active Directory operation failed on localhost. This error could have been caused by user input or by the Active Directory server being unavailable. Please retry at a later time. Additional information: Additional information: The directory service encounter an unknown failure.
     Active directory response: 000020EF: SvcErr: DSID-020804CB, problem 5012 (DIR_ERROR), data -1414.

Is there any method to solve this problem, thanks.
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Ok, schema must be updated, but why you have to copy the whole installation point if I run the "setup.com /ps" over the network. Our case it will be AD administrators who will run the task. So there are no reasons to copy whole set to DC.

if (switch == "ps")
{ CopyPartly();
  Install();
}

Try to improve the installation process, I know you can... ;)
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OK, so I'm trying to get this working in a test environemt and everything is working fine with Exchange 2007 SP1 but when I install SP" it fails because the Transport Service does not restart due to a time out if i reboot the server it creates errors in the event log
Any advice would be appreciated

Thank You
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In my test lab, I've got 2 Exchange 2003 SP2, 1 Exchange 2007 SP1 and one Exchange 2010 (different AD site). When trying to upgrade the 2007 to SP2, choosing "Step 5: Install Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 SP2" always puts me into SP1 maintenance mode. Alternatively, running setup from the command line results in "Exchange Server Setup encountered an error" and writes nothing to the logs. Any ideas?
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Goran,  my understanding is that Ex 2007 Sp2 is not supported on Win 2008 R2 because of powershell 2.0.  The rumor is that MS development time is being spent on Exchange 2010 right now. I think this may change depending on how much the large corporate customers complain, just like with Public folder support initially.
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Have downloaded SP2 Language Pack dutch and still getting error 1603 with installing.
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Exchange 2007 SP1 RU8 running on 2008 SP2 + Windows 2003 SP2 DCs's

Installed 2007 SP2 .. completed successfully

Now have errors on DCs :

1136 : Active Directory failed to create an index for the following attribute.

Attribute identifier:
1405913457
Attribute name:
msExchObjectID

1464 : While searching for an index, Active Directory detected that a new index is needed for the following attribute.

Attribute:
msExchObjectID
New index name:
INDEX_LP_53CC8971_1809



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Same problem as Alginald - after upgrading the CMS and rolling to the upgraded Node B, I am unable to complete the SP2 upgrade on Node A. I receive the error Exchange Server setup encountered an error - and nothing else to work with. Any ideas would be appreciated.
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After following this white paper http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb936719.aspx the SP2 fails with the error "The object `CN=Default Global Address List, CN=All Global Address Lists, CN=Address Lists Container,CN=<Organization>,CN=Microsoft Exchange etc.` already exists.
Could you give me exactly the DSCACLS commands that need to be run to reset the permissions to be able to install the SP2?
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Hi! I hope someone can help, this issue is really bugging me. I had an SP1 server running just fine on a Server 2003 R2 SP2 box with the AD on a Server 2003 R2 SP2 (x64, both are) box. Everything was working just fine. Installed SP2 and everything went well, but upon reboot I got a message saying some services failed to start. Looking at the event viewer it's three services: Microsoft Exchange Transport, " " Log Search, and Microsoft Exchange Mail Submission.

I read a KB article on the main MS site that says this will occur when the server is not connected to the Internet and cannot check with a MS site. I made the changes to the hosts file to have it not check for the site as the article said. The services still fail to start; they will start manually after a few tries.

Also, when I open the Exchange MC it pops up a warning saying "End Snap-In - Snap-In Not Responding", which I can dismiss and the MC opens with a caution sign on the server (in the tree on the left). This goes away after a minute and everything seems to be working.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide!
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