Exchange 2007 ≠ 2003

Is Exchange 2007 really that much different than 2003? I was just told by a recruiter that 2003 was NOT good enough, and that 2007 was *mandatory.* Never mind that literally everything else they had on the posting I have worked on, minus EMC, but they said any SAN/NAS would experience would do. . . I suppose NetApp doesn't count. Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, VMWare, BES, 3rd level tech support, MCSE & MCSA, and on and on.

Offering to take the MCTS on 2007 within 90 days of hire was not enough to dissuade her.

I love recruiters.

And clearly by love I mean loathe.

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Comments

Claymoore

pwjohnston wrote: »

Is Exchange 2007 really that much different than 2003?

Yes, it is. If Exchange 2007 experience is a requirement for the position and you don't have the experience, then they will pass. All the other technologies may have been 'nice to have', but 2007 must have been a 'must have' skill. Employers can afford to be picky now.

I have passed on folks with 2000/2003 experience because I need consultants with 2007 or even 2010 experience and I don't have time to teach them. In reality, I don't even have time to interview them so I will filter them out based on resume or my recruiter will filter them at an early stage.

vCole

There are many more features in 2007

1.Protection: anti-spam, antivirus, compliance, clustering with data replication, improved security and encryption
2.Improved Information Worker Access: improved calendaring, unified messaging, improved mobility, improved web access
3.Improved IT Experience: 64-bit performance & scalability, command-line shell & simplified GUI, improved deployment, role separation, simplified routing
4.Exchange Management Shell: a new command-line shell and scripting language for system administration (based on Windows PowerShell). Shell users can perform every task that can be performed in the Exchange Server graphical user interface plus additional tasks, and can program often-used or complex tasks into scripts that can be saved, shared, and re-used. The Exchange Management Shell has over 375 unique commands to manage features of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.
5."Unified Messaging" that lets users receive voice mail, e-mail, and faxes in their mailboxes, and lets them access their mailboxes from cell phones and other wireless devices. Voice commands can be given to control and listen to e-mail over the phone (and also send some basic messages, like "I'll be late")
6.Removed the database maximum size limit. Database size is now limited by hardware capability and the window for backups and maintenance.
7.Increased the maximum number of storage groups and mail databases per server, to 5 each for Standard Edition (from 1 each in Exchange Server 2003 Standard), and to 50 each for Enterprise Edition (from 4 groups and 20 databases in Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise).

petedude

Isn't Exchange 2007 where M$ made the move from its older proprietary mailbox store to SQL Server for mail storage?

While there are probably lots of smaller companies still using Exchange 2003, it would be a safe bet to have experience no later than one version behind on any M$ product. With Exchange 2010 out now, that means you should know at least Exchange 2007.

. . . and it also means another book to put next to the Exchange '03 book on my shelf. . . :: sigh ::

Claymoore

petedude wrote: »

Isn't Exchange 2007 where M$ made the move from its older proprietary mailbox store to SQL Server for mail storage?

Nope. Both Exchange 2007 and 2010 are still a Jet Blue database and it is highly unlikely Exchange will ever convert to a SQL back-end. An Exchange database has different needs than a SQL database and the Exchange database engine performs better because it has been customized for Exchange. The Exchange team also does not want to be beholden to the SQL team and have to adjust their development shedules or features based on the whims of the SQL team.

http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2009/07/16/451784.aspx

petedude

Thanks, Claymoore-- I seemed to remember M$ touting that for Exchange '07, but it apparently got stopped in route. Funny enough-- it seems M$ would like SQL in everything-- on down to the Windows OS filesystem-- but it just isn't happening.