Exchange Key Concepts

Redesigned Messaging Storage Technology

The Exchange 2000 Server storage system stores both messaging and file information using Web Storage System technology. You can save and access files from Web Storage System just as you would those stored with the Windows file system. Web Storage System can also be used as a collaboration server and an Internet publishing platform because it supports Internet protocols and formats including HTTP, WebDAV, Extensible Markup Language (XML), and Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME). For example, you can use Web Storage System to support HTTP/DAV access, so that clients can read and write information to Web Storage System from an HTTP client, like Microsoft Internet Explorer. Additionally, Web Storage System supports storage groups and multiple messaging databases on a single server.

Web Storage System and HTTP/DAV Support

Web Storage System provides extensible support for HTTP/DAV. Every message and folder in your mailbox, as well as postings, messages, and folders in any public folder hierarchy that you grant users access to, can be accessed using a Web browser.

Web Storage System built-in full-text indexing enables high speed, accurate full-text searches across a diverse set of information types, such as e-mail messages, e-mail attachments, Web content, and documents such as Microsoft Office files. Full-text indexing and search enables users to find information quickly and easily using familiar search tools such as Outlook 2000.

Also, you can use Web Storage System to host custom-developed applications for your organization that are designed to be accessed through an HTTP client or browser.

Multiple Messaging Databases

In previous versions of Exchange, the information store supported only one private messaging database (Priv.edb) and one public messaging database (Pub.edb) per server. If either of the two databases grows too large, it can be time consuming to back it up or restore it in case of a hardware failure.

Exchange 2000 supports multiple databases on each server. By breaking up your mailbox store and public folder store databases into multiple databases, it is easier to manipulate, back up, and restore the databases. With the addition of multiple messaging databases, Exchange is no longer bound to a maximum number of users per server. A powerful server with enough storage capacity can conceivably host many more users by breaking the messaging databases into separate files.

In Exchange 2000, multiple databases can be organized into storage groups. You can use storage groups to increase performance by increasing the number of simultaneous users on a server and to create and administer custom backup schedules for each storage group.

Related Topics

HTTP Configuring Information Stores Use Full-Text Indexing Multiple Information Stores and Storage Groups Public Folders Exposed as Web Folders