Applies to: Exchange Server 2013

Topic Last Modified: 2013-02-19

In Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, the Mailbox server role hosted both mailbox and public folder databases and also provided email message storage. Now, in Exchange Server 2013, the Mailbox server role also includes the Client Access protocols, Transport service, mailbox databases, and Unified Messaging components.

In Exchange 2013, the Mailbox server role interacts directly with Active Directory, the Client Access server, and Microsoft Outlook clients in the following process:

Mailbox and Client Access server interaction and architecture

Client Access and Mailbox server interaction

For more details, see the “Exchange 2013 architecture” section in What's New in Exchange 2013.

New Mailbox features

The following list briefly describes some new and some improved features in the Mailbox role for Exchange 2013:

  • Evolution of the Exchange 2010 database availability group (DAG):

    • Transaction log code has been refactored for fast failover with deep checkpoint on passive database copies.

    • To support enhanced site resiliency, servers can be in different locations.

  • Exchange 2013 now hosts some Client Access components, the Transport components, and the Unified Messaging components.

  • The Exchange Store has been re-written in managed code to improve performance in additional I/O reduction and reliability.

  • Each Exchange 2013 database now runs under its own process.

  • Smart Search has replaced the Exchange 2010 multi-mailbox search infrastructure.

Securing Mailbox servers

By default, HTTP, Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, POP3, and IMAP4 communication between the Mailbox servers and other Exchange server roles, domain controllers, and global catalog servers is encrypted. In addition, make sure that your Mailbox servers aren't accessible to the Internet.

For more information