XCON: Site Connector Configuration Basics (165119)

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Administrative Account: This account is the user who was logged in during the installation of Microsoft Exchange Server. This user will receive Permissions Admin for the Organization, Site, and Configuration objects. These are the three parent objects and the permission will be propagated to all child objects.

Service Account: This should be a Domain User account made prior to installation of the Microsoft Exchange Server. This account will receive a Custom role on the Organization object and Service Account Admin on the Site and Configuration Objects. This account will be granted rights to Log On as a Service and Restore Files and Directories. This account can be changed on a single Server Site, but requires modifying the Microsoft Exchange Schema and NT Registry permissions.

Environment: The Windows NT pagefile on Intel based servers should have an Initial setting equal to physical memory plus 111 megabytes and a Maximum equal to 211 megabytes plus physical memory. RISC based servers should have an Initial pagefile equal to 61 megabytes greater than physical memory and a Maximum pagefile equal to 111 megabytes plus physical memory.

Memory: Run the Microsoft Exchange Optimizer and configure the Microsoft Exchange Server as is appropriate for the server. Limit the amount of memory that Microsoft Exchange Server may use. This reserves memory for the operating system and has been shown to eliminate erratic behavior in the MTA. The following are guidelines for Microsoft Exchange memory use. Determine total physical memory installed on the server. Multiply this number by .75. Select the Memory Usage check box and enter the result of the previous calculation. The rule of thumb is use 75 percent of total physical memory for Microsoft Exchange. This reserves 25 percent of real memory for Windows NT.

Connector configuration methodology is dependent on the NT Domain model(s) involved and the type of server on which Microsoft Exchange is installed. Confirm the type of server on which Microsoft Exchange is installed, it is important to know if the server is Domain Controller or a Member Server. Microsoft Exchange Server requires that at least one server be a domain controller for domain validation.

If the servers are in the same domain, It is preferable to use the same service account. However, this is not a requirement. Selecting different service accounts will require use of the override properties on any Site connector between Sites with different service accounts.

As a minimum, assign Admin Permissions for the Site and Configuration Objects to the User or Group that will be configuring a Site connector. If the Sites use different service accounts, enter the service account for the other Site on the Override tab of the Site connector.