Exchange Management Console Interoperability

Applies to: Exchange Server 2010

The Exchange Management Console (EMC) is a Microsoft Management Console-(MMC) based tool that provides Exchange administrators with a GUI to manage the configuration of Exchange organizations. You can also add the Exchange Management Console snap-in to custom MMC-based tools. This topic discusses interoperability between the EMC in Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and earlier versions of Exchange, specifically Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2007.

For more information about the improvements to the Exchange Management Console, see New Administrative Functionality in the Exchange Management Console.

Interoperability with Exchange 2003

You can't manage Exchange 2010 objects using the Exchange Server 2003 System Manager. You can use the EMC in Exchange 2010 to view certain properties and objects, like the routing group connector in Exchange Server 2003. You can't perform message tracking configuration tasks between Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2003. You must use Exchange 2003 messaging tracking tools within your Exchange 2003 organization, and Exchange 2010 messaging tracking tools within your Exchange 2010.

Interoperability with Exchange 2007

The Exchange Management Console (EMC) is available in both Exchange Server 2010 and Exchange Server 2007. The following lists the tasks and actions that can be performed using the EMC in either Exchange 2010 or Exchange 2007:

• Actions that create objects, such as new mailboxes or a new offline address book (OAB), can only be performed on a version of the EMC that's the same as the target object. For example, creating a mailbox on an Exchange 2007 Mailbox server must be performed with the EMC in Exchange 2007. The following applies:

  • Exchange 2007 Mailbox databases can't be managed from the EMC in Exchange 2010, although these databases can be viewed.
  • The EMC in Exchange 2010 can't enable or disable Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging mailboxes.
  • The EMC in Exchange 2010 can't manage Exchange 2007 mobile devices.

• Actions that require viewing of objects can be performed from any version of the EMC to any version of Exchange objects, with a few exceptions:

  • Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2007 transport rule objects can only be viewed from their corresponding version of the EMC.

  • Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2007 servers can only be viewed from their corresponding version of the EMC.

  • The Queue Viewer tool in the EMC in Exchange 2010 can't connect to an Exchange 2007 server to view queues or messages.

    Note

    If an Exchange 2007 object (such as a storage group) is no longer present in Exchange 2010, there's no interoperability expected or provided because Exchange 2010 isn't aware of the feature.

• You can't use message tracking configuration tasks between Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2007. You must use Exchange 2007 messaging tracking tools within your Exchange 2007 servers, and Exchange 2010 messaging tracking tools within your Exchange 2010 servers.

The following is a list of Exchange 2010-only and Exchange 2007-only objects. These objects are available for viewing, managing, and creating only in the corresponding version of the EMC.

Exchange 2007 objects no longer present in Exchange 2010:

• Storage groups
• Exchange Administrators
• WebDAV

Exchange 2010 Management Console-only objects:

• Database availability group
• Certificate creation
• Database copies
• Federation trust
• Sharing relationships
• Sharing policies
• Microsoft Office Outlook Web App mailbox policies
• Customer Experience Program properties

Side-by-Side Management Console

To use the side-by-side EMC feature, the Exchange 2007 EMC must first be installed on a non-Exchange administrative machine. After the Exchange 2007 EMC is installed, you can then install the Exchange 2010 EMC to run in a side-by-side scenario.

For more information, see Install the Exchange 2010 Management Tools.