Book Review: “Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Best Practices”

“Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Best Practices” is a guide ‘by Exchange geeks for Exchange geeks’.   The author worked with the Exchange team when writing this book and drew on the experience of Exchange MVP’s (Most Valuable Professionals).

It’s very clear from the beginning that the authors are passionate about the topic and have a firm grasp of the technology involved in Microsoft’s Exchange product as it has developed and matured over the years.

The book is written for people that already have a firm grasp on both Exchange Server and messaging in general.   If you are just getting started with Microsoft Exchange administration then there are better books to start with.    The book is an investigation into the nuts and bolts of the Exchange Server environment and explains how all of the pieces fit together.   Knowing the changes in Hub Transport and Client Access Roles in 2010 and how they were designed go a long way in building and maintaining a proper implementation.

The book is broken into sections that follow along with the Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) and explore each section Planning (Plan), Designing (Deliver) and Maintaining (Operate), in depth along with many real world examples of why certain settings (such as why Exchange runs as an ESE database and not SQL) were designed.

The book is not a how-to guide, it does not provide step-by-step installation guide for Exchange Server or an in-depth listing of PowerShell cmdlets.   However, it does provide the “how” and “why” of Exchange Server and thus an in-depth understanding of one of Microsoft’s most successful product lines.

While I usually find most Exchange Server books either too simple in their approach or so overly technical it just becomes a print copy of TechNet,  this book genuinely held my interest as an above mentioned ‘Exchange geek’ and would be something I recommend to anyone looking to take their Exchange Server knowledge to the next level.