Manage Windows Small Business Server 2003 e-mail accounts

Microsoft's Windows Small Business Server (SBS) is changing the way many small businesses operate. Combining simple but powerful Windows user controls and robust e-mail services in a single platform priced attractively for smaller organizations is one of the brighter ideas Microsoft's had of late.

Organizations everywhere are turning to Windows Small Business Server 2003 to power their small businesses. As the platform's Exchange services are often part of the draw, here's what you need to know when it comes to managing SBS 2003 e-mail accounts.

When you create a new user in Windows Small Business Server 2003, the Add User Wizard creates an Exchange mailbox for that user and adds the user to the default Exchange distribution group. You can also use the Change User Permissions Wizard to create Exchange mailboxes for users.

By default, SBS 2003 restricts a user's mailbox size, as well as the storage space available to that user. The restrictions help protect Exchange, and the server, from growing out of control. In the case of SBS 2003's Exchange mailbox store, there's a hard stop at 16GB in total size. Installing Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2 expands the mailbox store size limit to 75GB.

Note that the default mailbox store database is limited to 18GB following the installation of Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2. A registry change is required to enable the database to grow to the new 75GB limit (while beyond the scope of this article, you can learn more about making this registry change here).

Out of the gate, Exchange limits user mailbox sizes to 200MB in SBS 2003. Users will begin receiving warning messages when their mailbox sizes reach 175MB. As long as the user's mailbox size is less than 200MB, the user will continue to be able to send and receive e-mail using the Exchange 2003 Server built into Windows Small Business Server 2003. Once a user's mailbox size reaches or exceeds the default 200MB, however, the user will no longer be able to send or receive e-mail until the mailbox's size is reduced below the limit (or the mailbox size limit is adjusted).

Change a single user's mailbox size limit
To change a single user's mailbox size limit (Figure A):

1. Log on to the server as a member of the Domain Admins group.
2. Open Server Management from the Start menu or using a desktop icon.
3. Select Users.

Figure A

Use SBS' Server Management console to change a user's mailbox settings.

4. From the details pane that appears on the right, highlight the user account you wish to configure.
5. Click Change User Properties (and the users' Properties dialog box will appear).
6. Select the Exchange General tab (Figure B).

Figure B

Highlight the Exchange General tab from the user's Properties dialog box to access the Storage Limits button.

7. Click the Storage Limits box (Figure C).
8. Within the Storage Limits section of the resulting Storage Limits dialog box, Uncheck the Use Mailbox Store Defaults checkbox.
9. Specify the values you wish to use warnings, prohibit sending new mail and prohibit sending and receiving mail. Note all values are entered in kilobytes (enter 307200 KB to set a limit of 300 MB).

Figure C

Uncheck the Use Mailbox Store Defaults checkbox and specify warning limits and send stops in kilobytes.

10. Click OK.

Change the default mailbox limit for all users
You can also configure mailbox limits for all users at once. The actual mailbox limit is specified within the Mailbox Store (Figure D). To change the default mailbox limit for all users, follow these steps:

1. Log on to the SBS 2003 server as a member of the Domain Admins group.
2. Open Server Management from the Start menu or using a desktop icon.
3. Expand the Advanced Management section.
4. Navigate to First Organization (Exchange); note the name will change when you select it to reflect the name of the default Exchange organization.
5. Expand the Servers entry.
6. Select the SBS 2003 server powering the Exchange services.
7. Expand the First Storage Group entry.
8. Right-click Mailbox Store (Server Name) and select Properties.

Figure D

Navigate to the Mailbox Store within the Server Management console, right-click it, and select Properties to access default settings for mailbox size limits.

9. The Mailbox Store (Server Name) Properties dialog box will appear; highlight the Limits tab.
10. Configure (in kilobytes) the mailbox size limits at which users will receive a warning message (Figure E).
11. Configure the size limit (in kilobytes) at which users will stop being able to send e-mail.
12. Specify the limit at which users will be unable to send or receive e-mail. Specify your settings in kilobytes (again, 307200 KB equals 300 MB).
13. You can also specify warning message frequency from the Mailbox Store (Server Name) Properties dialog box; Use the drop-down menu or click the Customize button specify how often warning messages are sent to the user (the default setting is Daily At Midnight).

Figure E

Configure mailbox warning, send and receive restrictions using the Limits tab.

14. Click OK.

Change default deleted items settings
The Exchange implementation baked into Windows Small Business Server 2003 also limits how long deleted items and deleted mailboxes are maintained. The default setting is 30 days. To change the default deleted items and mailboxes retention schedules:

1. Log on to the SBS 2003 server as a member of the Domain Admins group.
2. Open the Server Management console and navigate to the Mailbox Store (Server Name) Properties dialog box using the steps described above.
3. Highlight the Limits tab.
4. Within the Deletion Settings section, specify the number of days deleted items should be retained.
5. Within the Deletion Settings section, specify the number of days deleted mailboxes should be retained.
6. Check the Do Not Permanently Delete Mailboxes And Items Until The Store Has Been Backed Up checkbox if you wish to retain a deleted mailbox at least until the mailbox store is backed up.
7. Click OK.

Add a new user e-mail address
Occasionally you'll encounter a user that needs to send or receive e-mail from multiple e-mail addresses. To add secondary e-mail addresses for a user, follow these steps:

1. Log on to the SBS 2003 server as a member of the Domain Admins group.
2. Open the Server Management console.
3. Select Users.
4. From the details pane on the right, highlight the user name that will receive the new e-mail account.
5. Click Change User Properties (and the users' Properties dialog box will appear).
6. Highlight the E-mail Addresses tab (Figure F).

Figure F

Highlight the E-mail Addresses tab to configure a new or secondary e-mail address for a user.

7. Click the New button.
8. The New E-mail Address dialog box appears. Specify the type of e-mail address you wish to create and click OK (for this example I'll create an SMTP address, Figure G).

Figure G

From the New E-mail Address dialog box, specify the type of e-mail address you wish to create.

9. Specify the required information to create the new e-mail address (in the case of creating an SMTP address, you must enter the new e-mail address in the Internet Address Properties dialog box and click OK, Figure H).

Figure H

When creating a new SMTP address, you must enter the full e-mail address you wish to add for the user.