Certification Firm Boosts Email Availability, Reduces ...



Microsoft Exchange Server 2010Customer Solution Case Study52705010096500Certification Firm Boosts Email Availability, Reduces Management Tasks by 30 Percent OverviewCountry or Region: TaiwanIndustry: High-tech and electronics manufacturingCustomer ProfileSporton International provides testing and certification services to high-tech manufacturers. With headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, the company has 450 employees working from 10 locations.Business SituationSporton wanted to increase email availability, improve remote access, streamline IT administration, enhance security, and reduce costs.SolutionSporton upgraded to Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 with Service Pack 1 for its high-availability architecture and other improvements.BenefitsEmail availability of 99.99 percentLarger mailboxes at one-third the costAdministrative time savings of 30 percentEasier email security and complianceEnhanced remote access“With Exchange Server 2010, we can provide mailboxes that are up to 25 times larger than what we provided in our previous environment—at one-third the cost.”David Feng, IT Director, Sporton InternationalSporton International, a certification firm used by leading technology companies, wanted to improve the availability of its email system and make it easier for remote employees to access their email. The company also sought to streamline IT administration, enhance security, and reduce costs. Sporton implemented Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, and later deployed Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1. The company has achieved 99.99 percent availability. It also has increased user mailbox size dramatically—up to 25 times—at one-third the cost of its previous solution. Sporton employees can more easily access their email and protect sensitive information. Also, the IT department now delegates some email administration to users, which has resulted in a 30 percent time savings for IT staff. In addition, compliance tasks that used to take days can now be completed in less than an hour. SituationSince 1986, Sporton International has provided customers with product testing and certification services. The company is a designated testing lab for many regulatory bodies, and it specializes in electromagnetic compatibility testing. Headquartered in Taiwan, Sporton has 450 employees who work from 10 different locations worldwide. Sporton relies on email as its primary communications tool. The company processes approximately 70,000 messages each day, and the communications that take place over email among employees and with customers are critical to the company’s business. As a result, Sporton strives to provide the most secure and reliable email system possible. Until recently, the company’s email system was based on Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Many Sporton employees opted to store their email messages locally on their computers in Outlook Data Files (PST files). “Users were insecure and worried that if a server failed, they would not be able to access their email,” says David Feng, IT Director at Sporton International. This habit limited employees’ access to email on the mobile devices they used when traveling to or from a customer’s location, because their messages had often already been downloaded from the server to the PST files on their computers. The use of PST files also hindered the IT department’s security and compliance efforts because it wasn’t possible for Sporton to audit email stored on local machines. Users who handled highly confidential information were required to keep their email on Sporton servers so that internal and independent compliance auditors could easily monitor their messages. Although auditors could use Exchange Server 2007 to search for specific content in email, Sporton wanted a simpler user interface for that process.To encourage employees to store their email on the server, and to keep customer service high, Sporton wanted to improve the reliability of its email system. “Our employees cannot tolerate downtime for any reason,” says Feng. “If email is down, we can’t be responsive to customers, and we run the risk of losing contracts to other certification companies.” Sporton used Cluster Continuous Replication in Exchange Server 2007, so that if the main server at Sporton headquarters or one of its nine branch offices suffered an outage, the server would fail over to a secondary on-site server. “We could provide only local failover capabilities,” says Feng. “It would have been very costly to build an infrastructure that would allow us to fail over to a different location in the event that both servers became unavailable.” For email storage, Sporton relied on direct-attached storage (DAS) and Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) disks. A small number of specialized users at Sporton had mailboxes of 2 gigabytes (GB), but most Sporton users had mailboxes of only 200 megabytes (MB). The IT department wanted to provide larger mailboxes, but adding more SCSI-based storage was expensive.Finally, Sporton wanted to minimize the time IT staff spent updating user account information and troubleshooting email issues. When employees were hired, moved to a different office location, changed their name, or left the company, the IT department had to update these account details in the email system. “We spent approximately 30 percent of our time updating user account information and checking email delivery for our users,” says Feng. SolutionIn late 2008, the Sporton IT department, typically an early adopter of new technologies, learned of advancements in Microsoft Exchange Server 2010. These included the Database Availability Group feature, Role Based Access Control (RBAC), multi-mailbox search, and Transport Protection Rules with support for Information Rights Management (IRM). The company felt that these features could help it improve email reliability, simplify administration, and enhance security. In addition, Exchange Server 2010 reduces disk input/output (I/O) compared to earlier versions of Exchange Server, so Sporton could use lower cost storage. The IT department deployed a beta version of Exchange Server 2010 to a test group of employees, who transferred one-third of their email to the new system. “Users reported that server-based email through Exchange Server 2010 was just as reliable and smooth as the email they kept in their PST files,” says Feng. For more than a month, the IT department conducted many tests, which included moving email databases from one server to another, turning servers off to test failover, and installing patches and rebooting the system. “We had great results,” Feng says. “Users were not even aware that we had moved their mailbox or failed over to another location. It was all seamless to them.” In 2009, Sporton deployed Exchange Server 2010 to 400 employees. The solution runs on a virtual infrastructure that uses Hyper-V virtualization technology in the Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1 operating system. Sporton uses three HP ProLiant DL380 G6 server computers to support the environment. These servers run the Mailbox server role and also host nine virtual servers. The virtual servers run two Edge Transport servers, two Hub Transport servers, two Client Access servers, two combined Hub Transport and Client Access servers, and an additional Mailbox server. Sporton uses Microsoft Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server and Forefront Online Protection for Exchange to help protect its messaging environment from viruses, worms, spam, and other threatening Internet content. ”Since we started using Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server and Forefront Online Protection for Exchange, we have seen no English-language spam entering our environment,” says Feng.Sporton deployed one Database Availability Group that includes four servers. The company maintains three copies of the email database. Two Mailbox servers are located at Sporton headquarters, and two of the Sporton branch offices also house one Mailbox server each. Database Availability Groups use continuous replication to keep database copies up to date and automate recovery from failures at the disk, server, or data center level. Also, management is easier than with traditional clusters because failover clusters are created and managed by Exchange Server 2010.Disk I/O is as much as 70 percent improved in Exchange Server 2010 over Exchange Server 2007. This performance gain means that Sporton can use lower cost Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) disks for storage. Now, the company allocates 10 to 20 terabytes of email storage for each location, and it provides up to 50 GB of mailbox space for each user. The company uses Exchange Server 2010 Transport Protection Rules, which work with Active Directory Rights Management Services to help protect email messages and attachments. Sporton can apply IRM protection to messages after they have been sent, and users can read and create IRM-protected messages with either the Microsoft Outlook 2010 messaging and collaboration client or Microsoft Outlook Web App. 6483352061845“We’ve had 99.99 percent availability since implementing Exchange Server 2010 with Service Pack 1.”David Feng, IT Director, Sporton International00“We’ve had 99.99 percent availability since implementing Exchange Server 2010 with Service Pack 1.”David Feng, IT Director, Sporton InternationalBy using RBAC, Sporton is also able to grant employees more control over the administration of their email accounts. Users can update their contact information on their own with the Exchange Control Panel—a built-in, web-based console that does not require separate installation. The human resources department can also use the console to manage user account information as employees join or leave the company or move to a different office location. Employees also use the Exchange Control Panel to troubleshoot lost or misplaced messages. Sporton takes advantage of the personal archive feature in Exchange Server 2010 to eliminate the need for PST files. Employees can store older messages in an archive mailbox that’s seamlessly accessible from Outlook 2010 and Outlook Web App. And with all email located only on the server, users who are working off-site at a customer location can easily access their email from a mobile device. In February 2010, Sporton deployed Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1 (SP1) to take advantage of the many enhancements in the update, especially regarding archiving, discovery, and compliance. With SP1, the IT department has the flexibility to provision a user’s personal archive on a different mailbox database than the one where the user’s primary mailbox is located. This has helped the department to implement a tiered storage strategy. Sporton can also better manage its email retention strategy using Retention Policy Tags, available in Exchange Server 2010 SP1 through the Exchange Management Console. The IT department uses these tags to automate the deletion and archiving of messages and other Exchange Server 2010 items. And, with improvements to multi-mailbox search in Exchange Server 2010 SP1, internal and external auditors can easily search multiple mailboxes for messages, attachments, calendar items, tasks, and contacts. A search preview feature gives the auditor an estimate of the number of items that will be returned by a search, which makes it easier to modify keywords to narrow results before the items are copied to a discovery mailbox. These searches are also conducted through the Exchange Control Panel.In addition, enhancements to Exchange Server 2010 SP1 improve the remote-access experience for Sporton employees. For instance, with the Outlook Web App pre-fetch message content feature, users can read messages faster. Users can also choose to share their calendars in non-Microsoft formats, and sales representatives and engineers can read IRM-protected documents from a number of different web browsers. With Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync in the SP1 release, Sporton employees who use mobile devices can send and receive IRM-protected email without having previously connected their device to Windows Mobile Device Center to provision IRM.BenefitsWith Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1, Sporton has created a highly available, efficient, and secure email infrastructure. The company has also lowered its storage costs and simplified administration. In addition, Sporton has eased compliance and remote access. Email Availability of 99.99 PercentExchange Server 2010 with SP1 provides high availability. 5403852023745“The RBAC feature and the Exchange Control Panel in Exchange Server 2010 save the IT department at least 30 percent of the time we used to spend on email administration.”David Feng, IT Director, Sporton International00“The RBAC feature and the Exchange Control Panel in Exchange Server 2010 save the IT department at least 30 percent of the time we used to spend on email administration.”David Feng, IT Director, Sporton International“Whenever we receive a help-desk call about email, it turns out that the issue is with the user’s personal computer, not the system,” says Feng. “We’ve had 99.99 percent availability since implementing Exchange Server 2010 with Service Pack 1.” Failover between servers at one location, or between servers at different locations, is invisible to users. Says Feng, “We can see when a group of users has been failed over to another location as we monitor the system, but the users don’t even know it’s happened. There is no service interruption, and therefore, no calls to the help desk.”The cross-site failover capability improves system resiliency. “Previously, we could only do local failover,” says Feng. “With Exchange Server 2010 and the Database Availability Group feature, cross-site failover capabilities are built-in.” The feature is also easy for Sporton IT staff to implement, even for administrators without any knowledge of traditional clustering concepts. Feng says a cross-site failover may take only 30 seconds, “but the important thing is users don’t even know it’s happening.”Larger Mailboxes at One-Third the CostBy using the cheaper storage options that Exchange Server 2010 makes possible, Sporton has been able to allocate mailboxes that are up to 25 times larger. “In the previous environment, we provided 200-MB to 2-GB mailboxes for users. With Exchange Server 2010, we are providing mailbox sizes from 2 GB to 20 GB per user, plus an archive mailbox of 10 GB to 30 GB per user. So, each user actually has a total of 12 GB to 50 GB of email storage space,” explains Feng. “With Exchange Server 2010, we can provide mailboxes that are up to 25 times larger than what we provided in our previous environment—at one-third the cost.” Administrative Time Savings of 30 PercentSporton saves time with Exchange Server 2010 tools like the new RBAC permissions model. “The IT department no longer has to maintain users’ account information,” says Feng. “We can delegate control of this to users and to the human resources department.” The built-in Exchange Control Panel also relieves the IT burden because Sporton employees can easily access it through Outlook Web App to update account information and troubleshoot lost or misplaced email messages, without asking IT for help. “Users can now research email delivery problems by tracking individual messages themselves,” says Feng. “We’ve handed the investigation of email tracking logs over to the user. The RBAC feature and the Exchange Control Panel in Exchange Server 2010 save the IT department at least 30 percent of the time we used to spend on email administration.”Easier Email Security and ComplianceWith email messages stored on the server instead of users’ local hard drives in PST files, Sporton can better ensure 5403852023745“In the past, discovery took days …. Now, we can delegate access to the auditor, who can use the simple Exchange Control Panel interface to search and discover content in less than an hour.”David Feng, IT Director, Sporton International 00“In the past, discovery took days …. Now, we can delegate access to the auditor, who can use the simple Exchange Control Panel interface to search and discover content in less than an hour.”David Feng, IT Director, Sporton International that all messages can be audited and monitored. Also, compliance activities are streamlined because auditors can use the enhanced multi-mailbox search feature of Exchange Server 2010 SP1 to more easily discover messages and other Outlook items. “In the past, discovery took days because IT staff had to help the auditor conduct the search,” Feng says. “Now, we can delegate access to the auditor, who can use the simple Exchange Control Panel interface to search and discover content in less than an hour.”Sporton can also enforce email retention policies more easily with Exchange Server 2010 SP1. “Previously, we had to use a command-line interface to create retention policies,” Feng says. “Now, with the Exchange Management Console and Retention Policy Tags, we can use wizards and an easy, graphical user interface. We no longer need to remember or look up commands.” Enhanced Remote AccessWith email stored on the server instead of PST files, employees can access their email on mobile devices much more easily now. Also, remote users work within an environment that is fully protected with IRM, even from mobile devices or non-Microsoft web browsers. “Exchange Server 2010 with SP1 helps us stay connected to customers, protect our communications, and ensure that our systems are always available,” says Feng. “This significantly boosts our competitive advantage.”28575006936105Software and ServicesMicrosoft Server Product PortfolioWindows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1Microsoft Exchange Server 2010Microsoft Forefront Online Protection for ExchangeMicrosoft Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange ServerMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft Outlook 2010TechnologiesActive Directory Rights Management ServicesHyper-VMicrosoft Exchange ActiveSyncMicrosoft Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1Microsoft Outlook Web AppHardwareHP ProLiant DL380 G6 server computers00Software and ServicesMicrosoft Server Product PortfolioWindows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1Microsoft Exchange Server 2010Microsoft Forefront Online Protection for ExchangeMicrosoft Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange ServerMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft Outlook 2010TechnologiesActive Directory Rights Management ServicesHyper-VMicrosoft Exchange ActiveSyncMicrosoft Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 1Microsoft Outlook Web AppHardwareHP ProLiant DL380 G6 server computers5549908255000This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.Document published December 201000This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.Document published December 20105403852056765For More InformationFor more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: HYPERLINK "" For more information about Sporton International products and services, call 886-2-2696-2468 or visit the website at: .tw 00For More InformationFor more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: HYPERLINK "" For more information about Sporton International products and services, call 886-2-2696-2468 or visit the website at: .tw Microsoft Exchange Server 2010Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 can help you achieve better business outcomes while controlling the costs of deployment, administration, and compliance. Exchange Server 2010 delivers the widest range of deployment options, integrated information leakage protection, and advanced compliance capabilities, which combine to form the best messaging and collaboration solution available.For more information about Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, go to:exchange For more information about Microsoft Unified Communications, go to: uc ................
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