Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007: Implementation and Administration

Chapter 7. Exchange Management Shell Primer

Based on discussions in the Internet newsgroups, on web forums, and in classrooms about the decision to put the management architecture of Exchange 2007 on top of the Windows PowerShell, you would think that this was one of the most controversial decisions that Microsoft has ever made. Indeed, there has been enthusiastic debate (and name calling) on both sides of the fence. Depending on whom you ask, some experienced Exchange administrators will tell you that the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) is the best improvement that has been made to Exchange 2007.

Debating its merits really serves no useful purpose in this book, and I have to admit, I have become one of the EMS's biggest supporters. All it took was spending a little bit of time with it and getting to know some of the basic functionality. The biggest fear that many administrators have is that they will have to learn not only some of the shell's commands (called cmdlets) but also a scripting language just to manage Exchange Server 2007.

Is knowledge of the EMS required? Some administrators will manage their Exchange servers for years and rarely use the EMS, while others will use it daily. However, we think it is safe to say that at least limited knowledge of the EMS will be required by all administrators.

The intent of the EMS is to provide a consistent interface for performing management tasks for Exchange 2007 servers, whether you are performing automation tasks, writing scripts, or ...