Exchange Updates–June 2017

The Exchange Team have released the June 2017 quarterly updates for Exchange 2013 and 2016. These Cumulative Updates will require .NET Framework 4.6.2 installed prior to upgrade; .NET Framework 4.7 is still being validated by the Exchange Team and should not be installed until validation is completed.

Updated functionality in Exchange 2016 Cumulative Update 6:

• Sent Items Behaviour Control, This feature enables mailbox delegates who have Send As or Send on behalf of permissions of a mailbox to save a copy of the item in the delegators Sent Items
  
  Note:  This feature is targeted to Exchange Server 2016 only and will not be included in Exchange Server 2013. Exchange Server 2013 already has its own implementation of Sent Items Behaviour Control which is different to the version released in this Cumulative Update.
  
  
• Original Folder Item Recovery, This feature enables deleted items to be restored to their original folder; This feature does require LAPEID MAPI property on the deleted item, which has been stamping items since Exchange 2016 CU1, this means that as soon as CU6 is installed this feature will work.
  
  Note: This feature is targeted to Exchange Server 2016 only and will not be included in Exchange Server 2013.

Release Details:

KB articles that describe the fixes in each release are available as follows:

• Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 6 (KB4012108), Download, UM Lang Packs
• Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 17 (KB4012114), Download, UM Lang Packs

Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 6 does include new updates to Active Directory Schema. If upgrading from an older Exchange version or installing a new server, Active Directory updates may still be required. These updates will apply automatically during setup if the logged on user has the required permissions. If the Exchange Administrator lacks permissions to update Active Directory Schema, a Schema Admin must execute SETUP /PrepareSchema prior to the first Exchange Server installation or upgrade. The Exchange Administrator should execute SETUP /PrepareAD to ensure RBAC roles are current.

Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 17 does not include updates to Active Directory, but may add additional RBAC definitions to your existing configuration. PrepareAD should be executed prior to upgrading any servers to Cumulative Update 16. PrepareAD will run automatically during the first server upgrade if Exchange Setup detects this is required and the logged on user has sufficient permission.

Exchange Online Hybrid Customers:

Reminder: Customers in hybrid deployments where Exchange is deployed on-premises and in the cloud, or who are using Exchange Online Archiving (EOA) with their on-premises Exchange deployment are required to deploy the most current (e.g., 2013 CU17, 2016 CU6) or the prior (e.g., 2013 CU16, 2016 CU5) Cumulative Update release.

.NET Framework 4.7 and Exchange Server

.NET Framework has been released and is available via Windows Update. Support for this version of .NET Framework has not been confirmed by the Exchange Team. It’s important to have the correct version of .NET Framework installed that is supported by the version of Exchange installed:

Temporary Block

.NET Framework 4.7 can be blocked from installation by adding a registry key to your Exchange servers, follow the instructions in the Microsoft KB – Link

Key:

HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\WU\

DWORD:

BlockNetFramework47 

Value:

1 (REG_DWORD)

Note Organizations do not have to modify the registry in environments that are managed through an update management solution, such as Microsoft WSUS or System Center Configuration Manager. Organizations can use these products to fully manage the deployment of updates that are released through Windows Update or Microsoft Update. The procedure that's discussed in this article is necessary only for computers that directly connect to and receive updates from Windows Update.

Reporting:

You can find a script on the TechNet Gallery Link to help check version installed and confirm if the block is in place

Pre registry change:

Post registry change:

Reference Links:

• Exchange Team Blog – Link
• Exchange Support Matrix – Link (Note – .NET Framework 4.7 has not been added yet)
• .NET Framework Block – Link
• .NET Framework report – Link

Disclaimer: All scripts and other PowerShell references on this blog are offered "as is" with no warranty.  While these scripts are tested and working in my test environment, it is recommended that you test these scripts in your own test environment before using in any production environment.

Office 365–May 2017 Updates…

A summary of some of the updates throughout May:

Office 365 adoption content pack in Power BI (Preview)

The new Office 365 adoption content pack in Power BI combines the intelligence of Office 365 usage reports with the interactive reporting capabilities of Power BI. This means admins can visualize and analyse their organization’s Office 365 usage data, create custom reports and share the insights with Power BI - pivoting by attributes such as location and department. This better understanding of how their users adopt and use Office 365 can help admins drive more targeted end user training and communication

Inform and engage employees with SharePoint communication sites

Introduced at SharePoint Virtual Summit, SharePoint communication sites let you create beautiful, mobile-ready intranet sites. While SharePoint team sites allow sharing of content, knowledge and apps within your group, communication sites let you share resources, news and information with a broad audience, across the organization. Integration with Yammer lets you engage your audience, solicit feedback and encourage best practice sharing. Communication sites are easy to create, customizable and look great on whatever device you use. Learn more about communication sites.

Access all your files in File Explorer

Introduced at Build, OneDrive Files On-Demand allows you to access all your work and personal files in the cloud without having to download them to your device and use up storage space. This helps you work the way you’re used to, with all your files—even online files—visible in File Explorer and available whenever you need them.

Availability: OneDrive Files On-Demand is coming to Windows 10 Insider Preview early this summer and will be publicly available with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

SharePoint and Microsoft PowerApps integration

As announced at SharePoint Virtual Summit, you’ll soon be able to use PowerApps to easily create custom forms and rich, digital experiences right from within a SharePoint list or library. This will help your company transform team and organizational processes, with users creating, viewing and interacting with data from your custom form or app, rather than default SharePoint forms. Learn more about PowerApps integration with SharePoint.

Availability: Custom SharePoint forms built with Microsoft PowerApps will be available starting this summer, for Office 365 commercial customers.

Office 365 Centralized Deployment service

Office add-ins help Office users to personalize their work experience and streamline data access. Late last year, we announced the Centralized Deployment service in preview, which allows administrators to deploy Office web add-ins. Today, we are excited to announce general availability of Centralized Deployment. Learn more on Office Blogs.

Automatically create process diagrams in Visio from Excel data

A new Visio feature that automatically converts process map data in Excel into data-driven Visio diagrams. This update, which is available to Visio Pro for Office 365 users, helps reduce manual steps while giving business analysts even more ways to create process diagrams in Visio. Learn more on Office Blogs

Exchange Online – Direct to Calendar Invites

With the Direct to Calendar feature in Exchange Online, administrators can configure mail flow rules (also known as transport rules) that allow designated users to add meetings to calendars. TechNet

Other Updates:

• PowerApps
• PowerApps Newest Feature Releases Link
• PowerApps and Microsoft Flow now available in Office 365 Enterprise K1 plan Link
• Stream
• Microsoft Stream general availability Link
• Yammer
• Dynamic Groups in Yammer Link
• Office 365 Connectors Link
• Exchange
• Distribution list owners can upgrade the DLs they own to Office 365 Groups Link