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Working with the Exchange Management Shell

Strong Shell

Article from ADMIN 29/2015

By Thomas Wiefel

We take a close look at the Exchange Management Shell – an essential tool for Exchange administrators.

Exchange Server has a customized version of PowerShell in the form of Exchange Management Shell (EMS). The extensions for the mail server are already loaded in the shell. The EMS is now clearly superior to the Exchange Management Console, and many administrative tasks are only possible via commandlets, which is a good reason to look more closely at PowerShell for Exchange.

Resistance is futile not only for Exchange administrators but also for managing SharePoint or Internet Information Services (IIS). Those who steer clear of the console do not have the options for performing all administrative tasks.

Microsoft has not necessarily followed a straightforward path regarding the implementation of PowerShell in Exchange Server since the 2007 version. After a brilliant beginning, Exchange Management Shell and Exchange Management Console were neck and neck in the 2010 version. An action such as activating an anti-spam agent on a hub transport server also created a corresponding management tab in the GUI.

Advantage: Shell

This equality no longer exists in Exchange Server 2013. The advanced settings of ActiveSync Policies have also been relocated. Permissions are now configured exclusively via the console. The options for granting individual rights using checkboxes no longer exist. Even rights such as the use of Internet Explorer or the camera can now only be set using parameters of the cmdlet Set-ActiveSyncPolicy.

In this article, I will focus on mailbox permissions. PowerShell offers a script interpreter for PS1 files as well as a console. PowerShell processes command types called "monards" (function, alias, cmdlet) on this command level. These monards are grouped with command families, which are in turn shaped by common "nouns." Actions, the "verbs," are then allocated to each noun.

This principle becomes obvious if you consider the

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