Help setting up Blackberry with Blackberry Enterprise Server Express

You are correct...our exchange server is not presently being used to send/receive mail.  Where would I be able to get the best info on setting up that feature?

Am I correct in thinking that I can use exchange with the POP3 email that we have or do I have to have MAPI service?
Also, in the event that I get the email setup correctly, are you saying that the tech person that I spoke to at RIM was incorrect in saying that as long as I was using POP3 from the ISP, that I would be unable to use BES?

I know that I am asking a lot...however, I have fould that you are the greatest source for information and I really appreciate your help. Thanks

The service person was basically correct, but....................

To simplifiy a bit here, what you need to do to accomplish your goal is to get the exchange server up and running, create a mailbox for the user in question, set his pop3 mail to forward to the exchange email address, then instal BES Express and configure the user's handheld.

If your exchange box has a moderately good processor.....and a lot of ram, you can put the BES on the same box......it is a memory hog though...RIM recommends 1 gig for the BES itself and an additional gig if you are running the attachment service.

To clarify a bit more, the BES uses a   MAPI connector to hook into the Exchange mailbox......but you can still push (forward) POP3 mail to the exchange server....and the BES will pick up anything that hits the user's inbox and send it to the handheld.

Be aware that Exchange servers are complex software and not for the novice....if you are going to tackle it, prep well with some exchange reference books or a class or two.

Thanks for the further info.  In answer to your explanation, I have the following:

1. get the exchange server up and running, - it is and is presently sharing the calendar, contacts and tasks of the Blackberry user with everyone else.
2. create a mailbox for the user in question - on the server?  Already have a mailbox setup in Outlook on the PC (Mailbox-Jack)
3. set his pop3 mail to forward to the exchange email address - the exchange email address is the SMTP address or the X400?

Each user on our server has an exchange account and can access the server for files and can share the Blackberry user's calendar.  The only thing that is not going through the server is the email.  It is going directly to personal folders.  I feel like I am almost where I should be, but am confused as to how to get to the end.  Am I totally wrong, or am I at least going in the right direction?

You are going in the right direction....sounds like you have Outlook configured with exchange.......now you need to get exchange hooked up to the real world with an SMTP connector.
Forward his pop3 mail to the SMTP address.

Once you have outside mail flowing into the exchange server, (if you need help with that, post a question in the Exchange TA), Set up the BES Express, configure the handheld and you are home free.

jonelr - what jconchie and i are basically trying to say...before you even begin to tackle BES, you need exchange up and running, sending AND recieving mail with the outside world.  

You can forward your POP accounts to your exchange server, however logistically this could potentially become nightmare for an exchange novice such as yourself - i dont mean that to be a flame toward you AT ALL.  I just suggest simplifying your general setup and consolidate services a bit.  If you are running exchange, then just run exchange for all your interoffice collaberation and email, as well as for your OUTSIDE WORLD email.  

But again, it is possible to forward your POP accounts, i just dont suggest you do that.  I highly suggest setting up a simple test lab before you move forward with any of these changes.  I'm sure jconchie would recommend the same.

There's a bit of a "gotcha" here you need to be aware of.

If the BB you want to use this with is currently collecting mail in the BIS service (very likely if it's collecting POP3 mail from an external ISP), you will likely need the BB & the service it gets upgrated to an 'Enterprise' service/device. Typically the change to the BB is done by you mobile service provider (on the RIM relay), and the the Enterpise BB service costs a premium compared to the basic BIS service.

Without having an Enterprise enabled device & service, you can install the BES + Exchange, and the BB won't talk to any of it!

WibblyW....don't know where you are located, but that is certainly not true of North American providers....they don't care what the source of the mail is....they charge you a flat monthly fee, regardless of if you are redirecting through their web client, through a desktop redirector or through a BES......their fees only vary depending on what geographical coverage you want for the handheld......the entire US is one rate, there is another rate tier for specific countries....and the highest rate for "worldwide" coverage.

Agreed, as far as verizon is concerned you pay for general "blackberry data services".  you can then use either BIS or BES at your leisure.

Our experience is with TMobile....and I believe Cingular is the same.

Ah. Ok JConchie. I'm in the UK. I guess it certainly pays to check.

Certainly T-Mobile in the US differentiate their charges. BIS and BES are different

http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/Default.aspx?plancategory=7#BlackBerry%c2%ae

... it maybe that the confusion is that most operators allow the BES version to be BES *AND* BIS. So if you go for BES option you have it all for the one fixed charge. But people who start off with a BIS device seem to pay $10 less a month (with T-Mobile US, anyway), and have to upgrade if they want the BES service. Equivent on T-Mobile in the UK too (which is what I'm on).

Hey everyone, I've been thinking of getting a blackberry so I subscribed to this thread.

Anyhow, just want to throw an extra bit of info in regarding exchange and SBS.
The exchange that comes with SBS is bundled with a pop3 connector. So technically, you wouldn't need to forward the mail from your ISP. Exchange would basically take the place of outlook making a periodic connection to the pop3 email at your isp. outbound mail would still be via smtp.  This approach has a few advantages for the novice - first of all, you don't need to mess with DNS names and MX records. Secondly, you don't have to have a static public IP address for your SBS box - if it's connected to a DSL line that gives you a dynamic IP address thats ok. Lastly, SBS does have a number of configuration wizards that make some of this setup a bit easier than it would be in a normal enterprise, and it doesn't hurt that exchange is usually preinstalled on SBS machines.

I'm in no way saying the pop3 connector is better than any other method of setup - just wanting to point out the differences.

If you need help with this, Microsoft has a Small Business Specialist community, and it should be easy to locate one in your area from thier website.  (currently http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness as of May 2006)

The exchange configuration everyone keeps telling you to do first should only take a consultant a few hours (assuming exchange is already installed on your SBS machine) then from there, the BES install should be straightforward.

Thanks for all of the information.  Here is where I am with all of this:

1. The BES Express tech says that I should install the BES software on another Server machine with Exchange Tools.
2. I have a second domain registered that we are presently not using and could have the MX record pointed at the SBS 2003 machine
3. My ISP says that I can create another email account and have that one forwarded to the second domain, which, in turn, would be sent to the SBS 2003 server with Exchange and then the BES machine will be able to see it and send mail to the Blackberry.

After the Exchange server is reconfigured to handle email, what should I do?

Questions to Fruhj:

Would the BES work with the SBS bundled pop3 connector?  
If Exchange would  take the place of outlook by making  periodic connection to the pop3 email at your isp, how would I receive the mail...would I still receive it through Outlook and the Exchange Server account?
I don't think I really need to send email from the server, so would I have to deal with smtp?

If you need help with this, Microsoft has a Small Business Specialist community, and it should be easy to locate one in your area from thier website.  (currently http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness as of May 2006)

The exchange configuration everyone keeps telling you to do first should only take a consultant a few hours (assuming exchange is already installed on your SBS machine) then from there, the BES install should be straightforward.

Does it make sense to have the BES on a separate machine?  If so, what features of server 2003 would I need to install, or would it be better to use SBS 2003 so both boxes would be the same?

I would appreciate any help you can offer.  Thanks.

As far as the exchange Pop3 connector,

Exchange would send and receive all email, your copy of outlook would be reconfigured with one setting: Exchange mode+Exchange Server name.

When you send an email from Outlook, outlook would give that email to exchange, and exchange decides what to do with it. (If it's another email account on the exchange server, it never leaves the box, if it's for an internet address, exchange uses SMTP to send it out.

I haven't worked with BES, so I cant say much about memory/CPU use.  My gut says that for one or two mail accounts, it's probably fine on your SBS box.  One thing to keep in mind is that your SBS box really needs a lot of memory. I would say 2 Gig would be the practical minimum, so if you don't already have 2 Gig of ram, consider doing that at the same time as the BES install.

You could do BES on a separate box, with windows 2003 server, you can't really do it with another copy of SBS.
This is becuase SBS acts as a domain controller. Microsoft has done this on purpose to keep large enterprises from purchasing tons of servers with SBS (SBS is cheaper than even the basic 2003 server license)

So with SBS as the leader, you can add other 2003 servers to the SBS domain and have a nice little network.

I think the things to consier in choosing if you should install BES on SBS or not really depends on your hardware.  If you have a fast, dual processor (or a single dual core processor) and a healthy amount of ram and storage, then I would try it on the SBS box.
On the other hand if your current SBS box is a bit dated, then it might make sense to purchase a second box for BES.

Can you post some details about your SBS hardware?

As I pointed out above, BES is memory intensive....RIM recommends 1 gig for the BES itself....and another gig if you are running the attachment service.......and they are right.  All this is in addition to the RAM requirements of anything else you have running on the box.

I have a Dell Poweredge 2800 with 2GB Ram, 3 - 77 GB WD HD RAID, split into a C (boot) and F (files) running SBS 2003 with Exchange. Attached are a tape backup drive and a NAS drive, each backed up 1 time per day with Symantec Backup Exec.

I will install BES on another machine instead of the SBS server.    

This is what I need to know:

1. Do I need a .com domain on the SBS server?
2. If I use the SBS POP3 connector, or a 3rd party connector,  and the email goes through the Exchange server, will it work with BES?
3. What is the difference between IMAP and POP3?

OK, I think that I understand, and thanks for your help..  

At present, I have an email address (pop3) going to The SBS Server Exchange via the pop3 connector.  

Is it correct that "goes to mailbox inbox folders"  means that the email has to go into Outlook "mailbox-jack" folder, not the inbox in personal folders?

If the BES machine is working, then that mail, (from Exchange to Outlook "mailbox-jack" folder) would go to the Blackberry?

If these assumptions are correct, then I am almost there.

 

Your last three lines

Yes
Yes
Yes, you are :-)

Thanks for everything.  I think I am on my way.

Just a quick note of thanks to all who responded.  The BES is up and running; the BB activation completed; the BB can send and receive.