2.6.1 Selecting a management model

What is the correct way to organize the Exchange operations team? As you might suspect, there is no single right answer to this question. For the successful long-term management of Exchange throughout any organization, it is important to implement a management model that will help to ensure that the desired system service levels can be achieved. Defining the ideal management model requires thorough consideration of several topics, including the following:

• Roles and responsibilities that need to be performed

• Exchange dependencies

• Centralized versus distributed management and administration

Fundamentally, all Exchange management and administration methodologies are variants of two types of models: centralized and distributed. Centralized management and administration provides the greatest control and security. The distributed model provides the most flexibility but at the expense of overall security and control.

Delegation of management and administration responsibilities should match the overall organizational structure and must consider geography. A centralized management model would be difficult to implement in a corporation that includes several independently operated subsidiaries, each with its own IT department. Even within a corporation without subsidiaries, there already may be semi-independent IT departments. For example, a company may have independent IT departments for North America, Europe, and Asia. In a similar manner, some departments, such as a highly technical engineering department, may have a well-established tradition of managing their own environments. In these cases, the management and administration responsibilities will need to be shared.

I know of no large organization that has...