Microsoft Exchange Chat Service 5.5 SP1 Readme

This readme contains important, late-breaking information about setting up and administering Microsoft® Exchange Chat Service version 5.5 Service Pack 1. It also lists prerequisite software that must be installed and known issues about this release.

Before installing Chat Service, review this entire document. You should also install and familiarize yourself with the Chat Service online documentation, which contains helpful information about the proper configuration and use of Chat Service. See Documentation for details on how to install the online documentation.

Overview

Chat Service is a commercial-grade implementation of an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) server designed to meet the high-traffic loads required by mission-critical applications. Key benefits of Chat Service are:

 

Documentation

Documentation for Chat Service can be viewed from a Web browser. The Chat Service documentation is installed by the Setup program. After you install Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) version 4.0 and the documentation, you can view the documentation at the following address:

http://localhost/chat/default.asp

 

Minimum Hardware Requirements

This version of Chat Service has the same minimum hardware requirements as Windows NT Server version 4.0 and IIS version 4.0. It is important to plan thoroughly before you build your chat service.

 

Software Requirements

Before you install Chat Service, you must install the prerequisite software on your Windows NT Server-based computer. This section lists the prerequisite software required on the computer that will be running Chat Service. The order in which the required software is installed is critical to the successful operation of some components.

Prerequisite software for the server running Chat Service:

 

Known Issues

Microsoft IIS 4.0 required

Microsoft IIS 4.0 must be installed on the server prior to installing the Chat Service for the Chat Service Manager, Chat Web Administrator, and the Web-based channel transcript processor to operate properly. IIS 4.0 is also required for full-text search capability in the online documentation.

Installing Chat Service on a Backup Domain Controller

Chat Service does not create a required registry key when it is installed on a Backup Domain Controller. Before you install Chat Service on a Backup Domain Controller, add the following registry key to the server:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Exchange\ChatSvc\Parameters\Accounts\Chat Administrators

Viewing channel transcripts from a Japanese version of Chat Service

The Web-based channel transcript processor included with Chat Service does not operate correctly on a server running the Japanese version of Chat Service. To view a channel's transcript log, use a file editor that can display Unicode UTF-8 characters. The log file, by default, is located at c:\inetpub\chat\transcripts\channel_name.

Do not restart the server during Setup

If you are asked to restart the server during the setup process, choose No, and wait until Chat Service setup is completed. This may occur while installing Microsoft Management Console for the first time.

Upgrading does not remove Startup menu program items or documentation

When upgrading a previous version of Chat Service, the Start menu program items and the old documentation are not removed. Remove these items manually.

Warning that Chat Service cannot be started

When setup is finished, you may see an error stating that Chat Service cannot be started. To verify that the service is started, type net start at a command prompt and look for "Microsoft Exchange Chat."

Removing the Chat Service software does not remove Web virtual roots

The virtual roots for Chat, ChatAdm, and ChatTrans are not automatically removed when removing the software.

Disable NTLM authentication when using a Web browser that does not support NTLM authentication for the Chat Web Adminstrator

An authenticated connection is required to administer Chat Service using a Web browser. The default authentication mechanism is NTLM. For this release, Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0 for Unix does not support NTLM authentication. If you are using a browser that does not support NTLM, you must disable it on the chat server as follows:

  1. From the Start menu, choose Programs.
  2. Choose Microsoft Exchange Chat Service, and then choose Chat Service Manager.
  3. In the left pane, select the chat server under Microsoft Exchange Chat Service.
  4. From the Action menu, choose Properties.
  5. Select the Settings property sheet.
  6. Select the check box for Disable NTLM authentication.
  7. Clear the Disable clear-text authentication check box, and then choose OK.

Close the Web browser after logging out of Chat Web Administrator

Because most Web browsers cache authentication information for each session, it is important to close the Web browser after you finish administering Chat Service from the Chat Web Administrator. If you do not, the Web browser will automatically supply the logon credentials without prompting for them.

Remove Ban using Netscape Navigator 4.0

For this release, you cannot remove a ban when running the Chat Web Administrator from Netscape Navigator 4.0.

Using Chatcmd in batch files

When referring to channels that have a percent sign (%) prefix in a batch file, you must use a double percent sign (%%) to signify the "%" character. For example, chatcmd * /addchannel:%%#MyChannel=* .

This is necessary because the percent sign (%) is used to denote variables in a batch file.

Performance Monitor counter for Current Users only shows local users

In a network of chat servers, the Current Users counter shows only the current users on the local server. To see all current users on the network, use the Current Local Clients and Current Remote Clients counters.

Documentation is not always clear regarding Unicode character support

Although it is not always explicitly stated in the documentation, all character strings for parameters such as Member password and Message of the day can use ANSI or Unicode characters.

Documentation topic refers to the wrong Performance Monitor object and counter

The English version of the topic titled "Monitoring Physical Resource Capacity" instructs the reader to choose the wrong Performance Monitor object and counter. The correct object is Processor; the correct counter is % Processor Time.

Profanity Filter documentation contains an incorrect reference

In the English version of the online documentation, the topic titled "Channels (Rooms): Profanity Filter Property Sheet" refers to a button by the wrong name. In the description of the Select filter option, the reader is instructed to choose the Edit lists button. The correct name is Edit Filters.

Installing Extensions

After you install an extension on a chat server, the server must be restarted before the extension can be administered using its channel property sheets.

You cannot use server extensions on a chat server that allows connections from MIC clients, such as Microsoft Chat 2.0. Server extensions do not support the MIC client protocol.

Chat Server SDK issues

Build configurations for Alpha servers are not provided with the SDK samples. The build configurations for x86 are provided.

Chat Bans created using the object model should be less than 23 characters.

Do not create an extension that closes the channel object during an OnNewChannel post-update call.

All "Put" properties need to be checked to make sure that the data passed is valid for the protocol.

 

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