Can someone explain to me whats is MPS and HMC? Are they come together? Whats the difference?

Thank you.

MPS -  Microsoft Provisioning System

MPS is a comprehensive provisioning framework that:

• Automates many otherwise manual, multi-step provisioning processes while performing comprehensive logging.
• Provides a structure for solutions that support the delegated administration of basic provisioning tasks to customers.
• Translates high-level business logic into specific provisioning tasks.
• Insulates business logic from underlying platform changes.
• Comes with a sample user interface (UI), Named Procedures, and Providers that accelerate the development of customized solutions for the high-volume Web and application hosting market.
• Includes a comprehensive set of documentation and developer tools that enable customization in data center environments and empower ISVs to easily develop and deploy powerful .NET solutions.

In a word, MPS is an extensible Windows-based platform that provides an XML-based framework that allows to create customized provisioning solutions for Web, data, and application hosting. Not only for HMC, also can used for other Microsoft Hosting Solutions like WBH - Windows Based Hosting.

HMC - Hosted Messaging and Collaboration

The Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration (HMC) incorporates powerful Microsoft enterprise products such as Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services, and:

    * Introducing Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, which manages all real-time communications such as instant messaging (IM) and audio and video conferencing.
    * Improved support for Exchange Server 2007 SP1 now includes Web-based OABs and resource mailboxes.
    * Enhanced support for Windows SharePoint Services now includes multi-tenant People Picker functionality.
    * Provisioning capabilities have been expanded by adding Microsoft Provisioning System (MPS) cross data store integration checking procedures and the Individual Information Worker (IIW) tenant model.

But you can use 3rd party provisioning engine to do automate for Hosted Exchange/OCS/CRM, etc.

-Randy

Hey thank you. Is it easy to install, I just want to try it? 

I have to say it's not EASY even for a experienced exchange expert (I guess you mainly use hosted Exchange).

Generally speaking, it will take at least one week time to finish deployment (basic OS is ready) based on a greenfield environment. Even you 100% follow the documentation, you still may encounter issues. However, if you have enough resources can running virtual machines (32-bit and 64-bit guest OS both required), that might be a good start. You can easily backup/restore your TEST environment by using snapshot feature, quickly add/remove hardwares, so can save time for you.

All rights, thank you for the advices.