Sign in to http://outlook.com/ecp. If you see the color scheme is yellow and the new Administrator Roles, User Roles, and E-Mail Migration tabs, you're on R4!

End users can verify their upgrade by signing in to Outlook Web App and checking the color scheme. It's blue in the previous version (R3) and yellow in R4.

Want to learn more about what's coming in R4?

You have to update some of the tools you use to manage Outlook Live. All domains have to update the version of Windows PowerShell that they're using, and schools that automate account management have to upgrade the Exchange Labs Management Agent (ELMA).

How do you know that the upgrade for your domain has started? You'll see changes in Outlook Web App. The first administrator account (the one created during enrollment) is always upgraded first. Look for a new color scheme and additional management features, like administrator role groups and supervision policies, in the Web management interface.

After you've verified that your upgrade is under way, perform the following required steps:

• Download Windows PowerShell v2 and start to use it to manage your domain. The Windows Management Framework contains the correct versions of Windows PowerShell v2 and WinRM 2.0. Although an immediate switch to this version isn't required, Windows PowerShell v2 provides the following advantages:
  
  • During coexistence, you can use it to manage all mailboxes. It doesn't matter whether the mailbox is running R3 or R4.
    
  • New mailboxes created by using Windows PowerShell v2 are created as version R4. If you use earlier versions of Windows PowerShell after the upgrade for your organization is initiated, they'll be R3 mailboxes and will be added to the queue for pending mailbox upgrades.
    
  You have to upgrade your version of Windows PowerShell before February 2010. After February 2010, older versions will be blocked from connecting. For more information, see Install and Configure Windows PowerShell.
  
• If you're running the R3 version of GALSync 2010, you must upgrade to Outlook Live Directory Sync (OLSync). You can start to use OLSync after you've verified that upgrade for your organization has started. Learn more at Upgrade ELMA or GALSync 2010 to Outlook Live Directory Sync. You have to complete your upgrade from GALSync 2010 to OLSync before the end of January 2010.
  
• Schools that have deployed customized solutions using the R3 version of Exchange Labs Management Agent (ELMA) must upgrade to Outlook Live Management Agent (OLMA). You can start to use OLMA after you've verified that upgrade for your organization has started.
  

During coexistence, you have to perform some extra steps to make sure that your settings are consistently applied to all users. These two steps are required:

• Co-branding   In R4, Outlook Web App uses the Windows Live header and footer customized settings. Customized Web links that appear in the "More" menu are configured in just one place. However, R3 users will continue to see the customized links that you set up for Outlook Live, while R4 users will see the customized links that you set up for the Windows Live header. If you haven't already set up customized links in the Windows Live header, you can do that now to ensure a consistent user experience. We’ll keep both interfaces around until all organizations are upgraded so that you can keep the list of custom links the same for both mailbox versions.
  For a guide to all the new settings, see Co-Brand Outlook Web App and Windows Live Services.
  
• Role assignments and permissions   The role based access control (RBAC) implementation for Outlook Live has changed a lot in R4. We made some improvements to simplify how you delegate management tasks and control user permissions. Here's what you have to know about RBAC during coexistence:
  
  • Any permissions or rights that you assigned in earlier versions by using both built-in and customized roles are retained. You might see more roles, but the permissions are identical.
    
  • If your domain is in a coexistence state, you have to use Windows PowerShell v2 to change the default role assignment for users. Learn how at Add or Remove Roles from Mailbox Plans During the R3 to R4 Upgrade.
    
  Learn more about the new RBAC model at Assign Roles and Permissions.
  

We'll send an e-mail when all domains in the datacenter are upgraded to the latest version.

For a summary of the changes to Outlook Live administration, see What's New for Organizations.

To see what's on the horizon for end users, check out What's New in Outlook Web App.