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Deploying Exchange Server 2013

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Introduction

Exchange server 2013 preview is now available and you can download the bits from here.

In this article we would discuss about deployment scenarios,steps to deploy Exchange Server 2013 and finally post installation checks. Since,Exchange Server 2013 preview does not support upgrade scenarios, we would cover
the upgrade scenarios later in future article.

Steps discussed in this article may differ with the deployment steps after the release of Exchange Server 2013 RTM version.

Before we deploy the first Exchange Server 2013, let us first understand the deployment and co-existence scenarios and pre-requisites to install Exchange server 2013 preview.

CO-Existence Scenarios

Exchange 2013 can be deployed and can co-exist in the following scenarios:

 To summarize:

  • Exchange 2003 server and earlier versions are not supported.

System Requirements

Pre-requisites

Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2012

ADDS features

In Windows PowerShell, run Add-WindowsFeature RSAT-ADDS

In Windows PowerShell, run Install-WindowsFeature RSAT-ADDS

Other required windows features

In Windows PowerShell, run

Add-WindowsFeature Desktop-Experience, NET-Framework, NET-HTTP-Activation, RPC-over-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-Clustering, RSAT-Web-Server, WAS-Process-Model, Web-Asp-Net, Web-Basic-Auth, Web-Client-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, Web-Dir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression, Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging, Web-Http-Redirect, Web-Http-Tracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console, Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Console, Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext, Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Static-Content, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-WMI

In Windows PowerShell, run

Install-WindowsFeature AS-HTTP-Activation, Desktop-Experience, NET-Framework-45-Features, RPC-over-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-Clustering, Web-Mgmt-Console, WAS-Process-Model, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Basic-Auth, Web-Client-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, Web-Dir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression, Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging, Web-Http-Redirect, Web-Http-Tracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console, Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Console, Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext45, Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Static-Content, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-WMI, Windows-Identity-Foundation

Windows Management Framework 3.0

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29939

Already  installed by default

Office 2010 Filter Pack with SP1

For Office 2010 Filter Pack,

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17062

For Office 2010 Filter Pack SP1

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26604

For Office 2010 Filter Pack,

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17062

For Office 2010 Filter Pack SP1

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26604

UCMA 4.0 (Unified Communications Managed API)

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30349

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30349

Hotfix 2619234 (For mailbox Server Role only)

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2619234

Not required

Windows Identity Foundation (For mailbox Server Role only)

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/974405

Not required

Uninstall Visual C++ 11 Beta Redistributable (x64) - 11.0.50531

 

Operating System requirement

Exchange Server 2013 can be installed on following 64 bit operating system:

  • Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
  • Windows Server 2012 

Domain and Forest Functional Level

  • Forest functional level should be Windows Server 2003 Native
  • Domain Functional level should be Windows server 2003 Native
  • Schema Master should be on Windows 2003 Server SP2 or later version
  • Global Catalog should be Windows 2003 SP2 Serveror later version
  • Exchange Site should have atleast one Domain Controller and one Global Catalog Server running on Windows 2003 SP2 or later version

Installation steps

The installation task itself is simple and self-explanatory. One just has to select the roles required to be installed. So without taking more time, let’s look at the deployment steps.

Install the Windows features using the following commands mentioned in the screen shot.


 
 
To Prepare Active Directory Schema and Active Directory forest, run the commands as shown below

 

After the above steps are complete, start the Exchange 2013 setup.

 

 

 

 

Installation Steps explained

While the step takes time to complete, let us look the setup process in detail to understand what happens in a given step. It is quite possible that the setup may be interrupted due to various reasons and the installation may fail. Unlike previous versions of Exchange, Exchange Server 2013 setup within the setup tool does not provide detailed information about what is happening at various steps. So In case, the step fails at step 5 or step 7, one need to understand what task was running in the background and what was the possible cause of failure.

  • Exchange Server 2013 Preview CAS server role has 10 step of installation process
  • Exchange Server 2013 Preview Mailbox Server role has 12 step installation process
  • Exchange Server 2013 Preview Mailbox & CAS both together has 14 step installation process

Let us look the setup process in detail to understand what happens in background,

Step1: Prepares for the setup.

  • Checks the source installation package and
    verifies it against software restriction policy

  • Also verifies what roles to be installed during
    the installation

  • In the above screenshots, highlighted shows the output from two different setup files describing what roles would be installed on the box

Step 2: Stopping Services.

  • At this step, the setup would create and then stop the following 3 services
    • msftesql-Exchange (Microsoft Search Exchange)
    • HostControllerService (Host Controller Service
      for Exchange)
    • SearchExchangeTracing (Tracing Service for
      search in Exchange)
  • Here is an output from the Exchange Server setuplog file

 

Step 3: Copying Exchange Files

  • Copies the installation file from the source to the target. By default the target location is C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15

 

Step 4: Language Files

  • Checks the installation language type and accordingly installs the required language pack.


  •  

Step 5: Restoring Services

  • Checks if the below services are running or not. If not, setup would start them. Generally at this step, these services would be restart.
    • Remote Registry
    • WMI
    • Microsoft Exchange Service Host

 
Step 6: Language Configuration

  • Basis on the step 4 above, appropriate language option is configured to be installed

 
Step 7: Exchange Management Tools

  • Installs the Exchange management tools on the local system. This includes Exchange Management Shell and Exchange Management Toolbox

 
Step 8: Mailbox Role Component 1 (Transport Server components)

  • Registers and configures following services related to Hub Transport Service
    • Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology
    • Microsoft Exchange Anti-spam update
    • Microsoft Exchange Diagnostics
    • Microsoft Exchange EdgeSync
    • Microsoft Exchange Health Manager
    • Microsoft Exchange Monitoring
    • Microsoft Exchange Search Host Controller
    • Microsoft Exchange Service host
    • Microsoft Exchange Transport
    • Microsoft Exchange Transport Log Search
    • Microsoft Forefront Filtering Management Service

 

Step 9: Mailbox Role Component 2 (CAS Server components)

  • Registers and configures following servicesrelated to Client Access Service
    • Microsoft Exchange IMAP4 Backend
    • Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Replication
    • Microsoft Exchange POP3 Backend
    • Microsoft Exchange RPC Client Access

 

Step 10: Mailbox Role Component 3 (Unified Messaging Components)

  • Registers and configures following services related to Unified Messaging Service
    • Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging

 
Step 11: Mailbox Role Component 4 (Mailbox Server components)

  • Registers and configures the services related to Mailbox server Service
    • Microsoft Exchange Information Store
    • Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Assistance
    • Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Transport Delivery
    • Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Transport Submission
    • Microsoft Exchange Replication
    • Microsoft Exchange Server Extension for Windows Server Backup
    • Microsoft Exchange Throttling

 

Step 12: Client Access Role Component 1 (Transport Server components)

  • Registers and configures services related to Front end Transport Server
    • Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology
    • Microsoft Exchange Diagnostics
    • Microsoft Exchange Health Manager
    • Microsoft Exchange Monitoring
    • Microsoft Exchange Front End Transport
    • Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging Call Router

 

Step 13: Client Access Role Component 2 (CAS Server components)

  • Registers and configures services related to Front End Client Access Server
    • Microsoft Exchange IMAP4
    • Microsoft Exchange POP3
    • Microsoft Exchange Service Host

 
Step 14: Finalizing the setup

  • Setup would confirm the installation completion process

Post Installation Steps

After the setup is complete, you need to register ASP.Net with the IIS. Once registered, you have to restart the IIS services too. To do so, follow the screenshots given below.

Note: Registering ASP is required in the preview version which may no longer be required after the release of Beta 2 or RTM.

Check if the Services are configured and required services are running

If CAS Server is installed, then following services would be configured.

  • Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology
  • Microsoft Exchange Diagnostics
  • Microsoft Exchange Frontend Transport
  • Microsoft Exchange Health Manager
  • Microsoft Exchange Monitoring
  • Microsoft Exchange IMAP4
  • Microsoft Exchange POP3
  • Microsoft Exchange Service Host
  • Microsoft Exchange Unifies Messaging Call Router

 

If Mailbox Server is installed, then following services would be configured.

  • Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology
  • Microsoft Exchange Anti-spam update
  • Microsoft Exchange Diagnostics
  • Microsoft Exchange EdgeSync
  • Microsoft Exchange Health Manager
  • Microsoft Exchange IMAP4 Backend
  • Microsoft Exchange Information Store
  • Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Assistance
  • Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Replication
  • Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Transport Delivery
  • Microsoft Exchange Mailbox Transport Submission
  • Microsoft Exchange Monitoring
  • Microsoft Exchange POP3 Backend
  • Microsoft Exchange Replication
  • Microsoft Exchange RPC Client Access
  • Microsoft Exchange Search
  • Microsoft Exchange Search Host Controller
  • Microsoft Exchange Server Extension for Windows Server Backup
  • Microsoft Exchange Service host
  • Microsoft Exchange Throttling
  • Microsoft Exchange Transport
  • Microsoft Exchange Transport Log Search
  • Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging
  • Microsoft Forefront Filtering Management Service

This conlcudes the deployment steps for Exchange Server 2013

Hope the information helps.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    I got an error while installing exchange server 2013 on windows server 2012 : "The registry key "SOFTWAREMicrosoftExchange Serverv15Pickup" does not exist under "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE " any related solutions highly appreciated thanks :

  • Anonymous
    August 28, 2012
    This is just Superb.....!!! No need to follow any Installation guide of 100  pages. Thank you so much for your efforts. Regards, Prashant Sahane

  • Anonymous
    October 07, 2013
    I echo Prashant's comments ;) Detailed, to the point.

  • Anonymous
    August 17, 2014
    I am getting error 1605 on setup installation step 2 of 14.
    I tried to remove registry entry for that but again I am getting the same error.
    Any sort of help is highly appreiciable.

    Thanks,
    Sumit