Exchange Server 2010 in Windows Server 2008 R2

Install Exchange Server 2010 in Windows Server 2008 R2

The diagram below shows our network scenario. We don’t have any existing Exchange instance. So we will install Exchange server in fresh environment.

                                         

Installation prerequisites

1. The forest functional level of the DC must be at least Server 2003 or later.
2. Active Directory Schema master must be running in Server 2003 or later.
3. Exchange Server must be member of DC but not Edge Transport Server.
4. The Domain Controller must be a Global Catalog server in this (local) domain.
5. Install .Net Framework 3.5 from Server Manager Add New Features wizard in MBG-Mail Server.
6. Download and install 2007 Office System Converter: Microsoft Filter Pack in MBG-Mail.

Exchange Server 2010 Installation Steps

Now, insert Exchange server installation disc or ISO Image into the drive. Then open command prompt from start menu as Administrator. Move your root directory to drive where Exchange media resides. Mine is in drive D,

C:\Users\Administrators> D: [Enter]. (Moves the prompt to drive D:)

The first step is to extend the existing Active Directory Schema. This requires installation of RSAT-ADDS tool. Open PowerShell and hit the following command to install RSAT-ADDS.

Import-Module ServerManager

Add-WindowsFeature RSAT-ADDS

After installing RSAT-ADDS tool, restart the server. Open Command Prompt. Type following command to prepare active directory for installing Exchange Server. 

D:\> setup /prepareschema [Enter]

The second step is to prepare Active Directory for Exchange installation. Type your organization name in Organization Name switch. Hit the following command in command prompt.

D:\> setup /prepareAD /OrganizationName:MustBeGeek [Enter]

Now to prepare this domain for Exchange server installation, hit the following commands in command prompt.

D:\> setup /PrepareDomain [Enter]

Now open Windows Powershell and import Server Manager Module,

C:\> Import-Module ServerManager

Run the following command. This command will start mode for the Net. Tcp port sharing service to automatic.

C:\> Set-Service NetTcpPortSharing -StartupType Automatic

Now, we will install typical Exchange server that includes, Hub Transport, Client Access and Mailbox. These roles are typical if you are installing only one Exchange server for small environment. Log on to MBG-Mail server with domain administrator account.

Now copy and paste the following command in PowerShell. Simply copy the command and right-click the mouse button to paste on PowerShell Window. The CTRL+C and CTRL+V doesn’t work inside PowerShell. These command will install all the prerequisites in this server. Different set of commands are available for different Windows Server versions and different Exchange requirement.

Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server,Web-ISAPI-Ext,Web-Digest-Auth,Web-Dyn-Compression,NET-HTTP-Activation,Web-Asp-Net,Web-Client-Auth,Web-Dir-Browsing,Web-Http-Errors,Web-Http-Logging,Web-Http-Redirect,Web-Http-Tracing,Web-ISAPI-Filter,Web-Request-Monitor,Web-Static-Content,Web-WMI,RPC-Over-HTTP-Proxy -Restart

After completing the installation, the server restarts. After starting the server open the Exchange setup from installation media. You will then see following screen.

As step 1 and step 2 is already completed. Now click the language to install. I will click to install only languages from the DVD. 

Then click step 4 to install Microsoft Exchange. You will soon see the following box,

Read the introduction and click Next button. Then choose to accept the license agreement and click Next button. Choose No for error reporting to Microsoft and click Next button. Choose the installation type as Typical.

Then click Next button. Type the organization name and click Next.

Select No for Exchange client settings,

In configure client access server external domain option. Type the domain name that will be used to access Mail server from Internet, for example, mail.mustbegeek.com.

Click Next. Under Customer Experience Improvement Program, choose I don’t wish to join the program at this time and click Next button.

The installation will now go through readiness checks. If there are some errors then it will notify you. Go back and correct those errors if any. If every checks succeeds then you will see similar screen,

Click Install button to begin installing Exchange server.

Configure Exchange Server to Send and Receive Outside Email

Open Exchange Management Console from Exchange Server that you have just installed. Expand Organization Configuration on Microsoft Exchange On-Premises and select Hub Transport. In the main windows select Accepted Domains.

Accepted Domains are very first thing that you need to configure in Exchange Server. By placing domain name in Accept Domains, you are telling Exchange Server to accept SMTP messages destined for users that have this domain name in their email addresses.

As you can see I already have mustbegeek.com as Authoritative accepted domain. This domain is created automatically because Hub Transport automatically creates this default domain based on name of forest root domain. If your forest root domain is different from your public SMTP name then you have to add that SMTP domain name. You can add new accepted domain by clicking Add New Accepted Domain in Actions pane. For example, if the organization has mailboxes with SMTP name of xyz.com then you have to add xyz.com in Accepted Domains tab.

After configuring Accepted Domains, now let’s configure Send Connectors. Click Send Connectors tab in the same window after selecting Hub Transport under Organization Configuration. Send Connectors in Hub Transport Server are used to send mail out on the Internet to domains like gmail, hotmail, and so on. By default, there is no any send connectors configured. So click the New Send Connector option in actions pane to add.

Type the name for the send connector. Choose Internet option from the drop down menu and click Next button.

Now click the add button to add address space. Since you will be sending to any destination email type the asterisk (*) key. Check include all subdomains and click OK button. Now click the Next button.

Select the first option if you wish to route mail automatically. This option uses DNS MX records to find the destination mail box in the internet. Select second option if you want to route mail via your ISP’s smart host or other smart hosts. Here I will choose the first option. Click Next button after choosing the network setting.

Select the source server. By default, the server you are currently working on will be displayed here. If you want other Hub Transport server then click the Add button and add other server. But here I will leave the default and click Next button.

Here you will see the summary of the configuration. If you want to edit then click back button.

After configuring the Send Connectors, now lets configure Mail box for users. Expand Recipient Configuration and click Mailbox. Click New Mailbox option in the Actions pane.

Choose user mailbox and click Next button.

Select existing users and click Add button to add users from AD users. Then click Next button.

In the Mailbox settings dialog box, you can configure the custom setting or leave the defaults. I will leave the defaults here. Now click Next button. Then click new button to start the process. After finishing the configuration process click Finish button.

You can now access your mailbox from Outlook Web Access (use https) or Microsoft Outlook application.

This Info is copied from MustbeGeek.com but this is done only to maintain notes online in personal friends group. 

Any IT Tech guys can try this steps to have hands on Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, but it must be tested on Windows server 2008 R2.