Deploying Exchange 2007 on Windows Server 2008

Exchange Solutions October 9, 2010

In this article I will cover the installation of Exchange 2007 SP1 on Windows Server 2008.

  1. Install  Windows Server 2008 

Windows Server 2008 is the latest Server OS of Microsoft,  inheriting functions of  Windows Server 2003.

It is a set of server system similar to Windows Vista, both will likely have many similar functions. Their relationship is similar to that between XP and Server 2003.

 To install   Windows Server 2008 is a piece of cake if you have experience in installing other windows OS. So we just suppose you’ve successfully installed it fluently, or with the help of other articles on the Internet.

2. Preparations before installing Exchange server 2007

The first thing to cover is preparing your Windows Server 2008 machine for Exchange 2007. There are a bunch of prerequisites which must be met as listed below:

  • .Net Framework v2.0 or 3.0
  • PowerShell RTM
  • MMC 3.0 (installed by default)
  • IIS 7 (Various components needed by different roles)

With any of them not installed, you won’t be able to install Exchange Server 2007 in the setup wizard until all above is installed.

In order to install the prerequisites we will run the following commands one after the other at a command prompt :

ServerManagerCmd -i RSAT-ADDS

ServerManagerCmd -i PowerShell

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Server

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-ISAPI-Ext

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Metabase

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Basic-Auth

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Digest-Auth

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Windows-Auth

ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Dyn-Compression

After the first command (RSAT-ADDS) you will need to reboot.

If you would rather install rest of them using one command, you can create an XML answer file with the following content:

<ServerManagerConfiguration Action=”Install” xmlns=”http://schemas.microsoft.com/sdm/Windows/ServerManager/Configuration/2007/1″>
<Feature/>

<Role/>
<RoleService/>
<RoleService/>

<RoleService/>
<RoleService/>
<RoleService/>

<RoleService/>
<RoleService/>

</ServerManagerConfiguration>

To do so open notepad paste in the above code, then save it as an XML file.

With the script created, type ServerManagerCMD –ip <name and path of xml file> in a command prompt.

Tip: Why do I recommend using command line to install the prerequisites?

Using the command line was dramatically faster than using the GUI and allowed me to script all of the required prerequisites, thereby eliminating any potential mistakes in installing the prerequisites.

Once I tried to add the Features and Roles in the Server Manager (GUI) one by one, finally all run in a mess and I had to redo all the Preparations and try a more convenient way, the command line. So I strongly recommend command line installation.

For some small errors during this process, deal with them according to error reports.

Now we are going to install an Exchange 2007 SP1 server in a new domain and new organization. We will install the CAS, HT and Mailbox roles

To create a new domain and new organization, open the Active Directory Domains and Trusts we’ve just installed and create a domain, set as a DNS server, and create users. 

3. Install Exchange server 2007

Having successfully completed the installation of prerequisites, it is time to install Exchange. Start setup and click “Install Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 SP1”. The whole process is clicking a series of NEXT, of course you can disable error reporting, choose the installing path or do some other easy choice.

For warning of registry key and errors caused by absence of certain preparations, make sure they are corrected and redo the installation.

Thus, we have successfully installed Exchange Server 2007 on Windows Server 2008. We can see the relevant information on Exchange Management console.

4. Exchange server settings

After installation, we need to do some setting to put it into use. With the default setting after successfully installation, Email client cannot send emails yet, unlike in Exchange Server 2003. We need to create a SMTP send connector on the server, with SMTP receive connector already installed with the default installation.

  • Find Hub Transport in Organization Configuration;
  • Click New send Connector in the right side window;
  • Type in a name, add an address space and type in * in Address;
  • Click NEXT all the way till you finish it.

 

By now, Email clients are able to send and receive emails.

5. Email Server & Client setting

The Server can create users in AD (Active Directory Domains and Trusts), configure their information, and manage them. And Server can create a mailbox for each existing user or new user.

How can the Client join the Domain?

  • In Internet Protocol, Change the DNS server address as your server offers;
  • Right click on My computer, choose Properties;
  • Under Computer Name, click Change, enable Domain, type in the address, Click OK;
  • Type in the User name and Password which the Administrator offered.

Now you have joined the domain of the exchange server.

How to create an exchange mail account?

  • In Control Panel, open Mail;
  • Click E-mail accounts, choose Add a new e-mail account, click Next;
  • Choose Microsoft Exchange Server, click Next;
  • Type in the server name and User Name (Server name is in the form of servername.domainname);
  • The Check Name will prevent you to create a mail account if you type in the wrong item;
  • In More Settings, you can do some settings include the Offline Folder Encryption;
  • Click Finish.

Now you can open the outlook to use your exchange mail account to send or receive mails.

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