Install Exchange2003

[andyoye]

Could someone tell me the basic requirements to install Exhange in test enviroment? Like
I have three servers, all have win2k3. What should be the infrasucture? Suppose servers...:
test1: is my DC/GC
test2: exhange 2003
test3: outlook client
Q: Can i plug them into a switch and join all to my test.local domain?
Q: do i need DHCP/WINS server?

I have installed exhange, OWA works fine. problem is when i try to connect outlook( which is on test3 server). I select "exchange server" option, then hit Check Name.. I got " name is not resolved, opration could not be completed" error. I checked the GAL, its not hidden

Cheers
Andy

 

[58sniper]

Is the workstation using the DC's IP for its DNS?

Can you ping the exchange server from the workstation?

Pat Richard, MCSE(2) MCSA:Messaging, CNA(2)

 

[andyoye]

Yes, Let me explain the whole test enviro.

Test1: DC, static ip 10.10.0.2 ( FQDN: test1.test.local)

Test2: Exchange .... 10.10.0.3 ( DC's IP for its DNS)FQDN:test2.test.local

Test3: Outlook... 10.10.0.4 ( DC's IP for its DNS)FDQN:test3.test.local

All machines can ping each other ( by name & by IP)

All machine are connected to a switch.

I can use OWA to access mailboxes, from any server.
(

http://test2.test.local/exchange..)

When I ran dc/forest prep, there was no error logged on.

If I select POP3 option to connect my outlook it works fine.

Kindly guide me.

Thx
Andy

 

[andyoye]

The TCP/IP settings for DC is:
IP Address: 10.10.0.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 10.10.0.2
Preferred DNS Server: 10.10.0.2

So for test2/3, DNS = 10.10.0.2, gateway=10.10.0.2

I think i am doing somethg foolisg here with having dns & gateway ip addresses same. AM I?

 

[SteveMCSE]

if you don't have a router and can't get to the outside world you won't have a default gateway. I would change it to some random address as a test.

Install WINS onto the DC and register the Exchange server on it using nbtstat -RR. Add the WINS server to the workstation so it can resolve the netbios name of Exchange.

Dumb Question: You pointed your workstation and servers to your DC for DNS, but did you install DNS onto the DC? Not trying to insult your intelligence, just want to get the whole picture. if you haven't done that, do it.

Steve
Systems Engineer

 

[andyoye]

Thanks, yes I have DNS on DC.

Do I really need WINS? all three machine are running w2k3.

One thing I noticed, If I put wrong exchange server name or IP while connecting outlook, I get error saying exchange server not avaiable...... but IF I put correct exchange server ( FQDN or its IP address)then click check name.. I get name could not be resolved.

Does it really matters if I put DNS & Gateway IP address the same?

I am totally confused at this point. ANY help is needed.
Thx ALL!

 

[58sniper]

You don't need WINS unless you're supporting Win9x or NT machines. WINS is outdated.

Gateway doesn't matter, since you're getting the name not found error.

When you enter the name, are you using the users' display name, email address, alias...?

Pat Richard, MCSE(2) MCSA:Messaging, CNA(2)

 

[SteveMCSE]

One thing I noticed is don't put a space after the exchange server name. It will try to resolve it with the space and fail. Same for the mailbox.

Steve
Systems Engineer

 

[andyoye]

I tired alias, user ID, full email address, same error. What I am missing here??

 

[SteveMCSE]

Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange 2000 Server require NetBIOS name resolution for full functionality" (support.microsoft.com)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/837391/en-us

Just an FYI, Exchange 200x does require WINS, although it might not be for the problem you are experiencing.

At any rate, maybe your Outlook installation is faulty? Add a workstation to the IP segment and try it with that one. Use a Windows XP box. I know it shouldn't matter than you have Office on W2k3, but maybe something funky about it is stopping you.


Also, the default gateway shouldn't matter, and you said you CAN ping the Exchange server, but maybe TCP/IP is acting weird because it's trying NOT to send requests for the local segment to the default gateway. Change it to 10.10.0.50 or something.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255843/en-us

this article talks about uninstalling and reinstalling TCP/IP. Maybe that will work.


Steve
Systems Engineer

 

[58sniper]

That KB clearly says that it's needed if you're dealing with Exchange across several subnets. According to the original message in the thread, that's not likely the issue. I've yet to run into a situation where I needed WINS in a Win2k/Win2k3 Ex2k/Ex2k3 environment. And I manage about 700 of them. The caveat being that there are no Win9x and NT machines in them.

If you have three machines, two of which are servers, all in the same subnet, you don't need WINS for Exchange.

While the KB says that WINS is needed for Exmerge, that's not entirely true, either. We are WINS free and I Exmerge mailboxes every day.

Pat Richard, MCSE(2) MCSA:Messaging, CNA(2)

 

[andyoye]

So what you guys are suggesting to trouble shoot the problem. I even tired with XP outlook, no luck. Kindly help.

 

[andyoye]

As I told before ... POP3 & OWA works fine.

How does outlook CHECK NAME for user? Lpad? Does it has anythg to do with AD?

 

[Zelandakh]

Check name / connect to Exchange does a bit of a mixing pot of DNS lookup, NetBIOS name resolution (or it used to but Pat's convinced otherwise), MAPI connect to the Exchange and an LDAP lookup.

Check that in networks, your WINS is set as NetBIOS over TCP/IP.

And its all tied in to AD.

 

[SteveMCSE]

Last night I was trying to resolve a mailbox name but it wouldn't resolve. I kept getting the same error that andyoye is having. I typed an ambiguous part of the mailbox name so that Outlook would give me a list to select from. I chose the mailbox (Which for some reason had a space in it) and clicked ok, but it said it couldn't resolve the name.

How can that be if it showed me the name in the list?

Turns out somewhere along the line the x.500 address got a space in it. I don't know why that would happen, but it did. So, I tried to resolve it without the space and it worked.

My point it, use ldp.exe to see all the values of all the attributes of the account and see if there is a discrepency in the mailbox name somewhere. Try all the different variances you see.

Good luck.


Steve
Systems Engineer

 

[andyoye]

Well, even if I put part of mailbox, outlook doesnt give me any list.

 

[andyoye]

If I put some non existing mailbox, THEN outlook gives "name could not be matched to a name in the address list" as mentioned before, for Valid mailbox, gives "name could not br resolved

 

[Zelandakh]

ok let's backtrack.

Everything is on the same subnet and all clients are domain members?
We're talking full on local LAN and domain not workgroup.
Is DHCP being used or is everything static? What about a DNS - up and running DNS server?

 

[andyoye]

Yes, all are on 255.255.255.0 subnet, all machines are member of domain.
All are connected to a isolated ( no outside connectivity)switch.
All have 10.10.0.x static IP addresses

 

[Zelandakh]

Do you have a running DNS in there?