Which Windows Server 2008 Roles for Exchange 2007?

[JonathanMortimer]

We intend to install Exchange 2007 on a separate server to the domain controller (also running Server 2008), which server roles would be required on the Exchange machine?

 

[58sniper]

What does the documentation say?

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[JonathanMortimer]

It tells me what each server role does but does not mention which server role Exchange server requires, at least I couldn't find it mentioned anyway. I have looked at the pre-requisites for Exchange 2007 and it goes on about everything except server roles (or other practical things). Frankly I find Microsoft's documentation misleading, confusing, and massively over-complex; if you can point me to the place where it tells me in plain English which Server 2008 role(s) I should use for Exchange 2007 then I would be very grateful!

 

[58sniper]

http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=installing+exchange+2007+on+windows+2008

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[JonathanMortimer]

Thank you. Obviously I had not yet learned my lesson to ignore Microsoft's own documentation if I want anything written in plain English.

 

[JonathanMortimer]

Hmm. I have managed to join the Exchange server machine to the domain controller / Active Directory main server, but when I come to install Exchange Server 2007 itself it complains that it cannot contact the Active Directory server.

The network is there, the servers talk to one another, DHCP is working fine. Can anyone advise what I have to do to get this working?

 

[58sniper]

What does DHCP have to do with this? Make sure the DNS settings configured on the Exchange server point to your internal DNS server (usually the DC).

If you don't do the schema extensions manually, then make sure you're logging onto the Exchange box as a member of the enterprise admins, domain admins, and schema admins groups.

See if you can ping just the AD domain from the Exchange server.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[JonathanMortimer]

Thanks for your reply 58sniper, I realised my mistake (but the minimal Windows 2008 login screen didn't help) as I was logged into the local machine rather than the domain. I also discovered that all of the firewalls were turned on, disabling them and logging in to a domain admin account allowed the installation to proceed, however I now have another problem.

The Mailbox client access role is complaining that it can't access the Metadata, and to check if MIIS is installed. I have already installed the IIS role on the server and can browse the localhost website (I get the IIS7 splash screen).

 

[JonathanMortimer]

Gah, never mind the IIS thing, I just installed all of the options for that role and it worked then, but now the Exchange installer fails with an error about not being able to find the file specified, although it doesn't tell me anything useful like what file or why it couldn't find it. I am going to see if I can try again with the latest installer.

 

[58sniper]

I just installed all of the options for that role and it worked then

Arbitrarily installing things until it works is certainly not the best way to build a stable server. If you did some research, you'd find that Exchange ships with XML files that will automatically configure things for you.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[JonathanMortimer]

Interesting, I spent a while reading the documentation for Exchange 2007 but there was no mention of an XML file, nor anything about what specific parts of the 2008 roles were required.

 

[58sniper]

http://www.petri.co.il/installing-exchange-2007-prerequisites-on-windows-server-2008.htm

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb691354.aspx

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchan...ite-XML-files-included-in-Service-Pack-2.aspx

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[JonathanMortimer]

Thank you once again! I should explain that we have the SP1 distribution which (according to one of your links) probably does not come with the xml installer files, I shall have to request the SP2 version.

I also notice that none of these are the actual Microsoft docs that I've been reading, figures.

 

[58sniper]

You can download the XML files. But if you're building a new server, you should be installing from the SP2 download, along with the rollup placed in the /updates folder.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchan...-complete-with-service-packs-and-rollups.aspx

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[Zelandakh]

Many of the docs are written by MVPs. Pat recommends them regularly as one. MVPs are industry proven experts who deploy this stuff for a living and write in that manner.

They are also really great people, Pat especially.

 

[58sniper]

Aww shucks. Thanks, Z!

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[JonathanMortimer]

Ho hum. Just found out that Exchange 2007 SP2 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 R2 (which is what we have). Exchange 2007 SP1 installer bombs because it 'can't find the file specified' but tells me nothing more, which I find to be a really rubbish piece of programming to be honest. Not impressed at all with any of this right now.

Could someone please help be out here - what are my options now? What are the differences between 2008 and 2008 R2 that make installing Exchange 2007 work on one but not the other?

Sorry for the rant, it's just making a mockery of the whole compatibility thing, might as well be using an Orac.

 

[58sniper]

Windows 2008 R2 is a completely different OS than 2008.

http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2009/09/21/452567.aspx

http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2009/11/04/453026.aspx

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[JonathanMortimer]

Thank you for the links 58sniper. I see it's not just me who thinks this incompatibility is dumb.

 

[zbnet]

The Exchange Supportbility Matrix (

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee338574(EXCHG.80).aspx)

has always been pretty clear about 2008 R2 not supporting Exchange 2007. It's always been important to check whether a particular OS support a particular Exchange version.