How To Install Exchange Server 2016 on Windows Server 2012 R2-Part-1

We are going to install Microsoft Exchange Server 2016 on Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard in Lab Environment. Before Installing MS-Exchange we need to install some prerequisite.

1. Make Sure your Domain Controller's functional level of forest is at least Windows Server 2008 and the schema master running is Windows Server 2008 or later.  
2. The full installation option of Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 must be used for all servers running Exchange 2016 server roles or management tools.
3. You must first join the computer to the appropriate internal Active Directory forest and domain.
4. Install the latest Windows updates on your computer.

You can check how to install Active Directory on Windows Server 2012 R2

After Joining the Exchange Server 2016 Computer to the Domain we have to do the following.

Install Pre-Req for Exchange Server 2016

• login as Domain Admin Open PowerShell as Administrator
• Run Following Command

Install-WindowsFeature AS-HTTP-Activation, Desktop-Experience, NET-Framework-45-Features, RPC-over-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-Clustering, RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface, RSAT-Clustering-Mgmt, RSAT-Clustering-PowerShell, 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

• Reboot the Server
• Install .NET Framework 4.5.2

• Restart the Server
• Unified Communications Managed API 4.0 Runtime

• Restart the Server after setup completes 

Active Directory Preparation 

The computer you want to use to prepare Active Directory for Exchange 2016 has specific prerequisites that must be met.

1. Logon with Domain Administrator account, Open PowerShell and Install the Remote Tools Administration Pack using the following command

Install-WindowsFeature RSAT-ADDS

A schema Update is required before installing Exchange Server 2016

In PowerShell run the following to check the schema version

"Exchange Schema Version = " + ([ADSI]("LDAP://CN=ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt," + ([ADSI]"LDAP://RootDSE").schemaNamingContext)).rangeUpper

Now Copy Exchange server 2016 Setup files on your Exhchange Server PC and Run the following command from elevated Command prompt. This will only update the schema.

Setup.exe /PrepareSchema /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

Run the Version Check Command Again and you will see following

To prepare Active Directory run one of the following commands. Note this will also apply the schema update if you did not perform that step already. You cannnot change the Organization name later so chose wisely. 

Setup.exe /PrepareAD /OrganizationName:"Mylab" /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

Installing Exchange server 2016 Mailbox Server Role

Navigate to the location of Exchange Server 2016 Installation Files
Right Click setup.exe and select Run As Administrator

Click Next to Continue

Accept the License agreement and click Next

Use Recommended settings on Next screen and click next

Select Mailbox Role and Automatically install Windows Server Roles and features that are required to install Exchange Server, Click Next

Click Next

Leave the Malware Protections settings Enabled and Click Next

Click Install

After Setup Completes Restart the Server to configure Exchange Server 2016

In next post we will complete post installation tasks for configuring Exchange Server 2016.