Exchange 2007 pre-req's

For those installing Exchange 2007 for the first time, you'll have to change the way you normally prepare a Windows 2003 server for Exchange 2003.  While that may sound like a blinding flash of the obvious - given all the changes in Exchange 2007 - an ounce of preparation can still make your life get a lot easier.

As mentioned in earlier posts, Exchange 2003 will not run on x64 hardware at all, so first things first, you'll need a fresh x64 server with Windows 2003 (preferably R2). [Note: these instructions are *not* correct for Server 2008, there is a great article on how to do that here] Once you get the base OS up and running, install IIS in "Application Server" configuration.  You can do this by going to Control Panel|Add/Remove Programs.  When the Add/Remove wizard starts, click Add/Remove Windows Components on the left-hand side of the window.  Internet Information Services will be one of the components you can install, but just using the "Application Server" profile will give you what Exchange 2007 needs.

Unlike with Exchange 2003, do NOT install SMTP or NNTP.  Putting either of those services in will lead to an error in 2007's pre-flight check, requiring that you go back and remove them.

Once IIS is in, upgrade the server to Service Pack 2, this will install most of the other pre-requisites you need, but not all of them.  You will still need to go to Windows Update after the SP2 install and pick up about 30 hot-fixes and patches.  Installing IIS before SP2 will allow the Service Pack installer to upgrade everything at once, instead of requesting that you shuffle disks in and out of the CD drive - which is what will happen if you Service Pack first, then install IIS afterward.

While hot-fixing, be sure to install .NET 1.1 and 2, and preferably 3 as well.  This will require several Windows Update runs, as each of those has service packs and hot-fixes you'll need to grab.  Since PowerShell and many components of Exchange 2007 will need these platforms, it is easier to install them at this point, as they show up in Windows Update as Optional Software, so you can grab them in a semi-automated manner.

Speaking of PowerShell, once you get all of your updates and .NET installs done, go ahead and download and install PowerShell.  You can get PowerShell 1.1 for x64 Windows 2003 from this link. 

By following these steps, you can pre-stage your Windows 2003 x64 system to be ready to run Mailbox, Hub/Transport and Client Access Server roles for Exchange 2007.  You should have no issues with the pre-flight check and install, with one notable exception.  If you are creating a multi-role (default) install, and you are using Exchange 2007 SP1 binaries - which you probably should be doing - then you'll get an error about not having an SMTP send connector to the Internet.  This is normal on a brand-new Exchange 2007 install, and can safely be ignored at that point.  But, if you plan on sending mail to the outside world, be sure to configure an SMTP connector after your install is done.  You can find out how to do so (and do a lot more with Hub/Transport roles) at this link.

Taking some time to pre-configure tools on your server prior to starting your Exchange 2007 installation will allow your install to go faster, and pre-empt annoying error messages about things being missing.  Since most of these steps (install SP2, Windows Update, etc) are Microsoft best practices anyway, they are a great way to kill two birds, with one very large stone.