Exchange Server Deployment Assistant is a great tool!

Just a quick post today, as I’ve missed most of this week and didn’t want you readers to go into withdrawal =)

Microsoft apparently agrees with me that trying to figure out what steps to take in installation of Exchange 2010 can drive you batty.  In response, they’ve created the Exchange Server Deployment Assistant (ESDA) to help you know what to do when.

The tool is web based, and simple to use.  You tell the tool if you’re planning on upgrading from a previous version of Exchange or a net-new install of 2010.  You also tell it what components of the Exchange Server 2010 system you’ll be using – Disjointed namespaces, POP/IMAP, Unified Messaging, etc.

Once you give it this info, it walks you through all the steps required to properly install and configure the services you chose.  This includes pre-requisites for the OS and Features and Roles, and the installation and basic configuration of the Exchange software itself.  A great tool for those who want an idea of what needs to be done, start to finish.

You can find the ESDA tool here. Note, you’ll need Silverlight to use the tool, which is freely available from this link.

See you next week!