A. The answer to this question varies according to the version of Exchange you plan to run. For example, Exchange Server 2003 runs on Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 3 (SP3) or later. Exchange 2000 Server runs on Win2K Server with SP1 or later. And Exchange Server 5.5 runs on Win2K Server with any service pack and on Windows NT Server 4.0.

If you plan to run Exchange 2000, you don't have to install this version of Exchange on a domain controller (DC), although you can, but you must install it on a member server that has access to Active Directory (AD). Also be aware that the only version of Exchange that Windows 2003 can support is Exchange 2003. As a result, if you plan to upgrade from Win2K to Windows 2003, you'll need to upgrade to Exchange 2003 on Win2K before you upgrade the OS.

Q. Which Windows components must be present before I install Microsoft Exchange Server 2003?

A. As with Exchange 2000 Server, Exchange 2003 integrates very closely with Windows and uses some of the services and features included with the OS. The core OS components that you need to have installed before installing Exchange 2003 on Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000 Server are

• The Windows .NET Framework
• ASP.NET
• The Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) service
• The SMTP service
• The World Wide Web (WWW) service

For Windows 2003, you need to manually install the components by performing the following steps:

1. Open the Control Panel Add/Remove Programs applet.
2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
3. Select Application Server, then click Details.
4. Select the ASP.NET option.
5. Select Internet Information Services (IIS), then click Details.
6. Select the NNTP Service, SMTP Service, and World Wide Web Service options, then click OK.
7. Click OK again to close the Application Server dialog box.
8. Click Next on the main Windows Components Wizard dialog box and follow the prompts when asked to insert the Windows 2003 installation CD-ROM to install the core components.

Don't forget about any service packs that might also be required. Don't install the Windows 2003 POP3 service--a more robust version is supplied with Exchange 2003.

On Windows 2000, the only core Exchange component you need to install in advance is the NNTP service. Because Win2K doesn't come with the .NET Framework or ASP.NET, Exchange 2003 installs them for you and Win2K installs and enables the SMTP and WWW services when you install the OS.

Q. Where and how can I run the Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 ForestPrep Utility?

A. Exchange 2003 makes several changes to the Active Directory (AD) schema and configuration partitions. As you might know, one schema exists for the entire forest, and one domain controller (DC)--the Schema Master operations master--can modify the schema. As a result, you must run the ForestPrep portion of the configuration in the forest root domain (i.e., the first domain created in the forest). This requirement changes the schema for your entire forest, so ensure that you want to perform this step. If you're just experimenting with the Exchange 2003 software, you should run ForestPrep on a separate test forest first to ensure that you don't encounter any problems. After you start the schema update, you can't cancel it.

To run the Exchange 2003 ForestPrep, perform the following steps:

1. Log on to a DC in the forest root domain as a user who is a member of both the Schema Admins and Enterprise Admins groups.
2. Insert the Exchange 2003 installation CD-ROM or connect to a share that has the installation files.
3. Start Windows Explorer, navigate to the setup\i386 folder on the CD-ROM (or on the network share), then double-click setup.exe.
4. Setup will copy several files to the DC, and the Microsoft Exchange Installation Wizard will start. Click Next.
5. Click "I agree" to the license agreement, then click Next.
6. The wizard will display the components to be installed; notice under Action that ForestPrep is selected, as this figure shows. Click Next.
7. The wizard will prompt you for the account that will be the primary Exchange account. Enter the account you want to use, then click Next.
8. The schema update will start and might take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on your hardware and configuration.
9. After the Schema update finishes, click Finish to close the final dialog box.

Note that failing to run ForestPrep won't stop an Exchange 2003 installation--Exchange 2003 will attempt to run ForestPrep during the installation, but this approach might cause problems.

Q. Where and how can I run the Exchange Server 2003 DomainPrep?

A. Whereas the Exchange 2003 ForestPrep makes changes to the Active Directory (AD) schema and configuration partitions, the Exchange 2003 DomainPrep modifies the domain partition. Because the domain partition is domain specific (unlike the schema and configuration, which are forestwide), you need to run DomainPrep on each domain

• that's the forest root domain (the domain that ForestPrep ran on), or
• in which Exchange 2003 will be installed, or
• that will host Exchange 2003 mail-enabled objects (i.e., users and groups), even if the domain doesn't have Exchange 2003 installed.

To run the Exchange 2003 DomainPrep, perform the following steps:

1. Log on to a domain controller (DC) as a user who is a member of the Domain Admins group in the domain that you want to update.
2. Insert the Exchange 2003 installation CD-ROM or connect to a share that has the installation files.
3. Run Windows Explorer, navigate to the setup\i386 folder on the CD-ROM (or on the network share), then run setup.exe.
4. Setup will copy several files to the DC, and the Microsoft Exchange Installation Wizard will start. Click Next.
5. Click "I agree" to the license agreement, then click Next.
6. The wizard will display the components to be installed; notice under Action that DomainPrep is selected. Click Next.
7. If you receive a warning, as this figure shows, that you have members in the Pre-Windows 2000 Compatible Access group and are advised to remove unnecessary members from the group, click OK.
8. The Domain update will start.
9. After the update finishes, click Finish to close the final dialog box.

Q. How can I install Microsoft Exchange Server 2003?

A. Before you install Exchange 2003, ensure that your hardware meets the OS requirements and that any additional OS components (e.g., ASP.NET) are installed where needed, as discussed in the FAQs "Which Windows versions does Microsoft Exchange Server run on?" and "Which Windows components must be present before I install Microsoft Exchange Server 2003?". You should also have run ForestPrep and DomainPrep where appropriate. To install Exchange 2003, perform the following steps:

1. Log on using the primary Exchange account that you specified when you ran the Exchange 2003 ForestPrep. When you specified this account, ForestPrep gave it the full Exchange Administration rights.
2. Insert the Exchange 2003 installation CD-ROM.
3. Start Windows Explorer, navigate to the \setup\i386 folder on the CD-ROM, then double-click setup.exe.
4. The Microsoft Exchange Installation Wizard will start. Click Next.
5. Click "I agree" to the license agreement, then click Next.
6. You now need to select which components you want to install; under Action, click Typical as this figure shows, then click Next.
7. Select the option to "Create a new Exchange Organization," as this figure shows, then click Next.
8. The wizard will prompt you for the organization name--enter a name, as this figure shows (typically the company name). Be aware that after you enter it, the organization name isn't easy to change.
9. Confirm the license regarding per-seat licensing by selecting the "I agree that I have read and will be bound by the license agreements for this product" check box, then click Next.
10. The wizard will display the summary of installation actions. Click Next.
11. The installation will start and a progress screen will display the current actions. After the installation is finished, click Finish.
12. If the system prompts you to restart the machine, click Yes.

You're now ready to start configuring and using Exchange 2003.