How to Install and Configure MS Exchange Server 2007 on MS Windows Server 2008

Introduction

Last week, I was involved in building the Integration environment for SharePoint 2007 for public facing web site. As you all know that POP3 Service is removed from MS Windows Server 2008. The POP3 service was very useful e-mail service on a development virtual PC to configure SharePoint alerts. I wanted to test SharePoint alerts on our integration environment, so I decided to install Exchange Server 2007 on a Windows Server 2008 VMware for my SharePoint integration. I have never installed and configured Exchange Server 2007 on a test/dev/production environment, so I was bit nervous and excited to install and configure on my SharePoint environment.

I am really excited to say that it was really painless process for me to install Exchange Server 2007 on a VMware running Windows Server 2008. During the installation and configured, I have taken screen shots of steps required to install and configure MS Exchange to help SharePoint professionals, who have no previous background of administering MS Exchange Server like me.

Steps required to install MS Exchange Server 2007 on a MS Windows Server 2008

1. Run MS Exchange Server 2007 ISO Image
   
      
2. The Exchange installer wizard will install. Step 1 and Step 2 of the installation wizard will already be installed on MS Windows Server 2008. Click "Step 3: Install Microsoft Windows PowerShell". A pop up command window will appear as shown above to provide you information on how to install Windows PowerShell.
3. I have followed the command prompt approach to install Windows PowerShell. Open command window and run the following command:
   ServerManagerCmd –i PowerShell
   
   
   
      
4. It takes 2-3 minutes to install Windows PowerShell.
   
   
   
5. Once Windows PowerShell is installed on your server, run the MS Exchange installer again.
   
   
   
6. This time, Click "Step 4: Install Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 SP1". On the Introduction screen, Click Nextto proceed.
   
   
   
   
   
7. On the Next screen, Choose "I accept the terms in the license agreement" and Click "Next" to proceed.
   
   
   
   
   
8. On the next screen, choose "NO", if you don't want to send Error reports.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Choose Typical Exchange Server Installation in the step below and Click Next to proceed.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Enter Exchange Organisation name and Click Next to proceed.
    
    
    
    
    
11. Click NO, if you don't have client machines running MS Outlook 2003 or earlier versions. Click Next to proceed.
    
    
    
    
    
12. On the next screen below, Exchange setup will check that all pre-requisite components of the server are installed.
    
    
    
    
    
13. Readiness Check step has identified number of missing windows components on my server.
    
    
    

• Install Ldifde.exe. Run ServerManagerCmd –i RSAT on the command prompt to install this feature.

• Ldifde.exe is successfully installed. Now installed all remaining components of IIS 7. OpenServer Manager and Select Roles and Click Add Role Service to select all required IIS 7.0 services for MS Exchange Server.

1. Once you have installed the missing components for MS Exchange, Click Install in the MS Exchange wizard to start the MS Exchange installation.
   
   
   
   
   
2. MS Exchange Server 2007 will install total 6 items as shown in the figure below.
   
   
   
   
   
3. MS Exchange 2007 Server is installed successfully.
   
   
   
   
   

Steps required to activate MS Exchange Server 2007 Product Key

1. Restart the server. Once the server is rebooted, Open MS Exchange Server 2007 Console.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Click Enter Product Key link to open Product Key window. Enter MS Exchange key and click Enter to activate your product.
   
   
   
   
   
3. MS Exchange Server 2007 is successfully activated.
   
   

Steps required to create Mailboxes for Domain User Accounts in MS Exchange Server2007

1. Run MS Exchange Server 2007 Console. Right Click Mailbox under Recipient Configuration menu and then ClickNew Mailbox to create or associate domain user's mail boxes.
   
   
   
2. Choose User Mailbox and Click Next to proceed.
   
   
   
   
   
3. In my scenario, I wanted to associate mailboxes for existing users that I had already created on my domain controller for my Integration environment. Click Existing Users option button and Click Add to select users from the domain controller.
   
   
   
   
   
4. On the screen below, specify Mailbox database. Click Next to create mailboxes for the selected existing domain user accounts.
   
   
   
   
   
   Now you have successfully created mailboxes for existing domain user accounts. Next step is to open the MS Outlook web access to test an email account. Click Client Access menu in the Server Configuration. On the right side of the screen, you will see OWA folder. Double Click OWA folder to locate the MS Outlook OWA URL as shown in the figure below.
   
   
   
   
   
   Open the MS Outlook Web Access URL and after entering user credentials you will see, user's mailbox.
   
   
   
   
   
   Now you are ready to use MS Exchange Server 2007. I do hope that you have found this article useful. Please leave your comments