So I decided to build an exchange server in my test cluster. This will be a VM. Any ideas/reccos for it? I plan on it only running about 5 accounts/addresses and maybe integrating with my AD.

9/22/2009 4:11:45 PM

Exchange is retarded easy to setup. You will need an AD to install it regardless of test environment or production. I would suggest building the VM, making a new test AD with the VM as the DC, install exchange server on it to play arround. Then once you're ready, install it in your existing domain. Its really pretty much just next next next next done.

9/22/2009 4:14:35 PM

ok knowing im out of 2k8 installs which means this is going on a 2k3 server and my AD is 2k8 lv, how hard is it to demote it to a non DC and remove from AD, and then join it to my existing AD? Can this be done without breaking exchange since it needs AD

9/22/2009 5:29:51 PM

It sounds like adsiedit is about to become a good friend of yours.

9/22/2009 5:30:55 PM

too many TLA ITT

9/22/2009 5:41:02 PM

I wouldn't suggest running Exchange 2007 on anything but Windows Server 2008. Personal preference, but the native PowerShell 1.0 integration makes life MUCH easier.

You have no choice but to use an AD, though. Good luck with it, I don't manage the Forest and never want to, it makes me want to tear my hair out. But setting up Exchange is easy easy if you don't run into any errors ... and technically speaking, you shouldn't have any showstoppers if you just install a fresh Win2008 with AD then install Exchange onto it.

Any issues I had with it stemmed from trying to integrate Win2008/Exch2007 into a Forest that was primarily Win2003 and Exch2003. Nasty.

My advice: if you're controlling the AD, avoid Win2003 and Exchange.

9/22/2009 5:58:55 PM

ok so then any advice against putting it on same system as the DC?

also, anyclue how the fuck to disable IE's high security settings on a DC? its got all the scrips blocked from MS's nice little install front-end. and i cant find an override or workaround to get the setup started.

9/22/2009 6:59:00 PM

add remove programs, -> windows components -> remove hardIE or whatever they call it there (I disable it with gpo).
exchange and dc on the same box is no biggie. I've done it on several domains without a problem.

9/22/2009 7:02:24 PM

yea, that shit is annoying

Quote :

"ok so then any advice against putting it on same system as the DC? "

i usually don't like to do it. not sure if there are any technical reasons not to, though.

9/22/2009 7:21:14 PM

Quote :

"also, anyclue how the fuck to disable IE's high security settings on a DC? its got all the scrips blocked from MS's nice little install front-end. and i cant find an override or workaround to get the setup started."

Or from the server manager console, there's the option to Enable/Disable ESC.

9/22/2009 7:25:52 PM

which takes me to server manager... so i turned off IE ESC under features. both users and admins.

Noen, apologies but this is why IE sucks.

still fails. i turned ie down to med (wont let me go low). complaining it cant find a htm file in the temp directory, which is there, i checked for it.

btw this works fine in win 7... its an iso i pulled and am porting via VMware to the systems "cddrive"

only other thing i see that remotely will do anything is an msi marked exchange server pops up an install box and dies. before it i know powershell needs to be installed. imma manually instal it first and see if then i can use this other msi.

9/22/2009 7:33:55 PM

Quote :

"Noen, apologies but this is why IE sucks"

I never said it didn't. But IE on a server OS is locked down for very good reason. Turning off ESC should let you do pretty much everything...

And why are you installing exchange from a web front-end in the first place? And what are you porting to VMWare, and why?

If this is all a VM test deployment, why not use 2008 Server R2? http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/try-it.aspx

9/22/2009 7:41:01 PM

Lol you cant say that

Ok so I thought it was ESC but its off and same thing.

Ok whole story. MSDNAA pull, to an iso. iso has setup.exe autoed to it. setup has a bunch of nice scriped launch links to install about 5 or 6 different things. being that exchange needs some backend support. When i try to even so much as hover over the links i get an IE script warning saying it cant find this temp htm file.

the ISO is being sent to the VM's virtual cd drive. Vmware is just what all my VMs run, and its some stuff in it that allows this to be done. the VM is server 2k8

and now that i look my next point is shot, we have 2k8 r2 avaliable... ok /me starts prepping another VM. id rather get this fixed though as 1 vm = more mem avaliable vs 2 vms.

9/22/2009 8:18:22 PM

see if it doesn't work in 2k8r2 with ESC off.

9/22/2009 8:48:06 PM

Quote :

"complaining it cant find a htm file in the temp directory, which is there, i checked for it. "

welcome to UAC.

yes, that file exists in your temp directory.

applications don't see the same things you do.

9/22/2009 10:09:03 PM