- Introduction
- Windows Clustering 101
- Forest Creation Process
- Installation
- Installation of Root Domain
- Quality Assurance
- Forest Preparation, DNS, and Exchange
- Installation of Bridgehead Servers and the Child Domain
- Installing DHCP and WINS Services
- Patching and Updating Domain Controllers
- Exchange Domain Preparation
- Creation of Initial Service and Administration Resources
- Clustering
- Time-Out
Exchange Domain Preparation
This section covers the preparation of the child domain for the addition of Exchange 2003. This process entails running the /DomainPrep switch using Exchange setup.exe, similarly to what was performed during the /ForestPrep process. The domain preparation creates the groups and permissions in Active Directory necessary for Exchange operation. Domain prep also creates several folders and performs a variety of tasks needed to install Exchange 2003 into the domain. Obviously you cannot install an Exchange cluster like we will do in Chapter 10 until this process is complete.
Prepare the domain for Exchange 2003. This process requires the Exchange 2003 Installation CD as is described as follows:
Log in as Administrator to the primary domain controller (PDC) emulator in the child- or sub-domain. Domain Admin credentials are needed for this process. The account does not need Enterprise Administrator or Schema Administrator credentials; therefore, in this process, AD\Administrator will do.
Insert the CD and, if the Exchange installation process boots, then close it down.
Open to the command prompt on the PDC DC and enter the following command: <CDDRIVE>:\setup\i386\setup.exe /DomainPrep.
When the DomainPrep completes, remove the Exchange CD and check for any errors in the event logs. Report any errors related to the process for review and copy the DomainPrep progress log files to the Service Admin workstation. Reboot the DC if required.
Allow root domain controllers to replicate the changes made before moving onto the next step.
Review DCDIAG results during the replication cycle in Step 4. (See also Chapter 13 on deploying Microsoft Operations Manager for monitoring Exchange.)