This is the down and dirty for installing Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition.

Windows Exchange Server 2003 Requirements

Content to follow….be patient.

Pre-Installation steps

There are a number of preparatory steps to carry out before installing Exchange server. These steps deal mostly with installing and configuring Windows Components required by Exchange server.

1. From the Start menu, locate then click Control Panel. Next, click Add or Remove Programs.
2. Click Add or Remove Windows Components to start the Windows Components Wizard.
3. Click the Application Server component, and then click Details.
4. Select the check box for ASP.NET, and then click OK.
5. Scroll down to Internet Information Services (IIS) and click Details.
6. Select the check boxes to select the following components:
   1. NNTP service
   2. SMTP service
   3. World Wide Web service
7. Click OK to return to the Application Server components, and then click OK again to return to the main Windows Components Wizard page.
8. Complete the wizard to install the components

ASP is a component of IIS, and is installed by default when you install the WWW service. However, you must enable ASP in the IIS services console though it is already installed. To do this, perform the following steps:

1. Locate and click Administrative Tools and start the IIS Manager console.
2. Expand the local computer, and then select Web Service Extensions.
3. Select Active Server Pages, and then click Allow.

Domain and Network Diagnostics

Run dcdiag and netdiag after install Windows Supports Tools. These are command line tools

That is the last preparatory step, now we’ll go on to the actual Exchange installation.

Installing Exchange Server 2003

Forest Prep

The first step in installing Exchange Server involves updating the schema and configuration partitions in Active Directory by using Forest Prep. In simpler terms, Forest prep adds Exchange attributes to the Active Directory schema. Prior to running Forest prep, you will not find Exchange related tabs on AD user objects. After Forest prep, a user object will have the added Exchange related tabs;

1. Email Address.
2. Exchange Features.
3. Exchange Advanced.
4. Exchange General.

Forest prep needs to be run only once and in the root of the forest. It should be noted that Forest prep can take considerable time to execute, depending on the size of the organization. In a VM domain of 2 users, Forest prep took in excess of 10 minutes to complete. Your mileage may vary.

Insert the Exchange Server 2003 install CD and from the Run command type;

d:\setup\i386\setup.exe /forestprep

At this point the wizard will open the component selection portion of Setup. The sections should already be filled in. Click Next and you will be prompted for the Exchange Install Account…this account will be granted the Exchange Full Administrator role and will be given the authority to delegate other Exchange administrator roles. Click Next. Forest prep will now begin.

Domain Prep

The process for running domain prep is the same as for forest prep. At the Run command type:

d:\setup\i386\setup.exe /domainprep

The wizard will open the component selection portion of Setup. There is no need to change any value, Domain prep should be the listed option. Simply click Next.