Installing OCS 2007 R2 Prerequisites on Windows Server 2008 R2

09/04/201008/09/2010Ståle Hansen 19 Comments

[tweetmeme source=”stalehansen” only_single=false]Server 2008 R2 is now supported by OCS 2007 R2. As a follow-up to my post on Installing OCS 2007 R2 Prerequisites on Windows Server 2008 I will in this post describe how you can install OCS 2007 R2 prerequisites on Server 2008 R2. While you need to install the same prerequisites on both OS’ there is a change in what commands you use and you also need to prepare the server in a different way when you are installing on Server 2008 R2

Part one – Before you install OCS 2007 R2 binaries

Open powershell as administrator and run the following commands
- Import-Module ServerManager
- Add-WindowsFeature as-net-framework,desktop-experience,telnet-client
  - This installs the following features
    - [As-Net-Framework] – .Net Framework 3.5 SP1
    - [Desktop-Experience] – Desktop Experience
    - [Telnet-Client] – Telnet Client (recommended not required)
Request the Hotfix that is described in KB975858 for Windows Server 2008 R2
- You need to request it, then you recieve a link by email, from there you can download and install it
Install the prerequisites for the specific role as described in part three
Run Windows Update untill everything is updated
Install the OCS 2007 binaries for the role you are installing

Part two – After you install OCS 2007 R2 binaries

When you try to activate OCS 2007 R2 Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition or Edge Server role when all windows updates are installed it fails
- Download and install OCSASNFix.exe
- Re-run the activation wizard
Download and install the latest cumulative updates for OCS 2007 R2
- I recommend downloading ServerUpdateInstaller.exe that features all the updates and will install the ones necessary for the specific role
- You need to manually update the Pool DB
  - Guide for updating the pool DB can be found here: https://msunified.net/2009/11/08/how-to-install-ocs2009-dbupgrade/
- After installing the latest cumulative updates I have experienced that some services can’t start when you reboot the server, the symptoms are
  - It takes long time before you can RDP the server after reboot
  - When you finally log in you find that the Front End, EDGE or Mediation service has not started
  - In the eventviwer you find something about WMI
  - When you start the services everything works fine
  - To resolve this, see this post: https://msunified.net/2010/04/09/after-installing-the-latest-cumulative-updates-to-ocs-2007-r2-some-services-dont-start/
If you have XP or Vista clients in your enterprise change the default NTLM security settings from 128-bit encryption to “no minimum”
- Start secpol.msc on a Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system server.
- Click to select Local Policies and then click Security Options node.
- Make sure that the following values of the policies are set to “No Minimum.”
  - Network Security: Minimum session security for NTLM SSP based (including secure RPC)
  - Network Security: Minimum session security for NTLM SSP based (including secure RPC) servers
  - Read more about it here: http://technet.microsoft.com/pl-pl/library/dd566199(WS.10).aspx

Part three – Commands to install the necessary prerequisites for OCS 2007 R2 on Windows Server 2008 R2

Front End on Windows Server 2008 R2

Import-Module ServerManager
Add-WindowsFeature web-windows-auth,web-mgmt-compat,web-mgmt-console,web-http-logging,msmq-server,msmq-directory,was-process-model,was-config-apis, web-static-content,rsat-adds

Installs the following components:

[Web-Windows-Auth] – Windows Authentication
[Web-Mgmt-Compat] – IIS 6 Management Compatibility
[MSMQ-Server] – Message Queuing Server
[MSMQ-Directory] – Directory Service Integration
[RSAT-ADDS] – Active Directory Domain Services Tools
[WAS-Process-Model] – Process Model
[WAS-Config-APIs] – Configuration APIs
[Web-Mgmt-Console] – IIS Management Console
[Web-Http-Logging] – HTTP Logging
[Web-Static-Content] – Static Content

NOTE: If you are to run the create pool wizard from the Front End server against SQL 2008, you also need the MS SQL Native Client: X64 Package (sqlncli.msi) – 7963 KB
Also check out this post of mine whether to run create pool on OCS Front End or Back End SQL server: https://msunified.net/2009/08/11/create-pool-%e2%80%93-run-on-ocs-or-sql-server/

Office Communicator Phone Edition deployment on Windows Server 2008

Import-Module ServerManager
Add-WindowsFeature Web-Static-Content

Installs the following components in addition to Front End prerequisites:

[Web-Static-Content] – Static Content

NOTE: It exists default MIME types for both the .xml and the .cat extensions that is used by the updater. There is however no default for the .nbt extension and you need to configure it manually. See this post on how to do it http://www.codesalot.com/2010/communicator-phone-edition-update-issues/

Monitoring Server on Windows Server 2008

Import-Module ServerManager
Add-WindowsFeature msmq-server,msmq-directory

Installs the following components:

[MSMQ-Server] – Message Queuing Server
[MSMQ-Directory] – Directory Service Integration

CWA Server on Windows Server 2008

Import-Module ServerManager
Add-WindowsFeature web-windows-auth,web-digest-auth,web-basic-auth,web-mgmt-compat,web-mgmt-console,web-common-http,web-ISAPI-ext,web-ISAPI-filter,web-request-monitor,web-http-redirect,web-http-logging

Installs the following components:

[Web-Windows-Auth] – Windows Authentication
[Web-Digest-Auth] – Digest Authentication
[Web-Basic-Auth] – Basic Authentication
[Web-Mgmt-Compat] – IIS 6 Management Compatibility
[Web-Mgmt-Console] – IIS Management Console
[Web-Common-Http] – Common-http-features
[Web-ISAPI-Ext] – ISAPI Extensions
[Web-ISAPI-Filter] – ISAPI Filters
[Web-Request-Monitor] – Request Monitor
[Web-Http-Redirect] – HTTP Redirection
[Web-Http-Logging] – HTTP Logging

Mediation Server on Windows Server 2008

Import-Module ServerManager
Add-WindowsFeature rsat-adds

Installs the following components:

[RSAT-ADDS] – Active Directory Domain Services Tools

References:
For base OS prerequisites: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982021
For supporting OCS 2007 R2 after raising the domain functional level: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982020

Installing Exchange 2010 Prerequisites on Server 2008 R2

30/10/200902/08/2017Ståle Hansen 13 Comments

Commands to install the necessary prerequisites for Exchange 2010 on Windows Server 2008 R2

Update 08.12.11: Exchange Server 2010 SP2 was released and require an additional prerequisite which is IIS 6 WMI Compatibility feature (Web-WMI). This article and PowerShell Script was updated accordingly in all options containing the CAS role.

Before you begin, prepare your environment

Make sure that the functional level of your forest is at least Windows Server 2003
Also make sure that the Schema Master is running Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 or later
If Database Availability Groups (DAG) is going to be used install Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition
- Exchange 2010 Standard Edition supports DAG with up to 5 databases
- Exchange 2010 Enterprise Edition supports up to 100 databases per server
- You can install all server roles on the same server when using DAG
- But then you need a hardware load balancer for redundant CAS and HUB due to a Windows limitation preventing you from using Windows NLB and Clustering Services on the same Windows box
- Two node DAG requires a witness that is not on a server within the DAG
  - Exchange 2010 automatically takes care of FSW creation; though you do have to specify the location of the FSW
  - It is recommended to specify the FSW to be created on a Hub Transport Server
  - Alternatively, you can put the witness on a non-Exchange Server after some prerequisites have been completed
  - You can follow these steps to get your member server to act as FSW
    - add the “Exchange Trusted Subsystem” group to our Local Administrators Group on that member server
  - On servers that will host the Hub Transport or Mailbox server role, install the Microsoft Filter Pack. For details, see 2007 Office System Converter: Microsoft Filter Pack (this allows office attachments content to be searched and indexed)
Set Pagefile size, RAM + 10MB (for systems with 8 GB of RAM or less, set pagefile to RAM * 1,5)
Disable IPv6 by using this guide: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929852
Run Windows Update untill all updates are installed

Install the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system prerequisites

Open powershell and run the following command
- Import-Module ServerManager
For a server that will have the typical installation of Client Access, Hub Transport, and the Mailbox roles:
- Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server,Web-ISAPI-Ext,Web-Digest-Auth,Web-Dyn-Compression,NET-HTTP-Activation,RPC-Over-HTTP-Proxy,Web-WMI -Restart
For a server that will host the Client Access and Hub Transport server roles:
- Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server,Web-ISAPI-Ext,Web-Digest-Auth,Web-Dyn-Compression,NET-HTTP-Activation,RPC-Over-HTTP-Proxy,Web-WMI -Restart
For a server that will host only the Mailbox role:
- Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server -Restart
For a server that will host only the Unified Messaging role:
- Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server,Desktop-Experience -Restart
For a server that will host the Edge Transport role:
- Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,ADLDS -Restart
After the system has restarted, configure the Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service for Automatic startup by running the following command:
- Set-Service NetTcpPortSharing -StartupType Automatic

PowerShell Script: MVP Pat Richard has created a script to automate the process of installing the prerequisites: http://www.ehloworld.com/152

NOTE: You can also install the above features using xml scripts found in a scripts catalogue on the Exchange media. You still need to manually configure Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service for Automatic startup though. There is one script for every role. Thanks goes to Alex Lewis for the tip: http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/46829

For more information see Technet article http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb691354(EXCHG.140).aspx
Also check out Chris and Robin’s Technology blog http://chrislehr.com/2009/10/installing-exchange-2010-quickly-using.htm
You should also check out MVP Elan Shudnows blog for how to install Exchange 2010 with DAG: http://www.shudnow.net/2009/10/29/exchange-2010-rtm-dag-using-server-2008-r2-%E2%80%93-part-1/

Installing OCS 2007 R2 Prerequisites on Windows Server 2008

12/08/200909/04/2010Ståle Hansen 2 Comments

[tweetmeme source=”stalehansen” only_single=false]OCS 2007 R2 is now supported on Server 2008 R2 as base OS and as domain functional level. There is some specific prerequisites that need to be installed for Server 2008 R2. I have created a new guide for Server 2008 R2 here: https://msunified.net/2010/04/09/installing-ocs-2007-r2-prerequisites-on-windows-server-2008-r2/

Commands to install the necessary prerequisites for OCS 2007 R2 on Windows Server 2008 SP2

Front End on Windows Server 2008
ServerManagerCmd -i web-windows-auth web-mgmt-compat web-mgmt-console web-http-logging msmq-server msmq-directory powershell was-process-model was-config-apis desktop-experience rsat-addc

Installs the following components:

[Web-Windows-Auth] – Windows Authentication
[Web-Mgmt-Compat] – IIS 6 Management Compatibility
[MSMQ-Server] – Message Queuing Server
[MSMQ-Directory] – Directory Service Integration
[RSAT-ADDC] – Active Directory Domain Controller Tools
[WAS-Process-Model] – Process Model
[WAS-Config-APIs] – Configuration APIs
[Web-Mgmt-Console] – IIS Management Console
[Web-Http-Logging] – HTTP Logging
[PowerShell] – Windows PowerShell
[Desktop-Experience] – Desktop Experience

The last 3 in the list are not required, but they are highly recommended. IIS 7.0 Management Console is IMHO much easier to use than the IIS 6.0 version. The logging tools often come in handy when troubleshooting OCS IIS issues and PowerShell makes working with OCS WMI values a piece of cake.

NOTE: If you are to run the create pool wizard from the Front End server, you also need the MS SQL Native Client: X64 Package (sqlncli.msi) – 7963 KB
Also check out this post of mine whether to run create pool on OCS Front End or Back End SQL server: https://msunified.net/2009/08/11/create-pool-%e2%80%93-run-on-ocs-or-sql-server/

Office Communicator Phone Edition deployment on Windows Server 2008
ServerManagerCmd -i Web-Static-Content

Installs the following components in addition to Front End prerequisites:

[Web-Static-Content] – Static Content

Monitoring Server on Windows Server 2008
ServerManagerCmd -i msmq-server msmq-directory

Installs the following components:

[MSMQ-Server] – Message Queuing Server
[MSMQ-Directory] – Directory Service Integration

CWA Server on Windows Server 2008
ServerManagerCmd -i web-windows-auth web-digest-auth web-basic-auth web-mgmt-compat web-mgmt-console web-common-http web-ISAPI-ext web-ISAPI-filter web-request-monitor web-http-redirect web-http-logging

Installs the following components: