Installation Guide Template - Mailbox Server (Windows Server 2003)
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 will reach end of support on April 11, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.
Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP3
The following Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 installation guide template can be used as a starting point for formally documenting your organization's server build procedures for Exchange 2007 servers that have the Mailbox server role installed.
Executive Summary
The purpose of this document is to explain the installation and configurations necessary to install the Exchange Server 2007 Mailbox server role in a stand-alone configuration.
Business Justification
By having an installation guide, Contoso will be able to ensure standardization across the enterprise, reducing Total Cost of Ownership, and easing troubleshooting steps.
Scope
The scope of this document is limited to installation of an Exchange 2007 Mailbox server for Contoso on the Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition operating system platform.
Prerequisites
The operator should have working knowledge of Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition concepts, Exchange Server 2007 concepts, the Exchange Management Console and Exchange Management Shell, the command line, and various system utilities. This document does not elaborate on the details of any system utility except as necessary to complete the tasks within.
In addition, the operator should review the Planning for Mailbox Servers topic in the Exchange 2007 Online Help before they implement the server role.
Assumptions
This document assumes that Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition is installed per company baseline regulations which include the latest approved service pack and hotfixes. The current service pack level is Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 for x64 Editions.
It is also assumed that the following are installed:
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 32-bit Support Tools are installed on the server as the tools are useful for troubleshooting.
Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools are installed on the server as the tools are useful for troubleshooting.
This document assumes that forest and domain preparation steps have been performed per How to Prepare Active Directory and Domains topic in the Exchange 2007 Online Help.
This document assumes that both Exchange 2007 and Windows Server 2003 will be secured following the best practices found in:
Exchange Server 2007: Security and Protection
Windows Server 2003: Windows Server 2003 Security Guide
Important
The procedures within this document should be followed sequentially. If changes are made out of sequence, unexpected results may occur.
Server Configuration
The following media are required for this section.
Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition media
Exchange 2007 Configuration DVD
Note
For instructions about how to build the Exchange Server 2007 Configuration DVD, see How to Create a Configuration DVD and Automation Files.
Additional Software Verification
Verify that Remote Desktop is enabled.
As an optional process, install Microsoft Network Monitor.
Network Interfaces Configuration
Log on to the server with an account that has at least local administrative access.
Click Start, Control Panel and right-click Network Connections. Then select Open.
Locate the connection for the internal network and rename it appropriately.
For the TCP/IP Protocol, add the following:
Static IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway
DNS Server IP Addresses
Check the box to Append parent suffixes of the primary DNS suffix
WINS IP Addresses (if using WINS)
Drive Configuration
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Open the Disk Management Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and format, rename, and assign the appropriate Drive Letters so that the volumes and DVD drive match the appropriate server configuration. At the very least, there should be a D drive for the Exchange binaries and the DVD drive should be configured as the Z drive. Refer to the Database Log logical unit number (LUN) Appendix at the end of this document for the actual drive configuration that should be used.
Drive configuration
LUN Drive letter Usage 1
C
Operating system
2
D
Exchange binaries, tracking logs
3
Z
DVD drive
Internet Information Services (IIS) Installation
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Insert the Windows Server 2003 Enterprise x64 Edition media.
Click Start, Control Panel and then double-click Add or Remove Programs.
Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
Click Application Server and select Details.
Click Internet Information Services and then click Details.
Note
Enabled network COM+ access will be enabled also.
Verify the World Wide Web service is selected.
Click OK.
Click OK.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
Internet Explorer 7 Installation
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Insert the Exchange 2007 Configuration DVD.
Browse to \IE7\ and double-click IE7-install.bat.
Click Yes for any Digital Signature not Found dialog boxes that may appear.
Note
These dialog boxes will not appear in environments that have not deployed the Windows Security templates.
Wait for all file copies to complete and restart the server.
Windows Server 2003 Post-SP2 Hotfix Installation
All hotfixes are installed through a batch file. For a complete list of hotfixes that are installed, see Contoso server build DVD hotfix list. A sample hotfix list can be seen at Server Build DVD - Sample Hotfix List.
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access and was delegated local Administrator access.
Insert the Exchange 2007 Configuration DVD.
Browse to \W2K3-PostSP2\ and double-click W2K3-post-sp2.bat.
Click Yes for any Digital Signature not Found dialog boxes that may appear.
Note
These dialog boxes will not appear in environments that have not deployed the Windows Security templates.
Wait for all file copies to complete and restart the server.
Domain Membership Configuration
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Click Start, right-click My Computer and select Properties.
Click the Computer Name tab.
Click Change.
Choose the Domain option button and enter the appropriate Domain name.
Enter the appropriate credentials.
Click OK and OK.
Click OK to close the System Properties.
Restart the server.
Local Administrators Verification
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Verify (or add if not already there) that the following accounts are members of the local administrators group on this server.
Local administrators
Item Account Description Role 1
Domain Admins
Domain Administrative Global Group
Administrator
2
Root Domain\Exchange Organization Administrators
Exchange Administrators
Administrator
Verify that your user account is a member of a group which is a member of the local administrators group on the Windows Server 2003 server. If it is not, use an account that is a member of the local administrators group before continuing.
Local Administrator Account Password Reset
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Click Start, right-click My Computer and select Manage.
Expand to Local Users and Groups\Users.
Right-click Administrator and select Set Password. Change the password so that it meets strong complexity requirements.
Optional: Right-click Administrator and select Rename. Rename the account according to company regulations.
Tools Installation
This section installs several useful tools that will aid administrators in Exchange administration and in troubleshooting support issues.
Note
Debugging Tools for Windows will allow administrators to debug processes that are affecting service and determine root cause. For more information, please see Debugging Tools for Windows - Overview.
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Insert the Exchange 2007 Configuration DVD.
Open a command prompt and browse to the \Support folder.
Run the following command where DVDROM-Drive is the DVD Drive: E2K7Toolsinstall.cmd DVDROM-Drive (ex: E2K7Toolsinstall.cmd Z:).
Right-click the c:\Tools folder and select Properties.
Click the Security tab.
Click the Advanced button.
Clear Inheritance and copy the permissions.
Remove the Everyone (and if listed, the Authenticated Users) security principal.
Add the following groups, granting FULL CONTROL:
SYSTEM
The local Administrators group
Creator Owner
Page File Modifications
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Click Start, right-click My Computer and select Properties.
Select the Advanced tab.
Under Startup and Recovery, click the Settings button.
Under Write Debugging Information, change the memory dump drop-down list to Kernel Memory Dump.
Click OK.
Under Performance, click the Settings button.
Click the Advanced tab.
Under Virtual Memory, click the Change button.
On servers that have a dedicated page file drive, follow these steps:
For the C: drive, set the Initial Size (MB) value to a minimum of 200 MB. (Windows requires between 150 MB and 2 GB of page file space. The amount depends on server load and on the amount of physical RAM that is available for page file space on the boot volume when Windows is configured for a kernel memory dump. Therefore, you may be required to increase the size.)
For the C: drive, set Maximum Size (MB) to the value of Initial Size.
For the P: drive, type the result of one of the following calculations in the Initial Size (MB) box:
- If the server has less than 8 GB of RAM, multiply the amount of RAM times 1.5.
- If the server has 8 GB of RAM or more, add the amount of RAM plus 10 MB.
For the P: drive, set Maximum Size (MB) to the value of Initial Size.
Delete any other page files.
Click OK.
On servers that do not have a dedicated page file drive, follow these steps:
For the C: drive, type the result of one of the following calculations in the Initial Size (MB) box:
- If the server has less than 8 GB of RAM, multiply the amount of RAM times 1.5.
- If the server has 8 GB of RAM or more, add the amount of RAM plus 10 MB.
For the C: drive, set Maximum Size (MB) to the value of Initial Size.
Delete any other page files.
Click OK.
Click OK to close the System Properties dialog box.
Click No if you are prompted to restart the system.
For more information about Page File recommendations, see the following articles:
Drive Permissions
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Click Start and select My Computer.
Right-click the D Drive and select Properties.
Click the Security tab.
Select the Everyone group and then click Remove.
Select Users and then click Remove.
Click Add and select the local server from Locations.
Grant the following rights as outlined in the following table.
Drive permissions
Account Permissions Administrators
Full Control
SYSTEM
Full Control
Authenticated Users
Read and Execute, List, Read
CREATOR OWNER
Full Control
Click the Advanced button.
Select the CREATOR OWNER permission entry and then click View/Edit.
Select Subfolders and Files Only from the drop-down list.
Click OK two times.
Click OK to close the drive properties.
Repeat steps 3-10 for each additional drive (other than the C Drive).
Verification Steps
Organizational Unit Verification
Submit a change request and have the computer object moved to the appropriate organizational unit (OU). If following the recommendations in the Exchange 2007 Security Guide, the OU will be \Member Servers\Exchange Backend Servers\Exchange Mailbox Servers.
Active Directory Site Verification
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Open a command prompt.
Verify that the server is in the correct domain and Active Directory site. At the command line type:
NLTEST /server:%COMPUTERNAME% /dsgetsite
The name of the Active Directory site to which the server belongs will be displayed. If the server is not in the correct Active Directory site, submit a change request to the appropriate operations group and have the server moved to the appropriate Active Directory site.
Domain Controller Diagnostics Verification
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Open a command prompt and change paths to the C drive.
Type the following command:
dcdiag /s:<Domain Controller> /f:c:\dcdiag.log
Note
Change <domain Controller> to a domain controller contained within the same Active Directory site as the Exchange server.
Review the output of C:\dcdiag.log file and verify that there are no connectivity issues with the local domain controller.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each domain controller in the local Active Directory site.
Note
Domain Controller Diagnostics (DCDiag) is a Windows support tool that tests network connectivity and DNS resolution for domain controllers. If the account being used does not have administrative rights, several tests under the Doing primary tests heading may not pass. These tests can be ignored if the connectivity tests pass. In addition, the log file may report that some service validation tests did not pass. These messages can be ignored if the services do not exist on the domain controller.
Network Diagnostics Verification
Network Diagnostics (NETDIAG) is a Windows support tool that tests network connectivity and DNS resolution for workstations and servers. Look for tests that failed and messages designated as "FATAL," and use this information to isolate network and connectivity problems.
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Open a command prompt and change paths to the C drive.
Type the following command: netdiag /Q /L.
Review the output of C:\netdiag.log file and verify that there are no network or connectivity issues with the Exchange server.
Exchange Best Practices Analyzer Verification
Connect to a server in the environment that either has the Exchange Best Practices Analyzer installed or the Exchange 2007 Management tools installed through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access. Depending on the configuration, do the following:
Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Exchange and select Best Practices Analyzer.
Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and select Exchange Management Console.
Click Toolbox.
Double-click Best Practices Analyzer.
Check and apply any updates for the Best Practices Analyzer engine.
Provide the appropriate information to connect to Active Directory and then click Connect to the Active Directory server.
In the Start a New Best Practices Scan, select Exchange 2007 Readiness Check and then click Start Scanning.
Review the report and take action on any errors or warnings that are reported by following the resolution articles that are provided within the Best Practices Analyzer.
Note
The Microsoft Exchange Analyzers help Microsoft Exchange Server administrators troubleshoot various operational support issues.
Exchange Installation
The following CD media are required for this section:
Microsoft Exchange 2007 DVD
Exchange 2007 Configuration DVD
Exchange 2007 Prerequisites Installation
The following prerequisites will be installed through a batch file.
(This note should be updated to list the appropriate list of hotfixes for your environment.)
Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x64).
MMC 3.0 update is available for Windows Server 2003 and for Windows XP.
The installation steps are as follows:
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Insert the Exchange 2007 Configuration DVD.
Browse to \E2K7-PreReqs\ and double-click E2K7-prereqs.bat.
Click Yes for any Digital Signature not Found dialog boxes that may appear.
Note
These dialog boxes will not appear in environments that have not deployed the Windows Security templates.
Wait for all file copies to complete and restart the server.
Install the Microsoft Filter Pack. For more information, see 2007 Office System Converter: Microsoft Filter Pack.
Exchange 2007 Installation
Though this document uses the command line method for installing the Exchange roles, the GUI can also be used. For more information about how to use the setup GUI to install an Exchange role, see the Exchange 2007 Online Help topic How to Perform a Custom Installation Using Exchange 2007.
Important
If this is the first Mailbox server role being installed into a green-field Exchange 2007 organization, then you should specify the optional setup parameter /EnableLegacyOutlook if you will have client computers that are running Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 or earlier.
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access and was delegated the Exchange Server Administrator role (or higher) if the server was pre-created.
Follow the procedure from the Exchange 2007 Online Help topic How to Install Exchange 2007 in Unattended Mode. For example, setup.com /r:MB /t:d:\exchsrvr.
Exchange Server 2007 Post-SP1 Roll-up Installation
All hotfixes are installed through a batch file. For a complete list of hotfixes that are installed, see the Contoso server build DVD hotfix list.
A sample hotfix list can be seen at Server Build DVD - Sample Hotfix List.
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access and was delegated local Administrator access.
Insert the Exchange 2007 Configuration DVD.
Browse to \E2K7-PostSP1\ and double-click E2K7-postsp1.bat.
Click Yes for any Digital Signature not Found dialog boxes that may appear.
Note
These dialog boxes will not appear in environments that have not deployed the Windows Security templates.
Wait for all file copies to complete and restart the server.
Exchange Search Configuration
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop, and then log on by using an account that has local administrative access.
Follow the instructions that are mentioned in How to Register IFilters 2.0 with Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2010.
If you want to search through PDF files, install the Adobe PDF iFilter, and then follow the instructions that are mentioned in the Adobe document Configuring PDF iFilter for MS Exchange Server 2007.
The third-party Web site information in this topic is provided to help you find the technical information you need. The URLs are subject to change without notice.
Product Key Configuration
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access and was delegated the Exchange Organization Administrator role.
Follow the procedure outlined in the Exchange 2007 Online Help topic How to Enter the Product Key.
Security Configuration Wizard
This section is optional and may be skipped.
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Follow the procedures from the Exchange 2007 Online Help topic How to Install the Security Configuration Wizard to install the Security Configuration Wizard.
Follow the procedures from the Exchange 2007 Online Help topic How to Register Exchange Server Role SCW Extensions to register the Exchange 2007 Edge Transport Server SCW extension.
Follow the procedures from the Exchange 2007 Online Help topic How to Create a New Exchange Server Role SCW Policy to configure and apply the policy.
System Performance Verification
By default, Exchange Server 2007 optimizes the server’s memory management for programs, which configures the server’s system cache as the default size. Mailbox servers will benefit from this configuration.
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access.
Click Start, right-click My Computer and select Properties.
Select the Advanced tab.
Under Performance, click the Settings button.
Click the Advanced tab.
Verify that the Processor Scheduling is set to Background Services.
Verify that the Memory Usage is set to System Cache.
Click OK.
Test Mailbox Creation
Several of the diagnostics tasks used to monitor Exchange require test mailboxes to be created on the Mailbox servers. For more information about how to use the Test script to create the test mailboxes, see the Monitoring for Agentless Servers topic in the Exchange 2007 Online Help.
Connect to the Exchange 2007 Mailbox server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access and was delegated the Exchange Server Administrator role (or higher).
Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and select Exchange Management Shell.
Change the directory path to <Exchange Server Install Path>\Scripts.
Type New-TestCasConnectivityUser.ps1 and press Enter.
Enter a temporary password and follow the prompts to create the test mailboxes.
Exchange Server Role Configuration
First Storage Group Configuration
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access and was delegated the Exchange Server Administrator role (or higher).
Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and select Exchange Management Shell.
Important
The values in the following table are example values, not recommended values. These values must be updated to reflect the actual values for your organization.
First storage group information
Old New example Storage Group Name
First Storage Group
SG1
Database Name
Mailbox Database
<ServerName> MBX Store 1
Storage Group Path
%Program Files%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Mailbox\First Storage Group
L:\LOG01
Database Path
%Program Files%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Mailbox\First Storage Group
E:\MDB01
Database Filename
Mailbox database.edb
Priv01.edb
Copy Database Path
--
F:\COPYMDB01
Copy Transaction Log Path
--
M:\COPYLOG01
To dismount the database, run the following command where <ServerName> is the name of the mailbox server:
Dismount-Database "<ServerName>\First Storage Group\Mailbox Database"
To change the Storage Group name from “First Storage Group” to “SG1”, run the following command where <DCName> is the name of a domain controller:
Set-StorageGroup "<ServerName>\<Old SG Name>" -Name <New SG Name> -DomainController <DCName>
To change the mailbox database name from “Mailbox Database” to “<ServerName> MBX Store 1”, run the following command:
Set-MailboxDatabase "<ServerName>\<New SG Name>\<Old DB Name>" -Name "<New DB Name>" -DomainController <DCName>
To change the location of the storage group’s transaction logs, run the following command:
Move-StorageGroupPath "<ServerName>\<New SG Name>" -LogFolderPath:<New SG Location> -SystemFolderPath:<New SG Path> -DomainController <DCName>
To change the location of the mailbox database, run the following command:
Move-DatabasePath "<ServerName>\<New SG Name>\<New DB Name>" -EdbFilePath:<New DB Path\New DB FileName> -DomainController <DCName>
To mount the database, run the following command:
Mount-Database "<ServerName>\<New SG Name>\<New DB Name>" -DomainController <DCName>
If local continuous replication (LCR) is required, run the following command to enable LCR for the database:
Enable-DatabaseCopy "<ServerName>\<New SG Name>\<New DB Name>" -CopyEDBFilePath:<FullPathIncludingDatabaseFileName> -DomainController <DCName>
If LCR is required, run the following command to enable LCR for the storage group:
Enable-StorageGroupCopy "<ServerName>\<New SG Name>" -CopyLogFolderPath:<FullPath> -CopySystemFolderPath:<FullPath> -DomainController <DCName>
Second Storage Group Configuration
If a public folder store was created during the installation of the Mailbox server role, then the public folder still will be placed in the Second Storage Group. If there is no Second Storage Group, this section can be skipped.
Connect to the server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access and was delegated the Exchange Server Administrator role (or higher).
Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and select Exchange Management Shell.
Important
The values in the following table are example values, not recommended values. These values must be updated to reflect the actual values for your organization.
Second storage group information
Old New example Storage Group Name
Second Storage Group
SG2
Database Name
Public Folder Database
<ServerName> PUB Store 2
Storage Group Path
%Program Files%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Mailbox\Second Storage Group
L:\LOG02
Database Path
%Program Files%\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Mailbox\Second Storage Group
E:\MDB02
Database Filename
Public Folder database.edb
Pub02.edb
To unmount the database, run the following command where <ServerName> is the name of the mailbox server:
Dismount-Database "<ServerName>\First Storage Group\Mailbox Database"
To change the Storage Group name from “Second Storage Group” to “SG2”, run the following command where <DCName> is the name of a domain controller:
Set-StorageGroup "<ServerName>\<Old SG Name>" -Name <New SG Name> -DomainController <DCName>
To change the public folder database name from “Public Folder Database” to “<ServerName> PUB Store 2”, run the following command:
Set-MailboxDatabase "<ServerName>\<New SG Name>\<Old DB Name>" -Name "<New DB Name>" -DomainController <DCName>
To change the location of the storage group’s transaction logs, run the following command:
Move-StorageGroupPath "<ServerName>\<New SG Name>" -LogFolderPath:<New SG Location> -SystemFolderPath:<New SG Path> -DomainController <DCName>
To change the location of the public folder database, run the following command:
Move-DatabasePath "<ServerName>\<New SG Name>\<New DB Name>" -EdbFilePath:<New DB Path\New DB FileName> -DomainController <DCName>
To mount the database run the following command:
Mount-Database "<ServerName>\<New SG Name>\<New DB Name>" -DomainController <DCName>
Records Management Server Configuration
This section can be skipped if messaging records management (MRM) will not be enabled in the environment. For more information about how to deploy MRM, see the Deploying Messaging Records Management topic in the Exchange 2007 Online Help.
Connect to an Exchange 2007 server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access and was delegated the Exchange Server Administrator role (or higher).
Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and select Exchange Management Shell.
To enable the managed folder assistant, run the following command where <ServerName> is the name of the mailbox server and <DCName> is the name of a domain controller:
Set-MailboxServer <ServerName> -LogPathForManagedFolders <LogPath> -ManagedFolderAssistantSchedule <AssistantSchedule> -LogFileAgeLimitForManagedFolders <LogFileAgeLimit> -LogDirectorySizeLimitForManagedFolders <LogDirSizeLimit> -LogFileSizeLimitForManagedFolders <LogFileSizeLimit> -FolderLogForManagedFoldersEnabled <LogFolderEnabled> -SubjectLogForManagedFoldersEnabled <SubjectLogEnabled> -RetentionLogForManagedFoldersEnabled <RetentionLogEnabled> -JournalingLogForManagedFoldersEnabled <JournalLogEnabled> -DomainController <DCName>
Note
Use the appropriate table from Server Configuration Appendix at the end of this document for information that you need for the commands.
Message Tracking Server Configuration
This section can be skipped if the default Message Tracking parameters are appropriate for the environment.
Connect to an Exchange 2007 server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access and was delegated the Exchange Server Administrator role (or higher).
Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and select Exchange Management Shell.
To configure message tracking settings, run the following command where <ServerName> is the name of the mailbox server and <DCName> is the name of a domain controller:
Set-MailboxServer <ServerName> -MessageTrackingLogPath <LogPath> -MessageTrackingLogMaxAge <MaxAge> -MessageTrackingLogMaxDirectorySize <LogDirSize> -MessageTrackingLogMaxFileSize <LogFileSize> -MessageTrackingLogSubjectLoggingEnabled <SubjectLogEnabled> -DomainController <DCName>
Note
Use the appropriate table from Server Configuration Appendix at the end of this document for information that you need for the commands.
Additional Storage Groups
Connect to an Exchange 2007 server through Remote Desktop and log on with an account that has local administrative access and was delegated the Exchange Server Administrator role (or higher).
Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and select Exchange Management Shell.
Use the appropriate table from Database / Log LUN Appendix and Database Configuration Appendix at the end of this document for information that you need for the commands.
To create the Storage Group, run one of the following commands as appropriate for your environment, where <ServerName> is the name of the mailbox server and <DCName> is the name of a domain controller:
- To create a storage group that does not use LCR, run the following command:
New-StorageGroup -Server <ServerName> -Name <SG> -LogFolderPath <Transaction Log Location> -SystemFolderPath <Transaction Log Location> -DomainController <DCName>
- To create a storage group using LCR, run the following command:
New-StorageGroup -Server <ServerName> -Name <SG> -LogFolderPath <Transaction Log Location> -SystemFolderPath <Transaction Log Location> -DomainController <DCName> -HasLocalCopy:$true -CopyLogFolderPath <PathforLCRLogFiles> -CopySystemFolderPath <PathforLCRSystemFiles>
To create the database that resides within the storage group, run one of the following commands as appropriate for your environment:
- To create the database for use without LCR, run the following command:
New-MailboxDatabase -StorageGroup "<ServerName>\<SG Name>" -Name "<DB Name>" -DomainController <DCName> -EdbFilePath:<FullPathIncludingDatabaseFileName> -OfflineAddressBook <OfflineAddressBook> -PublicFolderDatabase <PFDatabase> | Set-MailboxDatabase -IssueWarningQuota <WarningQuota> -ProhibitSendQuota <SendQuota> -ProhibitSendReceiveQuota <SendReceiveQuota> -MailboxRetention <dd.hh:mm:ss> -DeletedItemRetention <dd.hh:mm:ss> -MaintenanceSchedule <MaintenanceSchedule> -QuotaNotificationSchedule <QuotaSchedule> -RetainDeletedItemsUntilBackup <RetainDeletedItemsUntilBackup>
- To create the database for use with LCR, run the following command:
New-MailboxDatabase -StorageGroup "<ServerName>\<SG Name>" -Name "<DB Name>" -DomainController <DCName> -HasLocalCopy:$true -EdbFilePath:<FullPathIncludingDatabaseFileName> -CopyEdbFilePath:<FullPathIncludingDatabaseFileName> -OfflineAddressBook <OfflineAddressBook> -PublicFolderDatabase <PFDatabase> | Set-MailboxDatabase -IssueWarningQuota <WarningQuota> -ProhibitSendQuota <SendQuota> -ProhibitSendReceiveQuota <SendReceiveQuota> -MailboxRetention <dd.hh:mm:ss> -DeletedItemRetention <dd.hh:mm:ss> -MaintenanceSchedule <MaintenanceSchedule> -QuotaNotificationSchedule <QuotaSchedule> -RetainDeletedItemsUntilBackup <RetainDeletedItemsUntilBackup>
To mount the database, run the following command:
Mount-Database "<ServerName>\<SG>\<Database Name>" -DomainController <DCName>
Repeat steps 5a or 5b for each database that needs to be created.
Server Configuration Appendix
Records Management Configuration
The following table is an example configuration that can be applied to the Mailbox server, depending on requirements.
Important
The values in the following table are example values, not recommended values. These values must be updated to reflect the actual values for your organization.
Records management configuration
Default value | Example value | |
---|---|---|
Server Name |
<ServerName> |
<ServerName> |
Log Path For Managed Folders |
<Exchange Install Path>\Logging\Managed Folder Assistant |
D:\Exchsrvr\Logging\Managed Folder Assistant |
Log File Age Limit For Managed Folders |
00:00:00 |
7.00:00:00 |
Log Directory Size Limit For Managed Folders |
unlimited |
5 GB |
Log File Size Limit For Managed Folders |
10 MB |
10 MB |
Retention Log For Managed Folders Enabled |
False |
True |
Journaling Log For Managed Folders Enabled |
False |
False |
Folder Log For Managed Folders Enabled |
False |
True |
Subject Log For Managed Folders Enabled |
False |
True |
Managed Folder Assistant Schedule |
Never Run |
“Sun.6:00 PM-Sun.7:45 PM”, “Mon.6:00 PM-Mon.7:45 PM”, “Tue.6:00 PM-Tue.7:45 PM”, “Wed.6:00 PM-Wed.7:45 PM”, “Thu.6:00 PM-Thu.7:45 PM”, “Fri.6:00 PM-Fri.7:45 PM”, “Sat.6:00 PM-Sat.7:45 PM” |
Message Tracking Configuration
The following table is an example configuration that can be applied to the Mailbox server, depending on requirements.
Important
The values in the following table are example values, not recommended values. These values must be updated to reflect the actual values for your organization.
Message tracking configuration
Default value | Example value | |
---|---|---|
Server Name |
<ServerName> |
<ServerName> |
Message Tracking Log Path |
<Exchange Install Path>\TransportRoles\Logs\MessageTracking |
d:\exchsrvr\MessageTracking |
Message Tracking Log Enabled |
True |
True |
Message Tracking Log Max Age |
30.00:00:00 |
10.00:00:00 |
Message Tracking Log Max Directory Size |
250 MB |
20 GB |
Message Tracking Log Max File Size |
10 MB |
10 MB |
Message Tracking Log Subject Logging Enabled |
True |
True |
Database / Log LUN Appendix
With continuous replication, you do not have to perform daily full backups as the storage group copy provides the first line of defense against corruption and data loss. Therefore, there are two approaches to how backups can be performed in a continuous replication environment.
Use streaming backup to perform a full backup of 1/7th of the databases, and incremental or differential backups for the rest.
Use Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to perform backups.
As a result of the backup methodology selected, the LUN layout has to be altered.
Database / LUN Layout
Exchange 2007 uses VSS included in Windows Server 2003 to take volume shadow copies of Exchange 2007 databases and transaction log files. For the basics on VSS, including both clone and snapshot techniques, review the white paper, Best Practices for Using Volume Shadow Copy Service with Exchange Server 2003.
The new feature in Exchange 2007 when you use continuous replication is the ability to run a software VSS snapshot not only on the active copy, but on the passive copy also. Taking a VSS snapshot on the passive copy offloads the disk I/O from the active LUN during both the checksum integrity (ESEUTIL), and subsequent copy to tape or disk. This also frees more time on the active LUNs to run online maintenance, MRM, and other tasks.
Creating two LUNs (log and database) for a storage group is the standard best practice for Exchange 2003. With Exchange 2007, in the maximum case of 50 storage groups, the number of LUNs you provision will depend on your backup strategy. If your recovery time objective (RTO) is very small, or if you use VSS clones for fast recovery, it may be best to place each storage group on its own transaction log LUN and database LUN. Because doing this will exceed the number of available drive letters, volume mount points must be used.
Some benefits of this strategy include the following:
Enables hardware-based VSS at a storage group level, providing single storage group backup and restore.
Flexibility to isolate the performance between storage groups when not sharing spindles between LUNs.
Increased reliability: A capacity or corruption problem on a single LUN will only affect one storage group.
Some concerns with this strategy include the following:
50 storage groups using continuous replication could require 200 LUNs which would exceed some storage array maximums. Cluster continuous replication (CCR) solutions could have 100 LUNs on each node, whereas LCR could have all 200 LUNs presented to a single server.
A separate LUN for each storage group causes more LUNs per server increasing the administrative costs and complexity.
Note
In the following table, the reference to MP stands for Mount Point.
SG2 may contain either a mailbox database or a public folder database, depending on the configuration.
VSS approach LUN design
SG name | Database name | Database location | Database file name | Transaction log location | Copy database location | Copy transaction log location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anchor LUN |
-- |
E:\ |
-- |
L:\ |
F:\ |
M:\ |
SG1 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 1 |
MP:\MDB01 |
Priv01.edb |
MP:\LOG01 |
MP:\COPYMDB01 |
MP:\COPYLOG01 |
SG2 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 2 |
MP:\MDB02 |
Priv02.edb |
MP:\LOG02 |
MP:\COPYMDB02 |
MP:\COPYLOG02 |
<ServerName> PUB Store 2 |
MP:\MDB02 |
Pub02.edb |
MP:\LOG02 |
-- |
-- |
|
SG3 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 3 |
MP:\MDB03 |
Priv03.edb |
MP:\LOG03 |
MP:\COPYMDB03 |
MP:\COPYLOG03 |
SG4 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 4 |
MP:\MDB04 |
Priv04.edb |
MP:\LOG04 |
MP:\COPYMDB04 |
MP:\COPYLOG04 |
SG5 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 5 |
MP:\MDB05 |
Priv05.edb |
MP:\LOG05 |
MP:\COPYMDB05 |
MP:\COPYLOG05 |
SG6 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 6 |
MP:\MDB06 |
Priv06.edb |
MP:\LOG06 |
MP:\COPYMDB06 |
MP:\COPYLOG06 |
SG7 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 7 |
MP:\MDB07 |
Priv07.edb |
MP:\LOG07 |
MP:\COPYMDB07 |
MP:\COPYLOG07 |
SG8 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 8 |
MP:\MDB08 |
Priv08.edb |
MP:\LOG08 |
MP:\COPYMDB08 |
MP:\COPYLOG08 |
SG9 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 9 |
MP:\MDB09 |
Priv09.edb |
MP:\LOG09 |
MP:\COPYMDB09 |
MP:\COPYLOG09 |
SG10 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 10 |
MP:\MDB10 |
Priv10.edb |
MP:\LOG10 |
MP:\COPYMDB10 |
MP:\COPYLOG10 |
SG11 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 11 |
MP:\MDB11 |
Priv11.edb |
MP:\LOG11 |
MP:\COPYMDB11 |
MP:\COPYLOG11 |
SG12 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 12 |
MP:\MDB12 |
Priv12.edb |
MP:\LOG12 |
MP:\COPYMDB12 |
MP:\COPYLOG12 |
SG13 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 13 |
MP:\MDB13 |
Priv13.edb |
MP:\LOG13 |
MP:\COPYMDB13 |
MP:\COPYLOG13 |
SG14 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 14 |
MP:\MDB14 |
Priv14.edb |
MP:\LOG14 |
MP:\COPYMDB14 |
MP:\COPYLOG14 |
SG15 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 15 |
MP:\MDB15 |
Priv15.edb |
MP:\LOG15 |
MP:\COPYMDB15 |
MP:\COPYLOG15 |
SG16 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 16 |
MP:\MDB16 |
Priv16.edb |
MP:\LOG16 |
MP:\COPYMDB16 |
MP:\COPYLOG16 |
SG17 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 17 |
MP:\MDB17 |
Priv17.edb |
MP:\LOG17 |
MP:\COPYMDB17 |
MP:\COPYLOG17 |
SG18 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 18 |
MP:\MDB18 |
Priv18.edb |
MP:\LOG18 |
MP:\COPYMDB18 |
MP:\COPYLOG18 |
SG19 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 19 |
MP:\MDB19 |
Priv19.edb |
MP:\LOG19 |
MP:\COPYMDB19 |
MP:\COPYLOG19 |
SG20 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 20 |
MP:\MDB20 |
Priv20.edb |
MP:\LOG20 |
MP:\COPYMDB20 |
MP:\COPYLOG20 |
SG21 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 21 |
MP:\MDB21 |
Priv21.edb |
MP:\LOG21 |
MP:\COPYMDB21 |
MP:\COPYLOG21 |
SG22 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 22 |
MP:\MDB22 |
Priv22.edb |
MP:\LOG22 |
MP:\COPYMDB22 |
MP:\COPYLOG22 |
SG23 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 23 |
MP:\MDB23 |
Priv23.edb |
MP:\LOG23 |
MP:\COPYMDB23 |
MP:\COPYLOG23 |
SG24 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 24 |
MP:\MDB24 |
Priv24.edb |
MP:\LOG24 |
MP:\COPYMDB24 |
MP:\COPYLOG24 |
SG25 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 25 |
MP:\MDB25 |
Priv25.edb |
MP:\LOG25 |
MP:\COPYMDB25 |
MP:\COPYLOG25 |
SG26 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 26 |
MP:\MDB26 |
Priv26.edb |
MP:\LOG26 |
MP:\COPYMDB26 |
MP:\COPYLOG26 |
SG27 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 27 |
MP:\MDB27 |
Priv27.edb |
MP:\LOG27 |
MP:\COPYMDB27 |
MP:\COPYLOG27 |
SG28 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 28 |
MP:\MDB28 |
Priv28.edb |
MP:\LOG28 |
MP:\COPYMDB28 |
MP:\COPYLOG28 |
SG29 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 29 |
MP:\MDB29 |
Priv29.edb |
MP:\LOG29 |
MP:\COPYMDB29 |
MP:\COPYLOG29 |
SG30 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 30 |
MP:\MDB30 |
Priv30.edb |
MP:\LOG30 |
MP:\COPYMDB30 |
MP:\COPYLOG30 |
SG31 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 31 |
MP:\MDB31 |
Priv31.edb |
MP:\LOG31 |
MP:\COPYMDB31 |
MP:\COPYLOG31 |
SG32 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 32 |
MP:\MDB32 |
Priv32.edb |
MP:\LOG32 |
MP:\COPYMDB32 |
MP:\COPYLOG32 |
SG33 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 33 |
MP:\MDB33 |
Priv33.edb |
MP:\LOG33 |
MP:\COPYMDB33 |
MP:\COPYLOG33 |
SG34 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 34 |
MP:\MDB34 |
Priv34.edb |
MP:\LOG34 |
MP:\COPYMDB34 |
MP:\COPYLOG34 |
SG35 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 35 |
MP:\MDB35 |
Priv35.edb |
MP:\LOG35 |
MP:\COPYMDB35 |
MP:\COPYLOG35 |
SG36 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 36 |
MP:\MDB36 |
Priv36.edb |
MP:\LOG36 |
MP:\COPYMDB36 |
MP:\COPYLOG36 |
SG37 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 37 |
MP:\MDB37 |
Priv37.edb |
MP:\LOG37 |
MP:\COPYMDB37 |
MP:\COPYLOG37 |
SG38 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 38 |
MP:\MDB38 |
Priv38.edb |
MP:\LOG38 |
MP:\COPYMDB38 |
MP:\COPYLOG38 |
SG39 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 39 |
MP:\MDB39 |
Priv39.edb |
MP:\LOG39 |
MP:\COPYMDB39 |
MP:\COPYLOG39 |
SG40 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 40 |
MP:\MDB40 |
Priv40.edb |
MP:\LOG40 |
MP:\COPYMDB40 |
MP:\COPYLOG40 |
SG41 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 41 |
MP:\MDB41 |
Priv41.edb |
MP:\LOG41 |
MP:\COPYMDB41 |
MP:\COPYLOG41 |
SG42 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 42 |
MP:\MDB42 |
Priv42.edb |
MP:\LOG42 |
MP:\COPYMDB42 |
MP:\COPYLOG42 |
SG43 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 43 |
MP:\MDB43 |
Priv43.edb |
MP:\LOG43 |
MP:\COPYMDB43 |
MP:\COPYLOG43 |
SG44 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 44 |
MP:\MDB44 |
Priv44.edb |
MP:\LOG44 |
MP:\COPYMDB44 |
MP:\COPYLOG44 |
SG45 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 45 |
MP:\MDB45 |
Priv45.edb |
MP:\LOG45 |
MP:\COPYMDB45 |
MP:\COPYLOG45 |
SG46 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 46 |
MP:\MDB46 |
Priv46.edb |
MP:\LOG46 |
MP:\COPYMDB46 |
MP:\COPYLOG46 |
SG47 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 47 |
MP:\MDB47 |
Priv47.edb |
MP:\LOG47 |
MP:\COPYMDB47 |
MP:\COPYLOG47 |
SG48 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 48 |
MP:\MDB48 |
Priv48.edb |
MP:\LOG48 |
MP:\COPYMDB48 |
MP:\COPYLOG48 |
SG49 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 49 |
MP:\MDB49 |
Priv49.edb |
MP:\LOG49 |
MP:\COPYMDB49 |
MP:\COPYLOG49 |
SG50 |
<ServerName> MBX Store 50 |
MP:\MDB50 |
Priv50.edb |
MP:\LOG50 |
MP:\COPYMDB50 |
MP:\COPYLOG50 |
Database Configuration Appendix
The following table is an example configuration that can be applied to each database that is created, or customized for each database on the server depending on requirements.
Important
The values in the following table are example values, not recommended values. These values must be updated to reflect the actual values for your organization.
Database configuration
Default value | Example value | |
---|---|---|
Database Name |
<ServerName> MBX Store xx |
<ServerName> MBX Store xx |
Offline Address Book |
Default Offline Address List |
Default Offline Address List |
Public Folder Database |
<PublicFolderServer> PUB Store xx |
<PublicFolderServer> PUB Store xx |
Warning Quota |
1945 MB |
1700000 KB |
Send Quota |
2 GB |
1900000 KB |
Send Receive Quota |
2355 MB |
2090000 KB |
Maintenance Schedule |
Sun.1:00 AM-Sun.5:00 AM, Mon.1:00 AM-Mon.5:00 AM, Tue.1:00 AM-Tue.5:00 AM, Wed.1:00 AM-Wed.5: 00 AM, Thu.1:00 AM-Thu.5:00 AM, Fri.1:00 AM-Fri.5:00 AM, Sat.1:00 AM-Sat.5:00 AM |
“Sun.12:00 AM-Sun.4:00 AM”, “Mon.12:00 AM-Mon.4:00 AM”, “Tue.12:00 AM-Tue.4:00 AM”, “Wed.12:00 AM-Wed.4:00 AM”, “Thu.12:00 AM-Thu.4:00 AM”, “Fri.12:00 AM-Fri.4:00 AM”, “Sat.12:00 AM-Sat.4:00 AM” |
Quota Notification Schedule |
Sun.1:00 AM-Sun.1:15 AM, Mon.1:00 AM-Mon.1:15 AM, Tue.1:00 AM-Tue.1:15 AM, Wed.1:00 AM-Wed.1:15 AM, Thu.1:00 AM-Thu.1:15 AM, Fri.1:00 AM-Fri.1:15 AM, Sat.1:00 AM-Sat.1:15 AM |
“Sun.12:00 AM-Sun.12:15 AM”, “Mon.12:00 AM-Mon.12:15 AM”, “Tue.12:00 AM-Tue.12:15 AM”, “Wed.12:00 AM-Wed.12: 15 AM”, “Thu.12:00 AM-Thu.12:15 AM”, “Fri.12:00 AM-Fri.12:15 AM”, “Sat.12:00 AM-Sat.12:15 AM” |
Mailbox Retention |
30.00:00:00 |
30.00:00:00 |
Deleted Item Retention |
14.00:00:00 |
14.00:00:00 |
Keep Deleted Items Until Backup |
False |
True |