Installing Exchange 2016 on Windows Server 2016 Step by Step

Updated – 16/10/2018 – Production / Business Ready.

The Windows team has released KB3206632. This update addresses the issue where IIS would crash after a DAG is formed and the server is subsequently restarted. This update is now required on all servers running Exchange Server 2016 on Windows Server 2016. Setup will not proceed unless the KB is installed.

03/11/2016 – Not Production ready

Note : If you attempt to run Microsoft Exchange 2016 CU3 on Windows Server 2016, you will experience errors in the IIS host process W3WP.exe. There is no workaround at this time. You should postpone deployment of Exchange 2016 CU3 on Windows Server 2016 until a supported fix is available for Production Usage.

Installing exchange 2016 step by step on Windows Server 2016.

Before Exchange 2016 Install  – Go through the Minimum system requirements below – Note Preview versions are not Production ready.

Minimum System Requirements and Forest Functional Level for Exchange Server 2016

You can Download the Exchange Server 2016 CU4 Setup using the below Link

Step 1:

To Prepare Active Directory using the same machine.

Install the Below Feature which install the Active Directory Tools as well.

Open Windows PowerShell.

Install-WindowsFeature RSAT-ADDS

Step 2:

Install Required Roles.

Open Windows PowerShell

Install-WindowsFeature NET-Framework-45-Features, RPC-over-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-Clustering, RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface, RSAT-Clustering-Mgmt, RSAT-Clustering-PowerShell, Web-Mgmt-Console, WAS-Process-Model, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Basic-Auth, Web-Client-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, Web-Dir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression, Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging, Web-Http-Redirect, Web-Http-Tracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console, Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Console, Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext45, Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Static-Content, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-WMI, Windows-Identity-Foundation, RSAT-ADDS

Note :
.NET Framework 4.6.2 / 4.7.1 is supported by Exchange 2016 on servers running Windows Server 2016.
.Net 4.6.2 is included on Windows Server 2016.
To check .Net Version on Windows Server 2016 – Its recommended to patch the the .net to latest supported version and then install Exchange

(Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full' ).Release

Above 394747 = .NET Framework 4.6.2 or later

Step 3

Download and Install Unified Communications Managed API 4.0 Runtime

Step 4:

Preparing Schema

Open Windows PowerShell – Browse to Setup Location –  Run as administrator.

.\setup /PrepareSchema /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

Step 5:

Preparing Active Directory

.\setup /Preparead /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms /OrganizationName:"Enter Exchange Org Name"

Note : If you are already in a Exchange Organization – Remove /OrganizationName Parameter

Step 6:

Preparing Domain

.\setup /Preparedomain /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

Note :

If you are in a Child domain Scenario

.\setup /Preparealldomains /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

Step 7:

Run as Administrator – setup.exe

Choose Next,Accept the agreement.

Step 8:

Choose the Mailbox Role.

Choose Next

Note :”Edge Transport Role” should be installed in DMZ. (if required)

Step 9:

Choose Next

You can always move Database path for Exchange Databases and log files to a separate drive.

How to move database path and log folder path in Exchange 2013/2016

Step 10:

Choose Next

If you already Did “Step 4” you won’t see a option to create organization. As Already Exchange Org is already created

Else Enter a Org Name.

Step 11:

Choose  “No” for Malware Scanning

Step 10:

Choose Install

Download and install the update. (if it didn’t come through windows updates)

https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=kb3206632

Microsoft  Exchange Server 2016  – Setup Completed Successfully.

Get-ExchangeServer| FT Name,Admin*