Installing Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 can seem daunting, but with the right preparation and steps, it becomes manageable. This guide will walk you through the process.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure your system meets the following requirements:
-
- “Operating System”: Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 or later, or Windows Server 2012.
- “Disk Space”: At least 30GB for installation.
- “Memory”: Minimum 8GB for Mailbox server role, 4GB for Client Access server role.
- “.NET Framework”: Version 4.5 or later.
- “Windows Management Framework”: Version 3.0.
- “Active Directory”: Must be prepared with the necessary schema updates.
Step 1: Prepare Active Directory
- “Log in” to a server with the necessary administrative privileges.
- “Open PowerShell” and run the following commands to install the required tools:
Import-Module ServerManager
Add-WindowsFeature RSAT-ADDS
- “Prepare the Active Directory” schema:
setup /PrepareSchema /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms
setup /PrepareAD /OrganizationName:”YourOrganizationName” /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms
Step 2: Install Prerequisites
- “Install the required Windows features”:
Install-WindowsFeature AS-HTTP-Activation, Desktop-Experience, NET-Framework-45-Features, RPC-over-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-ADDS, Web-Server, Web-Basic-Auth, Web-Client-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, Web-Dyn-Compression, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Metabase, Web-Server, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Windows-Auth, Windows-Identity-Foundation
- “Restart the server” to apply changes.
Step 3: Install Exchange Server 2013
- “Download Exchange Server 2013” installation files from the official Microsoft website.
- “Extract the files” and navigate to the setup directory.
- “Run Setup.exe” to start the installation wizard.
- “Choose the installation mode” (e.g., typical or custom) and follow the prompts to install the Mailbox and Client Access roles.
- “Complete the installation” by following the on-screen instructions, including configuring the Exchange organization and specifying the server roles.
Note: To install Exchange server 2013 using Unattended (Command Prompt) mode, you can run the below command from the downloaded Exchange setup.exe folder.
.Setup.exe /mode:Install /role:ClientAccess,Mailbox /OrganizationName:PS /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms
You can also watch the below YouTube video to learn on How to Install Exchange Server 2013
Step 4: Post-Installation Tasks
- “Verify the installation” by opening the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) and checking the server status.
By following these steps, you should have a functional Exchange Server 2013 environment ready to handle your organization’s email needs.