How to: Install Exchange 2019 on Windows Server 2019 Core Edition

In this blogpost I’m going to show you the steps to install Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 on Windows Server 2019 Core Edition. When you’re working with Windows Server Core the first time, it’s a little different then managing Windows with a GUI (Graphical User Interface).

Windows Server Core is just a command line interface, that’s all. There’re many advantages of using Windows Server Core edition, for example:

* Small footprint
* Less Windows Updates to install
* Less reboots needed after Windows Updates
* Reduced attack surface
* Less disk space required
* Reduced management

With the release of Exchange Server 2019, Windows Server Core is also supported!! YEAH!!!

Install Windows Server 2019 Core Edition

This step is really easy. Just hit next, next, next and finish!

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Hit CTRL+ALT+DELETE, type the local administrator password and login to your server. After this, you can start configuring the server using SCONFIG.

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Network settings

Configure the network configuration using SCONFIG or Powershell.

Assign a static IP:

New-NetIPAddress -InterfaceIndex 6 -IPAddress 172.16.1.100 -PrefixLength 16 -DefaultGateway 172.16.1.101



Configure a DNS Server:

Set-DNSClientServerAddress -InterfaceIndex 6 -ServerAddress "172.16.1.100"



Enable Remote Desktop:

cscript C:\Windows\System32\Scregedit.wsf /ar 0

 

Windows features

Use the following PowerShell command to install the OS component required for Microsoft UCMA 4.0 and the OS component required for Active Directory Preparation.

Don’t forget to switch to powershell

Install-WindowsFeature Server-Media-Foundation, RSAT-ADDS


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Download necessary software

From an admin workstation, download the following software and copy it over to the Server Core we are preparing for the Exchange installation (for example C:\_Install)

* Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013

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Install UCMA (Microsoft Unified Communications Managed API 4.0)

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The UCMA installable is present on the Exchange Server 2019 media itself. Use the following PowerShell command to mount the Exchange Server media:

The UCMA installable is located under the “UCMARedist” folder on the Exchange Server 2019 .ISO. Start the UCMA installation:

Do not reboot the server just yet; join the computer to an AD domain and then reboot it.

Joining the computer to AD domain

* Rename the computer to 2019-EX01

* Add the computer to domain homelab.local

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Add-Computer -DomainName homelab.local -NewName 2019-EX01 -DomainCredential homelab\administrator

Restart the server

Use the following PowerShell command to restart the computer:

Restart-Computer –Force

Exchange installation

After rebooting the server mount the Exchange .ISO image.

Use the following command to start Exchange Server installation. The PowerShell command will also install the required OS components for Exchange:

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.\Setup.exe /m:install /roles:m /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms /InstallWindowsComponents

Once Exchange is installed, you can launch the Exchange Management Shell using LaunchEMS command from the command line.

You can also start the Exchange Management Console from a different server using the URL below:

https://2019-EX01.homelab.local/ecp

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