Exchange 2013 Prerequisites

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Applies to: Exchange Server 2013
Topic Last Modified: 2013-01-28
This topic provides the steps for installing the necessary Windows Server 2012 and Windows
Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) operating system prerequisites for the Microsoft
Exchange 2013 Mailbox and Client Access server roles. It also provides the prerequisites
required to install the Exchange 2013 management tools on Windows 8 and Windows 7 client
computers.

What do you need to know before you

begin?

Active Directory preparation

Windows Server 2012 prerequisites

o Mailbox server role or combined
Mailbox and Client Access server
roles
o Client Access server role

Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

prerequisites
o Mailbox server role or combined
Mailbox and Client Access server
roles
o Client Access server role

What do you need to know before you begin?

Windows 7 prerequisites

Windows 8 prerequisites

Make sure that the functional level of your

forest is at least Windows Server 2003,
and that the schema master is running
Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack
2 or later. For more information about the
Windows functional level, see Managing
Domains and Forests.

The full installation option of Windows

Server 2012 and Windows Server 2008 R2
SP1 must be used for all servers running
Exchange 2013 server roles or
management tools.

You must first join the computer to the

appropriate internal Active Directory
forest and domain.

Some prerequisites require you to reboot

the server to complete installation.

Install the latest Windows updates on your

computer. For more information, see
Deployment Security Checklist.

Note:
If you're installing the Mailbox server role and you intend for the server to be a member of a
database availability group (DAG), you must be running Windows Server 2012 Standard or
Datacenter Edition or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Enterprise Edition. Windows Server
2008 R2 SP 1 Standard Edition doesn't support the features needed for DAGs. You can't
upgrade Windows when Exchange is installed on the server.
To upgrade to Microsoft Unified Communications Managed API (UCMA) 4.0, you must first
uninstall any previous versions of UCMA that are installed by using Add/Remove
programs.
Tip:
Having problems? Ask for help in the Exchange forums. Visit the forums at: Exchange
Server, Exchange Online, or Exchange Online Protection
Active Directory preparation
The computer you want to use to prepare Active Directory for Exchange 2013 has specific
prerequisites that must be met.
Install the following software on the computer that will be used to prepare Active Directory:

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5

Windows Management Framework 3.0

Note:
.NET Framework 4.5 and Windows Management Framework 3.0 are included with Windows
Server 2012 and don't need to be installed separately.
After you've installed the software listed above, complete the following steps to install the
Remote Tools Administration Pack. After you've installed the Remote Tools Administration
Pack you'll be able to use the computer to prepare Active Directory. For more information
about preparing Active Directory, see Prepare Active Directory and Domains.
1. Open Windows PowerShell.
2. Install the Remote Tools Administration
Pack.
o On a Windows Server 2012
computer, run the following
command.
Copy
Install-WindowsFeature RSATADDS

o On a Windows Server 2008 R2

SP1 computer, run the following
command.
Copy
Add-WindowsFeature RSAT-ADDS

Windows Server 2012 prerequisites

The prerequisites that are needed to install Exchange 2013 on a Windows Server 2012
computer depends on which Exchange roles you want to install. Read the section below that
matches the roles you want to install.
Mailbox server role or combined Mailbox and Client Access server roles
Follow the instructions in this section to install the prerequisites on Windows Server 2012
computers where you want to do one of the following:

Install only the Mailbox server role on a

computer.

Install both the Mailbox and Client Access

server roles on the same computer.

Do the following to install the required Windows roles and features:

1. Open Windows PowerShell.

2. Run the following command to install the
required Windows components.
Copy
Install-WindowsFeature AS-HTTPActivation, Desktop-Experience,
NET-Framework-45-Features, RPCover-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-Clustering,
RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface,
RSAT-Clustering-Mgmt, RSATClustering-PowerShell, Web-MgmtConsole, WAS-Process-Model, WebAsp-Net45, Web-Basic-Auth, WebClient-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, WebDir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression,
Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging,
Web-Http-Redirect, Web-HttpTracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPIFilter, Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,
Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Console,
Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext45,
Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server,
Web-Stat-Compression, Web-StaticContent, Web-Windows-Auth, WebWMI, Windows-Identity-Foundation

After you've installed the operating system roles and features, install the following software
in the order shown:
1. Microsoft Unified Communications
Managed API 4.0, Core Runtime 64-bit
2. Microsoft Office 2010 Filter Pack 64 bit
3. Microsoft Office 2010 Filter Pack SP1 64
bit
Client Access server role
Follow the instructions in this section to install the prerequisites on Windows Server 2012
computers where you want to install only the Client Access server role on a computer.
Do the following to install the required Windows roles and features:
1. Open Windows PowerShell.
2. Run the following command to install the
required Windows components.
Copy

Install-WindowsFeature AS-HTTPActivation, Desktop-Experience,

NET-Framework-45-Features, RPCover-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-Clustering,
RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface,
RSAT-Clustering-Mgmt, RSATClustering-PowerShell, Web-MgmtConsole, WAS-Process-Model, WebAsp-Net45, Web-Basic-Auth, WebClient-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, WebDir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression,
Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging,
Web-Http-Redirect, Web-HttpTracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPIFilter, Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,
Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Console,
Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext45,
Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server,
Web-Stat-Compression, Web-StaticContent, Web-Windows-Auth, WebWMI, Windows-Identity-Foundation

After you've installed the operating system roles and features, install the following software:

Microsoft Unified Communications

Managed API 4.0, Core Runtime 64-bit

Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 prerequisites

The prerequisites that are needed to install Exchange 2013 on a Windows Server 2008 R2
SP1 computer depends on which Exchange roles you want to install. Read the section below
that matches the roles you want to install.
Mailbox server role or combined Mailbox and Client Access server roles
Follow the instructions in this section to install the prerequisites on Windows Server 2008 R2
SP1 computers where you want to do one of the following:

Install only the Mailbox server role on a

computer.

Install both the Mailbox and Client Access

server roles on the same computer.

Do the following to install the required Windows roles and features:

1. Open Windows PowerShell.
2. Run the following command to load the
Server Manager module.

Copy
Import-Module ServerManager

3. Run the following command to install the

required Windows components.
Copy
Add-WindowsFeature DesktopExperience, NET-Framework, NETHTTP-Activation, RPC-over-HTTPproxy, RSAT-Clustering, RSAT-WebServer, WAS-Process-Model, WebAsp-Net, Web-Basic-Auth, WebClient-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, WebDir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression,
Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging,
Web-Http-Redirect, Web-HttpTracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPIFilter, Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,
Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Console,
Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext,
Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server,
Web-Stat-Compression, Web-StaticContent, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-WMI

After you've installed the operating system roles and features, install the following software
in the order shown:
1. Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5
2. Windows Management Framework 3.0
3. Microsoft Unified Communications
Managed API 4.0, Core Runtime 64-bit
4. Microsoft Office 2010 Filter Pack 64 bit
5. Microsoft Office 2010 Filter Pack SP1 64
bit
6. Microsoft Knowledge Base article
KB974405 (Windows Identity
Foundation)
7. Knowledge Base article KB2619234
(Enable the Association Cookie/GUID
that is used by RPC over HTTP to also be
used at the RPC layer in Windows 7 and
in Windows Server 2008 R2)

8. Knowledge Base article KB2533623

(Insecure library loading could allow
remote code execution)
Note:
This hotfix may already be installed if you've configured Windows Update to install security
updates on your computer.
Client Access server role
Follow the instructions in this section to install the prerequisites on Windows Server 2008 R2
SP1 computers where you want to install only the Client Access server role on a computer.
Do the following to install the required Windows roles and features:
1. Open Windows PowerShell.
2. Run the following command to load the
Server Manager module.
Copy
Import-Module ServerManager

3. Run the following command to install the

required Windows components.
Copy
Add-WindowsFeature DesktopExperience, NET-Framework, NETHTTP-Activation, RPC-over-HTTPproxy, RSAT-Clustering, RSAT-WebServer, WAS-Process-Model, WebAsp-Net, Web-Basic-Auth, WebClient-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, WebDir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression,
Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging,
Web-Http-Redirect, Web-HttpTracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPIFilter, Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,
Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Console,
Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext,
Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server,
Web-Stat-Compression, Web-StaticContent, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-WMI

After you've installed the operating system roles and features, install the following software
in the order shown:
1. Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5
2. Windows Management Framework 3.0

3. Microsoft Unified Communications

Managed API 4.0, Core Runtime 64-bit
4. Knowledge Base article KB974405
(Windows Identity Foundation)
5. Knowledge Base article KB2619234
(Enable the Association Cookie/GUID
that is used by RPC over HTTP to also be
used at the RPC layer in Windows 7 and
in Windows Server 2008 R2)
6. Knowledge Base article KB2533623
(Insecure library loading could allow
remote code execution)
Note:
This hotfix may already be installed if you've configured Windows Update to install security
updates on your computer.
Windows 7 prerequisites
Follow the instructions in this section to install the prerequisites on domain-joined
Windows 7 64-bit computers where you want to install the Exchange management tools.
1. Open Control Panel, and then select
Programs.
2. Click Turn Windows features on or off.
3. Navigate to Internet Information
Services > Web Management Tools >
IIS 6 Management Compatibility.
4. Select the check box for IIS 6
Management Console, and then click
OK.
After you've installed the operating system features, install the following software in the
order shown:
1. Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5
2. Windows Management Framework 3.0
3. Knowledge Base article KB974405
(Windows Identity Foundation)
Windows 8 prerequisites

The Exchange management tools can be installed on a domain-joined computer with a default
install of Windows 8 64-bit.