Lesson 4: Unattended Setup


You've now used the Microsoft Exchange Installation Wizard to manually install Exchange Server 2003. In this lesson, you will install a second server into your organization using the unattended method of installation. In the real world, unattended installations are very useful when you need to perform an installation remotely. By supplying someone on site with the installation media and the .ini file for the unattended installation, that person can run Setup without any intervention, ensuring that settings are not inadvertently selected or modified.

Unattended installations are also useful when you were deploying a number of new Exchange servers in an existing organization. With the ability to also perform unattended installations of Windows Server 2003, you can save time deploying multiple servers by automating the entire installation process.

start example

After this lesson, you will be able to

  • Create an .ini file for use with an unattended installation

  • Successfully install Exchange Server 2003 using the /unattendfile switch

Estimated lesson time: 60 minutes

end example

Creating an .ini File for Unattended Setup

Creating an unattended installation file can be very useful for deploying Exchange Server 2003. The process of creating the file is essentially the same as the process for a manual setup: selecting the components you want to install and the installation path; choosing whether to create a new organization or to join an existing one; agreeing to the licensing; and so on. However, rather than beginning installation of the components after you confirm your installation choices on the Installation Summary dialog box, the Microsoft Exchange Installation Wizard writes the configuration to an .ini file, which is a text file formatted specifically for use with the /unattendfile Setup switch.

Planning

An unattended installation will not eliminate the need for the pre-installation work that is required for installing Exchange Server 2003. You still have to ensure that the Windows server installation has the required components installed and configured to support the Exchange installation. You must meet any requirements, such as permissions, to perform the installation.

In this lesson, you will add a second Exchange Server 2003 server to the existing forest and domain. You can also use the unattended installation to create a new organization, which is similar to what you did in Lesson 3 with the manual installation. The only limitation when creating a new organization with an unattended installation file is that the file is not reusable because Setup would not be able to create the organization on subsequent installations. Therefore, creating an unattended installation file is more useful for additional installations after the creation of the organization.

Note

If you have only a single lab computer to work with, you can alternatively uninstall Exchange Server 2003 and then perform the following steps to create an unattended installation file to use in setting up a new organization. The process would be similar to the manual installation, including choosing the same options. However, this will not allow you to add the server to an existing organization, which is covered in a section and practice later in this chapter.

You can choose any name for the .ini file; however, the extension should be .ini. While technically you can use any extension, such as .txt, the format is that of an .ini file and it is recommended to leave the extension as such for consistency. Creating an .ini file for an unattended installation will be covered in the practice at the end of this lesson.

Unless there is a specific need for all your unattended installations to have custom components installed, choose a Typical installation. If you change the installation path for Exchange Server 2003, it will apply to all servers on which you run the unattended installation. Plan carefully to ensure that the Windows servers are configured consistently with their drives and partitions.

When you are deploying a test environment of Exchange Server 2003, it isn't sufficient to set up a separate lab server in an existing production forest or domain; you must set up a separate Active Directory forest for testing. Otherwise, you may be faced with unwanted forest level settings that are difficult to get rid of when you go to a live deployment of Exchange Server 2003.

Exam Tip

Watch for exam scenarios where an option is to install a second Exchange Server 2003 organization into an existing forest. Because of the nature of the Exchange Server 2003 integration with Active Directory, a forest can support only a single Exchange organization.

When you run Setup and create an Unattend.ini file, you are creating a text file that contains the configuration settings you selected. Since it is a text file, you can view Unattend.ini in Microsoft Notepad. When you do, you'll see something similar to the following: "This Unattend.ini file was created using a Typical installation onto a new server in an Active Directory domain, which already has another domain controller running an Exchange 2003 organization." Because you selected a Typical installation, fields for components that aren't being installed are blank. The [InstallOrder] subsection tells you which components are being installed.

Note

The following example has been edited for length. The real file is much longer, as you can see by viewing it on your system.

[Version] Signature="$Windows NT$" Provider="Microsoft Exchange" [CompleteComponentList] exsetdata.dll srchcomp.dll       [PreInstallOrder] gfn_mid microsoft search gfn_mid microsoft exchange gfn_mid microsoft exchange server component gfn_mid microsoft exchange system management tools      [InstallOrder] gfn_mid microsoft search gfn_mid microsoft exchange gfn_mid microsoft exchange server component gfn_mid microsoft exchange system management tools      [PostInstallOrder] gfn_mid microsoft search gfn_mid microsoft exchange gfn_mid microsoft exchange server component gfn_mid microsoft exchange system management tools      [Component Error List] [gfn_mid microsoft search] gfn_pid stockprop hidden=1      [Additional Global Property Names] {DF8FF64A-1967-4871-9E32-CA2F819BAB81},HWNDForLoadingDialog,0,0      [Global Properties] gfn_pid core password= gfn_pid core autologon=0 gfn_pid core autologon previously enabled=0 gfn_pid core user name=Will Willis gfn_pid core organization= gfn_pid core pid 20=111-1111111 gfn_pid core pid 30=J6T48-XCF7K-QCGKD-QV887-4BJYB gfn_pid core license file=eula.txt gfn_pid core suite directory=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Integration gfn_pid core post reboot=0 gfn_pid core suite name=Microsoft Exchange gfn_pid core disk requirement=31457280 gfn_pid core progress show subs=1 gfn_pid core progress show tasks=0 gfn_pid core ask for pre install=0 gfn_pid core ask for post install=0 gfn_pid core suite mode=0 gfn_pid core suite baseline=0 gfn_pid core install scenario baseline=0 gfn_pid core force disk space ok=0 gfn_pid core ignore final disk space check=0 gfn_pid core registry=Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Integration\3D5A0E1C-B6DA-42a7-A871- 03CD2E30FEA3\SetupData gfn_pid core no error log=0 gfn_pid core no event log=0 gfn_pid core system drive=C: gfn_pid core program files=C:\Program Files\ gfn_pid encrypted mode=0 {E0C022B6-2029-11D3-8DFC-00C04F797FB8}=10 {CDD00162-2E69-11D3-A829-00C04FB1799F}=3D5A0E1C-B6DA-42a7-A871-03CD2E30FEA3 {CDD00163-2E69-11D3-A829-00C04FB1799F}= {AA62DF98-3F2C-11D3-887B-00C04F8ECDD6}=0 {F24FCE05-8B5C-472F-9F53-9C9BB3DE50AF}=7 gfn_pid core dont install suite files=0 {9843461C-2F7A-4000-B91C-2DDD224C9E91}=c:\Unattend.ini {DF8FF64A-1967-4871-9E32-CA2F819BAB81}=0 [Scenario Factory] ActiveScenario={8BED5C7A-CDC9-11D2-92F4-00C04F79F1A8}

You can edit this file manually to make changes to the installation behavior, such as if you want Setup to install the server into a specific administrative or routing group. Other options you might configure are those under the [Global Properties] subsection, such as changing the installation path. If you do edit the file, ensure that Notepad doesn't add a .txt extension when you save the file.

Performing an Unattended Installation of Exchange Server 2003

Using an unattended installation .ini file is a matter of using the /UnattendFile Setup switch with the correct Unattend.ini file. The following command line is an example of starting an unattended installation with the Unattend.ini file on a floppy disk in drive A and the Exchange Server 2003 CD in the D drive:

D:\setup\i386\setup.exe /unattendfile a:\unattend.ini

After executing the command, Setup will run without any input required. It is not a "silent" installation without user interface displayed; the progress window opens, and you can see the installation tasks being performed. Unlike a manual installation, Setup will not prompt you when it is finished installing Exchange Server 2003. Setup quits automatically when complete.

Practice: Performing an Unattended Installation of Exchange Server 2003

In this practice, you will create a file named Unattend.ini and then install Exchange Server 2003 using the file. The procedure will result in a second Exchange 2003 server being installed in your organization.

Exercise 1: Create an Unattend.ini Configuration File

  1. From the Start menu, click Run and type the following command (substitute the drive letter for your CD-ROM drive if it is not D, and substitute C:\ with the path to your unattend.ini file if it is different):

    D:\setup\i386\setup.exe /createunattend c:\Unattend.ini

    The Microsoft Exchange Installation Wizard starts as if you ran Setup.exe without any switches.

  2. At the Welcome page, click Next, accept the license agreement, and then click Next to open the Component Selection page.

  3. In the Action column for the Microsoft Exchange component, click Typical, and then click Next.

  4. If the Installation Type page is displayed, select Join Or Upgrade An Existing Exchange 5.5 Organization, and then click Next.

    Whether you have the option of choosing to create a new Exchange organization or upgrade to or join an existing Exchange organization depends on whether Setup detects an existing Exchange organization in the forest. If Setup detects an existing Exchange organization, it will automatically default to joining an existing organization and will not prompt you to choose. This is because an Active Directory forest can support only a single Exchange organization.

  5. Review the Installation Summary, and then click Next.

  6. Accept the licensing agreement and click Next to finish.

    Setup writes your choices into a configuration file with the path you specified and displays a message stating that Setup completed successfully.

Exercise 2: Perform an Unattended Installation of Exchange Server 2003

  1. From the Start menu, click Run and type the following command (change drive D to match your CD-ROM drive letter, and change drive C to match the location where you have stored the unattended installation file, if necessary):

    D:\setup.i386\setup.exe /UnattendFile c:\Unattend.ini

  2. Monitor the installation, seeing that Setup utilizes the custom settings from the Unattend.ini file, including installing the Microsoft Exchange 5.5 Administrator program.

    After Setup completes, from the Start menu, point to All Programs, then point to Microsoft Exchange, and start Exchange System Manager. View the organization in Exchange System Manager, verifying that the new server is installed into the organization by expanding the Servers container. Quit the program.

Lesson Review

The following questions are intended to reinforce key information presented in this lesson. If you are unable to answer a question, review the lesson materials and try the question again. You can find answers to the questions in the "Questions and Answers" section at the end of this chapter.

  1. You are attempting to create a file called Unattend.ini in order to automate the deployment of Exchange Server 2003 servers in your organization. You currently do not have an Exchange Server 2003 organization. You run Setup with the /createunattend switch and create the Unattend.ini file, which works perfectly when you install your first Exchange Server 2003 server. However, subsequent installations to servers in the same domain fail using the Unattend.ini file. Why might this be happening?

  2. You are the Exchange administrator for a single-forest/single-domain organization that spans three locations. You create an Unattend.ini file for use in deploying additional Exchange Server 2003 servers in your Exchange organization, which already consists of two Exchange Server 2003 servers at the main location. The other two locations have junior administrators who have been delegated the ability to administer accounts and computer objects in the domain, which they normally do by logging on to their local domain controllers. You verify that the necessary Windows components are installed on the remote servers to support Exchange Server 2003, copy the Unattend.ini file to the local hard drive on each server, and create a batch file for the local junior administrators to run on their server once they insert the Exchange Server 2003 installation CD that executes Setup with the required /unattendfile Setup switch. One junior administrator runs the batch file, and Exchange Server 2003 Setup completes successfully. The other junior administrator calls you and tells you that Setup failed. Why might that have happened?

  3. Identify the two things that are incorrect about the following command line:

    d:\setup\i386\setup.exe /createunattendfile unattend.txt 
  4. You have been asked to coordinate the installation of Exchange Server 2003 on servers at six remote offices. The personnel performing the installation are with a consulting firm, and you won't be physically present during the installations. You want to limit their access to the organization's sensitive security information, yet allow the consultants to successfully install the product. Describe how you will meet these requirements.

Lesson Summary

  • Unattended installations are useful for rapidly deploying subsequent Exchange Server 2003 installations into an existing organization.

  • Unattended installations are great for delegating the task of installing the Exchange Server 2003 binaries to a lower-level IT professional or for deploying Exchange Server 2003 at a remote location.

  • Performing an unattended installation is subject to the same prerequisites (permissions, Windows components, and so on) as performing a manual installation.

  • An Active Directory forest can support only a single Exchange Server 2003 organization, so an Unattend.ini file that is used to create an organization cannot be used for subsequent installations.

  • An Unattend.ini file is a specially-formatted text file that can be read and manually edited in Notepad after its creation, if changes are necessary.




MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-284(c) Implementing and Managing Microsoft Exchange Server 2003)
MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-284): Implementing and Managing MicrosoftВ® Exchange Server 2003 (Pro-Certification)
ISBN: 0735618992
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 221

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