Hey everyone, I want to install and deploy exchange on my office network but the problem is we already have a complete domain setup going on and I don't want to demote our current DC to install a SBS DC. So, what I did was installed a Server 2008 R2 VM on my ESX servers and I was going to run exchange off that. After the research I did I couldn't see a problem with doing that. Now, when I am running the Best Practice Analyser on the new server I get up to the point where I need to connect to AD and it auto-finds and fills out my AD server name and everything but when I press connect I get this error, "No Exchange organization container found in domain.". I have done research on this as well and tried almost everything I could find with no luck. I don't have any of the media or even an ISO at the moment (Currently downloading). Can anyone help with this? I would really much like to get it half done at least today. Thank you, Matt Edit: I got that error to stop by installing a heap of stuff on the newly installed server (Exchange Pre-req stuff) and instead of going to the name, i used it's IP address (I believe it was something to do with the DNS just not sure what could have done it.) but now it's saying I don't have permissions to run it. I have tried both the domain admin account, my account (A member of everything and anything on AD) the error is "Error validating Active Directory logon credentials. Please try entering a different set of credentials. What do I need permissions to access to run this? Edit 2: I take that last edit back, it has gone back to the original error. No organization containers.

Hi, You don't mention the version of Exchange you are planning to install, so I can only assume that it will be Exchange 2010. It seems to me, that you have downloaded EXBPA and when you run it you get the error message "No Organization Containers". That message is very expected if Active Directory hasn't been prepared (can be done before Exchange is installed or will be during installation). The version of EXBPA that can be downloaded is not for Exchange 2010 so I suggest that you uninstall it. Prepare Active Directory and Domains You will need to Exchange 2010 binaries to prepare your AD for Exchange and even if it says SP2 it's a full installation. Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 2 (SP2) Before you install Exchange, you need to install some OS prerequisites, but the hotfixes is not needed if you have installed Service Pack 1 for Windows Server 2008 R2. Exchange 2010 Prerequisites I suggest that you start with downloading and run the Exchange Pre-Deployment Analyzer and use the Exchange Deployment Assistant Martina Miskovic

Hi, You don't mention the version of Exchange you are planning to install, so I can only assume that it will be Exchange 2010. It seems to me, that you have downloaded EXBPA and when you run it you get the error message "No Organization Containers". That message is very expected if Active Directory hasn't been prepared (can be done before Exchange is installed or will be during installation). The version of EXBPA that can be downloaded is not for Exchange 2010 so I suggest that you uninstall it. Prepare Active Directory and Domains You will need to Exchange 2010 binaries to prepare your AD for Exchange and even if it says SP2 it's a full installation. Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 2 (SP2) Before you install Exchange, you need to install some OS prerequisites, but the hotfixes is not needed if you have installed Service Pack 1 for Windows Server 2008 R2. Exchange 2010 Prerequisites I suggest that you start with downloading and run the Exchange Pre-Deployment Analyzer and use the Exchange Deployment Assistant Martina Miskovic Thank you so much Martina! I kind of already knew If I just left it and waited until I had the media it would all work out but I just wanted to be a little proactive. Thanks. Just another quick question, because I'm installed exchange on different server to where AD is, the exchange installer will still connect to the AD and do the prep work correct? Thanks again.

Hi, You don't mention the version of Exchange you are planning to install, so I can only assume that it will be Exchange 2010. It seems to me, that you have downloaded EXBPA and when you run it you get the error message "No Organization Containers". That message is very expected if Active Directory hasn't been prepared (can be done before Exchange is installed or will be during installation). The version of EXBPA that can be downloaded is not for Exchange 2010 so I suggest that you uninstall it. Prepare Active Directory and Domains You will need to Exchange 2010 binaries to prepare your AD for Exchange and even if it says SP2 it's a full installation. Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 2 (SP2) Before you install Exchange, you need to install some OS prerequisites, but the hotfixes is not needed if you have installed Service Pack 1 for Windows Server 2008 R2. Exchange 2010 Prerequisites I suggest that you start with downloading and run the Exchange Pre-Deployment Analyzer and use the Exchange Deployment Assistant Martina Miskovic Thank you so much Martina! I kind of already knew If I just left it and waited until I had the media it would all work out but I just wanted to be a little proactive. Thanks. Just another quick question, because I'm installed exchange on different server to where AD is, the exchange installer will still connect to the AD and do the prep work correct? Thanks again.

Hi, Without connection to Active Directory, it's not possible to install Exchange, so yes...The setup will contact AD. Even if it's supported to install Exchange on a domain controller, its recommended not to. So in other words, you made a good choice to choose to install Exchange on a Member Server.Martina Miskovic

Hi, Without connection to Active Directory, it's not possible to install Exchange, so yes...The setup will contact AD. Even if it's supported to install Exchange on a domain controller, its recommended not to. So in other words, you made a good choice to choose to install Exchange on a Member Server.Martina Miskovic