What are the basic steps in configing exchange 2010? My domain is at godaddy. I have a server here in my storefront and have a cisco router with a static IP. The windows server 2008 r2 domain controller is on the same server as exchange will be installed on. I want to install exchange 2010 to host the mail server of my domain. I have changed the A record at godaddy.com to point to my static IP. Configed the cisco to port forward ports 21 and 80 to the server. So FTP and HTTP are working to my public domain. For mail, what DNS records have to be changed? I assume MX. Others? What ports should be forwarded from the cisco router to the email server? I am unclear about the relationship between the name of the windows server 2008 domain controller and my public domain name. Any tips or documents that would answer these questions is really appreciated. thanks,

The full process is outlined in Technet. Everything is documented. However there is a lot more to deployment of Exchange than you have outlined and you would be best engaging a consultant to assist. Setup is a key still, which if you aren't doing it regularly it is easy to miss something, and those are skills you will not use in day to day operation. There is no relationship between your Windows domain and SMTP domain. They can be the same or different. Exchange doesn't care. Simon.Simon Butler, Exchange MVP. http://blog.sembee.co.uk , http://exbpa.com/

I was thinking that since I was able to master the cisco router I could do anything.

Just a little tip, IF you are going to do it yourself or just plan it Check this site for doing the checklist http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/exdeploy2010/default.aspxJonas Andersson MCTS: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007/2010 | MCITP: EMA 2007/2010 | MCSE/MCSA Blog: http://www.testlabs.se/blog