We are in the process of bringing a new backup server online, and that requires installing the Exchange management console and associated tools on the server. Our Exchange 2007 servers are in a resource forest, corp.internal, and the backup server will be in the user forest, corp.com, since that's still where most of what needs to be backed up resides. The forest trust and group memberships handle authentication such that the backup service doesn't need corp.internal credentials. Installing the administrative tools on our current server was a painful process of moving that server to the resource forest, installing the tools, then moving it back to the user forest, since the installer wouldn't run otherwise. It failed when checking the corp.com AD schema. We cannot make the Exchange 2007 AD schema changes to the user forest, and altering all the backup jobs so that they run from the resource forest would be more painful than the server double-shuffle we did previously. So, is there any way to force installation of the Exchange administration tools on a server which is a member of a forest which doesn't have the Exchange 2007 AD schema? Do I really have to join the new server to corp.internal to run the installation?

Hi,if you already know that its painful why do you do it? Is there really a need to have a resource - forest? a resource domain in the same forest o.k., but an extra forest? Without knowing any background to this: maybe you should use admt and create only one forest?just my 2 CentsViele Gre Walter Steinsdorfer MVP Exchange Server http://msmvps.org/blogs/wstein

We've had the resource forest in place for one year now. We decided on a resource forest deployment after careful consideration of our current and future needs. It was neither exceptionally difficult to set up, nor difficult to manage. The resource forest itself isn't the issue. The only painful part in any of this was the Exchange 2007 installer not allow me to put the administrative tools on a server in a forest which doesn't have an Exchange 2007 compliant schema. While I appreciate, in general, the rigorous prerequisite checking of the installer, this limitation strikes me as excessive. My question remains: is there any way to force an administrative tools installation on a server not in a forest with an Exchange 2007 schema?

No you cannot install Excahnge admin tools on a computer that is member of non Exchange preped forest.I can see why you want to do this, but you will not gain any benefit from it since the Exchange admin tools talks to DC's located in the forest and you have no Exchange servers in your forest and thefore you will not be able to do anything.why dont you use TS/RDP to a computer in the resource forest?lasse at humandata dot se, http://anewmessagehasarrived.blogspot.com

Hi,First Id like to know how do you like to perform backup? NTBackup? Why do you intend to install Exchange Management Tools in Account forest? Please note that during the setup, it need to communicate with GC/DC to query Exchange related information. From the setup log we can find that it will try to check if it has run PrepareAD and then try to find Exchange configuration container and Exchange organization container, etc. So it is impossible to install Exchange Management Tools without communicating with GC/DC. Regards, Xiu

Any update on this?One way I can think of is to install the admin tools on a computer joined to the Exchange resource forest and then move the computer to the otehr forest.But this will probably not work since the admin tools expect to find certatin attribute in AD when doing normal administration.lasse at humandata dot se, http://anewmessagehasarrived.blogspot.com

I recall someone tricking the schema version to install the tools then changing it back to original after tool was installed. Schema, yourdc, CN=ms-Exch-Schema-Version-PT, rangeUpperJames Chong (MVP) MCITP | EA | EMA; MCSE | M+, S+ Security+, Project+, ITIL msexchangetips.blogspot.com