This article will discuss preparing your AD environment for Exchange Server 2010 SP1. Before installing Exchange 2010 into your AD environment you must first check that your AD forest is at Windows Server 2003 forest functional level or higher. Although Exchange 2010 must be installed on a Windows 2008 server it does not require a Windows 2008 domain controller.
The chart below from Technet shows the requirements for various AD role servers.
| Component | Requirement |
| Schema master | By default, the schema master runs on the first Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller installed in a forest. The schema master must be running any of the following:
|
| Global catalog server | In each Active Directory site where you plan to install Exchange 2010, you must have at least one global catalog server for each domain running any of the following:
For more information about global catalog servers, see What is the Global Catalog. |
| Domain controller | In each Active Directory site where you plan to install Exchange 2010, you must have at least one writeable domain controller running any of the following:
|
| Active Directory forest | Active Directory must be at Windows Server 2003 forest functionality mode or higher. |
| Ipv6 Support | IPv6 is supported only when IPv4 is also used; a pure IPv6 environment isn’t supported. Using IPv6 addresses and IP address ranges is supported only when both IPv6 and IPv4 are enabled on that computer, and the network supports both IP address versions. If Exchange 2010 is deployed in this configuration, all server roles can send data to and receive data from devices, servers, and clients that use IPv6 addresses. Exchange 2010 support is similar to support for Exchange Server 2007. For more information, see IPv6 Support in Exchange 2007 SP1 and SP2. |
It is not recommended to install Exchange 2010 on a directory server for security and performance reasons, but it is possible. The domain controller must already be installed before attempting to install Exchange. Once Exchange 2010 is installed you cannot run DCpromo on the server.
Note: To install a Windows 2008 R2 domain controller in your AD forest, you will need to perform an ADprep.exe from the Windows 2008 R2 media on a current domain controller. The adprep command extends the schema, updates default security descriptors of selected objects, and adds new directory objects as required by some applications. For more information about adprep, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=50439.