In this document we will see the commands that we have to execute to prepare our Active Directory and be able to host a Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, whether for a new installation or migration, we will also look at the requirements at the Active Directory level.

Our functional level of the forest should be at least “Windows Server 2003” and the schema master must be running at least Windows Server 2003 SP1

If we are going to prepare the Active Directory from a Windows 2008, we have to previously install the remote administration tools of the Active Directory Domain Services by using the command: “ServerManagerCmd -i RSAT-ADDS“.

The preparation commands can be executed from the server that Exchange will have, in case our domain controllers are 32bit.

If we have any Exchange servers 2003 in our organization, We must execute: “setup /PrepareLegacyExchangePermissions[:FQDN_DEL_DOMINIO]” or “setup /pl[:FQDN_DEL_DOMINIO]“. You must belong to the 'Organization Administrators' group’ o 'Enterprise Admins’ domain to be able to execute the. With this, we will prepare the legacy Exchange permissions for Microsoft Exchange 2010.

We have to wait for replication to become effective on the domain controllers, we continue with the expansion of the Active Directory schema: “setup /PrepareSchema” or “setup /ps” (we won't run this command if we're not going to run /PrepareAD in our forest). You must belong to the 'Schema Administrators' groups’ o 'Schema Admins’ and 'Organization Administrators'’ o 'Enterprise Admins’ to be able to execute the.

Execute “setup /PrepareAD [/OrganizationName:NOMBRE_DE_LA_ORGANIZACIÓN]” or “setup /p [/on:NOMBRE_DE_LA_ORGANIZACIÓN]” to prepare the organization. This step would also prepare the local domain. You must belong to the 'Organization Administrators' group’ o 'Enterprise Admins’ to be able to execute the.

Run “setup /PrepareDomain[:FQDN_DOMINIO_A_PREPARAR]” or “setup /pd[:FQDN_DOMINIO_A_PREPARAR]” to prepare the local domain or the one indicated. Or we'll directly execute: “setup /PrepareAllDomains” or “setup /pad” to prepare all of our organization's domains. We wouldn't have to run this command if we've run /PrepareAD on the domain. To run /PrepareDomain or /dp you would have to belong to the 'Organization Administrators' group’ or 'Enterprise Admins'; and to execute the command in a single domain it would be enough to be members of 'Domain Administrators'’ or 'Domain Admins'.