The Japan Page

Preparation Steps:

0.0 Read the MS Documentation first. Failure to RTFM will slow you down.
0.1 Make sure your AD is in Windows 2000 native mode, or Windows 2003 mode. Mixed mode won't work.
0.2 Make sure your Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 organization is in native mode.
0.3 Understand the funky new names for roles of Ex2007 servers: (equivalent oldskool role in parenthesis)

• Hub Transport (oldskool=bridgehead) - the server that routes your internal e.mail flow. Sorry, no X.400 connectors any more.
• Edge Transport (newskool, baby) - the server that sits with it's arse exposed to the Internet to pick up incoming e.mail. No sane Exchange administrator ever put Exchange outside the firewall, so this was typically your Symantec / Trend Micro / other 3rd party AV scanner server, or a bastion host *Nix install. This is a combo of a stripped down Exchange server that doesn't live in a domain (it uses ADAM) with the Sybari product that MS bought and incorporated. This is a really, really new idea from Microsoft, so think about using ESVA.
• Mailbox server (mailbox server)- not much different here, or is there...? This is the server that has the Information Store and holds the end users mailboxes. What's new? You don't have to have a MTA on a mailbox-only server.
• Client Access server (the other half of a mailbox server?) - this box is a combo of a OWA "Front-end" server and MAPI RPC glutton. It also does POP3, IMAP and mobile devices. This role can co-exist with a mailbox server, or as a stand-alone.
• Unified Messaging server (zzzz) - . If you've not seen the Ex2007 demo where you dial in and hear your e.mail, then call your MS TAM. UM has existed in some form since Ex2000, an underwhelming success by most accounts, but it's back and looking good now.

1. The ExBPA or Exchange Best Practice Analyzer now has an "Exchange 2007 readiness check" option. Install and run this first. You'll need the .Net Runtime v.1.1. Upon install it will tell you to run a cscript command to put IIS into 32 bit compatibility mode. Don't do it, the Exchange 2007 installer will just make you reverse the change. If you install this on an x64 machine, you'll need the "amd64" directory from the OS install media handy.

2. Make sure the host server has the correct prerequisites:

• You'll need the.Net Framework 2.0 and the following hotfix KB926776.
• You'll need the IIS Web Service for some roles, or the IIS common files at the bare minimum.
• Windows PowerShell 1.o installation. Exchange 2007 administration is all based on PowerShell now. Go ahead, install PS everywhere. :-)
• MMC 3.o. It's included in Windows 2003 R2.

3. If you're installing to an existing Exchange 200x Organization, set the "SuppressStateChanges" registry value per this TechNet article.

4. Fire off the Exchange 2007 installer. It will automagically check your host machine and point anything else out.

Have fun.

How to install Exchange 2007 in Unattended mode here.