Exchange Server 2010 Deployment Assistant

Microsoft released a new tool called as Exchange server Deployment Assistant which can be extensibly used for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 deployment process (Pre-Installation Tool). This tool is not any additional feature provider; it is the small set of questionnaire tool which will allow instructions based on answer to a series of questions. In another word it is small set of questions which will assist to do the homework properly.

Let me provide you more details on this – This tool will be used during pre-deployment phase to ensure that we are considering all sort of factors whichever comes down the line till we install the Exchange 2010 Server like Active Directory Prerequisite concerns, Operating System Supported, Firewall Rules, Certificate Configurations and Server side prerequisite during the installation.

Reason why we need this tool is very simple most of the time the implementer or designer use to forget the basic requirement for achieving successful implementation and due to which he might waste his time to identify the root cause which can be a minor or major task.

As per my knowledge this tool is advanced version of Exchange 2003 setup.htm file. Exchange 2003 setup.htm file is server level html which will inform to complete the prerequisite for the installation of Exchange 2003. By adopting this url based told you are not only taking care of prerequisites on the server side but also you are looking into Active Directory prerequisite plus additional configuration based on the Exchange Server Role like how to install Exhange Server Role, Certificate configuration details & Help file as well. So the primary advantage of this tool is you don’t require to go through 1000’s of pages to cross check the basic prerequisites and more over it will reduce your human error. 

Inorder to access this tool you don’t require to install it on the server it is purely a url base tool : Click here

This tool has been created based on the following scenarios like:
 Upgrade from Exchange 2003
 Upgrade from Exchange 2007
 Upgrade from Exchange 2003 and Exchange 2007
 New Installation of Exchange 2010

Figure 1:


Once you click on any one of the option it will take you to series of question set, assume that i want to do a new installation of Exchange Server 2010 I will simply click on New Installation of Exchange 2010. 

Now it will have the set of questions like planning to configure HTTPS\IMAP\POP, are we going to use Public Folders in Exchange 2010, deployment of edge and unified messaging server etc.

Figure 2:



Once you click on Next then it will have more set of question based on the above environment option you selected
Figure 3:


As per the above screen you will see “Navigate your checklist” : This option will inform on accessing the tool, will inform how to customize your answer, if any failure occur how it will get started back from where discontinued etc etc. Who are accessing this tool for the first time it will be beneficial to go through the navigate checklist. 
Once you are done put a tick mark in the right end side bottom corner and click on next -> arrow mark which will take you to next step“Confirm the Prerequisite steps are done”


Confirm the Prerequisite Steps are Done:
Figure 4:


In this confirm prerequisite it will assist you to make sure that Active Directory Specific & Exchange Server are meeting the requirement. Once you complete this task select this and proceed further
Note : In the above screen you will notice Learn More at, this is another advantage to show you more information on that specific topic rather you do googling and then getting into the right place (Saving Time)\

Install the Client Access Server :
Not much explainable, it will assist you to ensure that you are installing the CAS as per the proper guidance how you meant to follow. Moreover it will have the link to know more about CAS and even additional link to connect to the latest Exchange Server 2010 updates. So whenever you are installing CAS for the first time would recommend you to follow this step properly to ensure zero error.
Figure 5:


Add Digital Certificate on the CAS : This step will suggest you on how to add digital certificate on the CAS.

Enable Outlook Anywhere and rest of the things will provide you the same information as like above. 

Once you complete the installation by following this url base tool you can check the post installation task like verifying the installation task, entering product key details, transport post deployment task etc by referring to Post-Installation Tasks
Figure 6:



Then finally Checklist Complete - this will inform you the completion task status plus it will help to provide additional tools like Exbpa and some performance check analyser information.
Figure 7:


I believe this tool can be good start for deployment basis to ensure that we are on the right track.  It might be a simple tool but a valuable one

If you want this point-wise information offline you can download this into a pdf document by clicking on Download Checklist 

Thanks to Microsoft !!!!  for releasing such a nice tool.

Reference Article:

Exchange Server 2010 Deployment Assistant

Othe Exchange Server 2010 Articles