Run the following command to extend the schema.
Open a Windows Command Prompt window and go to where you downloaded the Exchange installation files. To see what you need to run Setup, check out the Active Directory preparation section in Exchange 2013 prerequisites. Make sure the computer is ready to run Exchange 2013 Setup. If you have multiple Active Directory forests, make sure you're logged into the right one. When you're ready, do the following to extend your Active Directory schema. If you decide to skip step 1, the information you need to keep in mind above still applies. If the schema isn't extended in step 1, the commands in step 2 will extend the schema for you. If you don't have a separate team that manages your Active Directory schema, you can skip this step and go directly to Step 2. Other ways of extending the schema aren't supported. The only way to extend the schema for Exchange is to use the steps in this topic or use Exchange 2013 Setup. If you use the DomainController parameter, make sure to use the name of the domain controller that's the schema master. The computer where you'll run the command to extend the schema needs to be in the same Active Directory domain and site as the schema master. The account you're logged in as needs to be a member of the Schema Admins and Enterprise Admins security groups. If you're curious about what's changed when your schema is extended, check out Exchange 2013 Active Directory schema changes.īefore you extend your schema, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Exchange stores a lot of information in Active Directory but before it can do that, it needs to add and update classes, attributes, and other items. The first step in getting your organization ready for Exchange 2013 is to extend the Active Directory schema. Having problems? Ask for help in the Exchange forums.
Install the first Exchange server in an Active Directory site with a writeable global catalog server from every domain. If your organization has multiple Active Directory domains, we recommend the following:ĭo the steps below from an Active Directory site that has an Active Directory server from every domain.
Also, your Active Directory forest needs to meet the requirements in the "Network and directory servers" section in Exchange 2013 system requirements. The computer you use to run these steps needs to meet the Exchange 2013 system requirements. What do you need to know before you begin?Ĭurious about what's happening when Active Directory is being prepared for Exchange? Check out What changes in Active Directory when Exchange 2013 is installed? What do you need to know before you begin?Įstimated time to complete: 10-15 minutes or more (not including Active Directory replication), depending on organization size and the number of child domains. For example, Exchange administrators might not have the permissions needed to extend the Active Directory schema.
Following the steps in this topic gives you much more control over each stage of preparation, and who can do each step. If you have a large Active Directory deployment, or if a separate team manages Active Directory, this topic is for you.
For more information about how to use the Setup wizard, check out Install Exchange 2013 using the Setup wizard. The account you use will need to be a member of both the Schema Admins and Enterprise Admins security groups. If you don't have a large Active Directory deployment, and you don't have a separate team that manages Active Directory, we recommend using the wizard. The first is to let the Exchange 2013 Setup wizard do it for you.
There are a couple of ways you can prepare Active Directory for Exchange. You can see Exchange 2013 Active Directory schema changes for details on new schema classes and attributes that Exchange 2013 adds to Active Directory, including those made by Service Packs (SPs) and Cumulative Updates (CUs). Whether this is the first installation of Exchange in your environment, or you already have earlier versions of Exchange Server running, you need to prepare Active Directory for Exchange 2013.