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Misha Hanin  

Exchange 2016 Test Farm in Azure

If you like me and always want to be at the edge of the technology, you always play with the new version of products. Sometimes having a platform (servers, storage, switches, etc.) to run a product on it is a bit a challenge :). Let’s see how to build VERY simple (1 Domain Controller and 1 Exchange 2016 server) Exchange 2016 environment in Azure Cloud:

As I already said, this configuration consists of a single Exchange server and a Windows Server Active Directory (AD) domain controller in a subnet of an Azure virtual network, which provides a basis and common starting point from which we can demonstrate Exchange 2016 and develop Exchange Server applications. This configuration is only for internal email and application testing on the Exchange server. No external email flow is configured.

There are three major phases to setting up this test environment:

  1. Set up the virtual network and domain controller (adVM).
  2. Add the Exchange 2016 server (exVM).
  3. Configure Exchange 2016.

Note: Because Exchange 2016 makes changes to the schema in Windows Server AD, this configuration cannot use Azure Active Directory Domain Services.

Phase 1: Deploy the virtual network and a domain controller

We can create a new Azure virtual network with a domain controller with Azure PowerShell. We can run the following PowerShell commands from a Windows PowerShell command prompt or in the PowerShell Integrated Script Environment (ISE).

First of all, let’s sign into our Azure account.

Login-AzureRMAccount

Get our subscription name using the following command.

Get-AzureRMSubscription | Sort SubscriptionName | Select SubscriptionName

Set our Azure subscription with the following commands. Set the $subscr variable by replacing everything within the quotes, including the < and > characters, with the correct name.

$subscr=""
Get-AzureRmSubscription -SubscriptionName $subscr | Select-AzureRmSubscription

Next, we have to create a new resource group. To determine a unique resource group name, use this command to list our existing resource groups.

Get-AzureRMResourceGroup | Sort ResourceGroupName | Select ResourceGroupName

Create our new resource group with these commands. Set the variables by replacing everything within the quotes, including the < and > characters, with the correct names.

$rgName=""
$locName=""
New-AzureRMResourceGroup -Name $rgName -Location $locName

Resource Manager-based virtual machines require a Resource Manager-based storage account. We must pick a globally unique name for our storage account that contains only lowercase letters and numbers. We can use this command to list the existing storage accounts.

Get-AzureRMStorageAccount | Sort StorageAccountName | Select StorageAccountName

Create a new storage account for our new test environment with these commands.

$rgName=""
$locName=""
$saName=""
New-AzureRMStorageAccount -Name $saName -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Type Standard_LRS -Location $locName

Next, we create the EX2016Vnet Azure Virtual Network that will host the EX2016Subnet subnet and protect it with a network security group.

$rgName=""
$locName=""
$locShortName=""
$exSubnet=New-AzureRMVirtualNetworkSubnetConfig -Name EX2016Subnet -AddressPrefix 10.0.0.0/24
New-AzureRMVirtualNetwork -Name EX2016Vnet -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Location $locName -AddressPrefix 10.0.0.0/16 -Subnet $exSubnet -DNSServer 10.0.0.4
$rule1 = New-AzureRMNetworkSecurityRuleConfig -Name "RDPTraffic" -Description "Allow RDP to all VMs on the subnet" -Access Allow -Protocol Tcp -Direction Inbound -Priority 100 -SourceAddressPrefix Internet -SourcePortRange * -DestinationAddressPrefix * -DestinationPortRange 3389
$rule2 = New-AzureRMNetworkSecurityRuleConfig -Name "ExchangeSecureWebTraffic" -Description "Allow HTTPS to the Exchange server" -Access Allow -Protocol Tcp -Direction Inbound -Priority 101 -SourceAddressPrefix Internet -SourcePortRange * -DestinationAddressPrefix "10.0.0.5/32" -DestinationPortRange 443
New-AzureRMNetworkSecurityGroup -Name EX2016Subnet -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Location $locShortName -SecurityRules $rule1, $rule2
$vnet=Get-AzureRMVirtualNetwork -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Name EX2016Vnet
$nsg=Get-AzureRMNetworkSecurityGroup -Name EX2016Subnet -ResourceGroupName $rgName
Set-AzureRMVirtualNetworkSubnetConfig -VirtualNetwork $vnet -Name EX2016Subnet -AddressPrefix "10.0.0.0/24" -NetworkSecurityGroup $nsg

Next, we create the adVM virtual machine in Azure. adVM is a domain controller for the corp.contoso.com Windows Server AD domain and a DNS server for the virtual machines of the EX2016Vnet virtual network.
First, fill in the name of your resource group, Azure location, and storage account name and run these commands at the Azure PowerShell command prompt on your local computer to create an Azure virtual machine for adVM.

$rgName=""
$locName=""

# Get the Azure storage account name
$sa=Get-AzureRMStorageaccount | where {$_.ResourceGroupName -eq $rgName}
$saName=$sa.StorageAccountName

# Create an availability set for domain controller virtual machines
New-AzureRMAvailabilitySet -Name dcAvailabilitySet -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Location $locName

# Create the domain controller virtual machine
$vnet=Get-AzureRMVirtualNetwork -Name EX2016Vnet -ResourceGroupName $rgName
$pip = New-AzureRMPublicIpAddress -Name adVM-NIC -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Location $locName -AllocationMethod Dynamic
$nic = New-AzureRMNetworkInterface -Name adVM-NIC -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Location $locName -SubnetId $vnet.Subnets[0].Id -PublicIpAddressId $pip.Id -PrivateIpAddress 10.0.0.4

$avSet=Get-AzureRMAvailabilitySet -Name dcAvailabilitySet -ResourceGroupName $rgName 
$vm=New-AzureRMVMConfig -VMName adVM -VMSize Standard_D1_v2 -AvailabilitySetId $avSet.Id

$storageAcc=Get-AzureRMStorageAccount -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Name $saName
$vhdURI=$storageAcc.PrimaryEndpoints.Blob.ToString() + "vhds/adVM-EX2016Vnet-ADDSDisk.vhd"
Add-AzureRMVMDataDisk -VM $vm -Name ADDS-Data -DiskSizeInGB 20 -VhdUri $vhdURI  -CreateOption empty
$cred=Get-Credential -Message "Type the name and password of the local administrator account for adVM."

$vm=Set-AzureRMVMOperatingSystem -VM $vm -Windows -ComputerName adVM -Credential $cred -ProvisionVMAgent -EnableAutoUpdate
$vm=Set-AzureRMVMSourceImage -VM $vm -PublisherName MicrosoftWindowsServer -Offer WindowsServer -Skus 2012-R2-Datacenter -Version "latest"
$vm=Add-AzureRMVMNetworkInterface -VM $vm -Id $nic.Id
$osDiskUri=$storageAcc.PrimaryEndpoints.Blob.ToString() + "vhds/adVM-EX2016Vnet-OSDisk.vhd"
$vm=Set-AzureRMVMOSDisk -VM $vm -Name adVM-EX2016Vnet-OSDisk -VhdUri $osDiskUri -CreateOption fromImage
New-AzureRMVM -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Location $locName -VM $vm

We will be prompted for a user name and password. This article will refer to this user name as ADMIN_NAME. Use a strong password and record both in a secure location.

Note: It can take a few minutes for Azure to build the virtual machine.

Connect to the domain controller virtual machine using local administrator account credentials

  1. In the Azure portal, click Resource Groups > <your resource group name> > adVM > Connect.
  2. Run the adVM.rdp file that is downloaded, and then click Connect.
  3. In Windows Security, click Use another account. In User name, type adVM\<ADMIN_NAME>.
  4. In Password, type the password of the ADMIN_NAME account, and then click OK.
  5. When prompted, click Yes.

Add an extra data disk as a new volume with the drive letter F:

  1. From the adVM desktop, in the left pane of Server Manager, click File and Storage Services, and then click Disks.
  2. In the contents pane, in the Disks group, click disk 2 (with the Partition set to Unknown).
  3. Click Tasks, and then click New Volume.
  4. On the Before you begin page of the New Volume Wizard, click Next.
  5. On the Select the server and disk page, click Disk 2, and then click Next. When prompted, click OK.
  6. On the Specify the size of the volume page, click Next.
  7. On the Assign to a drive letter or folder page, click Next.
  8. On the Select file system settings page, click Next.
  9. On the Confirm selections page, click Create.
  10. When complete, click Close.

Next, configure adVM as a domain controller and DNS server for the corp.contoso.com domain. Run these commands at an administrator-level Windows PowerShell command prompt on adVM.

Install-WindowsFeature AD-Domain-Services -IncludeManagementTools
Install-ADDSForest -DomainName corp.contoso.com -DatabasePath "F:\NTDS" -SysvolPath "F:\SYSVOL" -LogPath "F:\Logs"

After adVM restarts, reconnect to the adVM virtual machine.

Connect to the domain controller virtual machine using domain credentials

  1. In the Azure portal, click Resource Groups > <the name of your new resource group> > adVM > Connect.
  2. Run the adVM.rdp file that is downloaded, and then click Connect.
  3. In Windows Security, click Use another account. In User name, type CORP\<ADMIN_NAME>.
  4. In Password, type the password of the ADMIN_NAME account, and then click OK.
  5. When prompted, click Yes.

From the desktop, open an administrator-level Windows PowerShell command prompt and run the following command:

Add-WindowsFeature RSAT-ADDS-Tools

Here is the result of Phase 1.
result-1

Phase 2: Create the Exchange 2016 virtual machine
In this phase, we create an Exchange 2016 virtual machine in the EX2016VNet virtual network and make it a member of the CORP domain.
To create the Exchange 2016 virtual machine with Azure PowerShell, we need to log in to Azure with your Azure account from the Windows PowerShell command prompt (if needed).

Login-AzureRmAccount

We must determine a globally unique DNS name for the exVM virtual machine. We can do this with the following PowerShell commands:

$vmDNSName=""
$locShortName=""
Test-AzureRmDnsAvailability -DomainQualifiedName $vmDNSName -Location $locShortName

If we see “True”, our proposed name is globally unique.
Next, fill in the variable values and run the resulting block at the PowerShell prompt.

# Set up key variables
$subscrName=""
$rgName=""
$locName=""
$vmDNSName="<unique, public DNS name for the Exchange server>"

# Set the Azure subscription
Get-AzureRmSubscription -SubscriptionName $subscrName | Select-AzureRmSubscription

# Get the Azure storage account name
$sa=Get-AzureRMStorageaccount | where {$_.ResourceGroupName -eq $rgName}
$saName=$sa.StorageAccountName

# Create an availability set for Exchange virtual machines
New-AzureRMAvailabilitySet -Name exAvailabilitySet -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Location $locName

# Specify the virtual machine name and size
$vmName="exVM"
$vmSize="Standard_D3_v2"
$vnet=Get-AzureRMVirtualNetwork -Name "EX2016Vnet" -ResourceGroupName $rgName
$avSet=Get-AzureRMAvailabilitySet -Name exAvailabilitySet -ResourceGroupName $rgName 
$vm=New-AzureRMVMConfig -VMName $vmName -VMSize $vmSize -AvailabilitySetId $avSet.Id

# Create the NIC for the virtual machine
$nicName=$vmName + "-NIC"
$pipName=$vmName + "-PublicIP"
$pip=New-AzureRMPublicIpAddress -Name $pipName -ResourceGroupName $rgName -DomainNameLabel $vmDNSName -Location $locName -AllocationMethod Dynamic
$nic=New-AzureRMNetworkInterface -Name $nicName -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Location $locName -SubnetId $vnet.Subnets[0].Id -PublicIpAddressId $pip.Id -PrivateIpAddress "10.0.0.5"

# Specify the image and local administrator account, and then add the NIC
$cred=Get-Credential -Message "Type the name and password of the local administrator account for exVM."
$vm=Set-AzureRMVMOperatingSystem -VM $vm -Windows -ComputerName $vmName -Credential $cred -ProvisionVMAgent -EnableAutoUpdate
$vm=Set-AzureRMVMSourceImage -VM $vm -PublisherName MicrosoftWindowsServer -Offer WindowsServer -Skus 2012-R2-Datacenter -Version "latest"
$vm=Add-AzureRMVMNetworkInterface -VM $vm -Id $nic.Id

# Specify the OS disk name and create the VM
$diskName="OSDisk"
$storageAcc=Get-AzureRMStorageAccount -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Name $saName
$osDiskUri=$storageAcc.PrimaryEndpoints.Blob.ToString() + "vhds/" + $vmName + $diskName  + ".vhd"
$vm=Set-AzureRMVMOSDisk -VM $vm -Name $diskName -VhdUri $osDiskUri -CreateOption fromImage
New-AzureRMVM -ResourceGroupName $rgName -Location $locName -VM $vm

From the Azure portal, connect to the exVM virtual machine using the credentials of the local administrator account.
Next, join exVM to the Windows AD domain with these commands at a Windows PowerShell prompt.

Add-Computer -DomainName "corp.contoso.com"
Restart-Computer

Note that we must supply domain account credentials after entering the Add-Computer command. Use the CORP\ account and password.

Here is the result of Phase 2.
result-2

Phase 3: Configure Exchange 2016

In this phase, you configure Exchange 2016 on exVM and test mail delivery between two mailboxes.

Prepare Windows Server AD

  1. At the PowerShell command prompt on your local computer, run the following commands: 
    $pip = Get-AzureRMPublicIpaddress -Name "exVM-PublicIP" -ResourceGroup $rgName
$pip.DnsSettings.Fqdn
  2. Note or copy the full DNS name from the display of the last command. This is the Internet DNS name of the exVM virtual machine. You will need this value later.
  3. If needed, connect to the adVM virtual machine with the Azure portal using the CORP\<ADMIN_NAME> account and password.
  4. From the Start screen of adVM, type Active Directory, and then click Active Directory Domains and Trusts.
  5. Right-click Active Directory Domains and Trusts, and then click Properties.
  6. In Alternative UPN suffixes, type or copy the Internet DNS name of the exVM virtual machine from step 2, click Add, and then click OK.
  7. Close the remote desktop session with adVM.

Install Exchange 2016

  1. Connect to the exVM virtual machine with the Azure portal using the CORP\<ADMIN_NAME> account and password.
  2. From exVM, open an administrator-level Windows PowerShell command prompt and run the following commands. 
    Install-WindowsFeature AS-HTTP-Activation, Desktop-Experience, NET-Framework-45-Features, RPC-over-HTTP-proxy, RSAT-Clustering, RSAT-Clustering-CmdInterface, RSAT-Clustering-Mgmt, RSAT-Clustering-PowerShell, Web-Mgmt-Console, WAS-Process-Model, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Basic-Auth, Web-Client-Auth, Web-Digest-Auth, Web-Dir-Browsing, Web-Dyn-Compression, Web-Http-Errors, Web-Http-Logging, Web-Http-Redirect, Web-Http-Tracing, Web-ISAPI-Ext, Web-ISAPI-Filter, Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console, Web-Metabase, Web-Mgmt-Console, Web-Mgmt-Service, Web-Net-Ext45, Web-Request-Monitor, Web-Server, Web-Stat-Compression, Web-Static-Content, Web-Windows-Auth, Web-WMI, Windows-Identity-Foundation, RSAT-ADDS-Tools,
Restart-Computer
  3. Connect to the exVM virtual machine with the Azure portal using the CORP\<ADMIN_NAME> account and password.
  4. From Server Manager, click Local Server. In the Properties for exVM, click On for IE Enhanced Security Configuration. In Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration, click Off for both Administrators and Users, and then click OK.
  5. From the Start screen, click Internet Explorer, and then download the Unified Communications Managed API 4.0 Runtime from https://www.microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?id=34992. When prompted, click Run.
  6. When prompted with the Microsoft Unified Communications Managed API 4.0, Runtime Setup, click Next.
  7. Click I have read and accepts the license terms, and then click Install. On the Installation is Complete page, click Finish.
  8. From Internet Explorer, download the latest version of Exchange 2016 at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=747753.
  9. Click Save to store the ISO file in the Downloads folder.
  10. Click Open Folder, right-click the Exchange ISO file, and then click Mount.
  11. From an administrator-level Windows PowerShell command prompt on exVM, run the following: 
    e:\setup.exe /mode:Install /role:Mailbox /OrganizationName:Contoso /IacceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms
Restart-Computer

Wait until Exchange setup completes, which can take some time, and exVM restarts.

Add two mailboxes to the Exchange server

  1. Connect to the exVM virtual machine with the Azure portal using the CORP\<ADMIN_NAME> account and password.
  2. From the Start screen, type Exchange, and then click Exchange Management Shell.
  3. Copy the following commands to Notepad, insert the Internet DNS name of the exVM virtual machine for the $dnsName variable, and then copy and paste the resulting commands into the Exchange Management Shell. 
    $dnsName=""
$user1Name="Vasya@" + $dnsName
$user2Name="janice@" + $dnsName
$db=Get-MailboxDatabase
$dbName=$db.Name
$password = Read-Host "Enter password" -AsSecureString
  4. Record the password specified in a safe place. Next, run these commands to create two mailboxes. 
    New-Mailbox -UserPrincipalName $user1Name -Alias Vasya -Database $dbName -Name VasyaPupkin -OrganizationalUnit Users -Password $password -FirstName Vasya -LastName Pupkin -DisplayName "Vasya Pupkin"
New-Mailbox -UserPrincipalName $user2Name -Alias janice -Database $dbName -Name janiceViraide -OrganizationalUnit Users -Password $password -FirstName janice -LastName Viraide -DisplayName "janice Viraide"

Test email delivery between mailboxes

  1. From the browser on our local computer, access the website https://<Internet DNS name of the exVM virtual machine>/owa. When prompted with an error page for the website’s security certificate, click Continue to this website. On the Outlook sign-in page, use the corp\vasya account name with its password.
  2. When prompted to specify the language and time zone, select the appropriate value for each, and then click Save.
  3. From Vasya Pupkin’s inbox, click New. In To, type janice and then click Search Directory. For Subject, type Test message, and then click Send.
  4. Click the user icon in the upper right part of the Mail web page, and then click Sign out.
  5. On the Outlook sign-in page, use the corp\janice account name with its password. When prompted to specify the language and time zone, select the appropriate value for each, and then click Save.
  6. Verify that the inbox contains the test message from Vasya Pupkin. Click it, then click Reply all. In the body of the message, type Replied, and then click Send.
  7. Click the user icon in the upper right part of the Mail web page, and then click Sign out.
  8. On the Outlook sign-in page, use the corp\Vasya account name with its password. Verify that the reply email message sent from janice is in the inbox.

We are now ready to test Exchange 2016 features or applications!

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