So you have a new exchange server? Let’s start by first installing the Exchange Server and making it a Mailbox Role. Let’s start by opening the command prompt as an Administrator. Type in the following after CD to the directory of the setup file of the Exchange Server 2019 DVD ISO. <example – D:\setup.exe>
setup.exe /m:install /r:mb /iacceptexchangeserverlicenseterms /domaincontroller:DC01.domain.com
/m is the mode and we are choosing “Install”, but this can also be “upgrade”, as well as other options available.
/r is the role. This is a mailbox server, hence “MB”.
/iacceptexchangeserverlicenseterms is the acceptance of the EULA and the signal to the setup to make this an unattended install.
/domaincontroller is a switch that is optional, but I recommend it because when you have multiple DC’s it will choose whatever one it wants. It may choose one that doesn’t exist or have up to date data.
#### POST INSTALLATION ####
When Exchange Server 2019 is first installed, it is set to a 180 day free trial period. When performing the following cmdlet, you’ll see that it is indeed, a trial version.
### Validate the trial version? ###
get-exchangeserver <servername> | select ProductID, IsExchangeTrialEdition, IsExpiredExchangeTrialEdition, MailboxProvisioningAttributes, RemainingTrialPeriod
ProductID :
IsExchangeTrialEdition : True
IsExpiredExchangeTrialEdition : False
MailboxProvisioningAttributes :
RemainingTrialPeriod : 179.02:16:23.6870454
So, on the exchange server, run the below command to set the product key.
Set-ExchangeServer <servername> -ProductKey <12345-12345-12345-12345-12345>
Then restart the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service.
$Svrs = “<servername>”, “<servername>” #### if there are multiple servers, use this. ####
Get-Service -ComputerName $Svrs -Include MSExchangeIS | Restart-Service
#### If there is one server, use this. ####
Get-Service -ComputerName <servername> -Include MSExchangeIS | Restart-Service
####validate whether the productkey worked####
get-exchangeserver <servername> | select ProductID, IsExchangeTrialEdition, IsExpiredExchangeTrialEdition, MailboxProvisioningAttributes, RemainingTrialPeriod
This will give an output of:
ProductID : 00000-00000-00000-00000 #### this will be a different number for each server you activate, even if using the same ProductKey ####
IsExchangeTrialEdition : False
IsExpiredExchangeTrialEdition : False
MailboxProvisioningAttributes :
RemainingTrialPeriod : 00:00:00 #### This should now be 0 to show that the timer is no longer being used ####