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I am trying to instal the 2019 Exchange Server previously it wasn't allowing the instal because of the forest level being 2008.

Error: You must use an account that's a member of the Organization Management role group to install or upgrade the first Client Access server role in the topology. For more information, visit: http://technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.DelegatedClientAccessFirstInstall.aspx

Error: Setup encountered a problem while validating the state of Active Directory: Active Directory server is not available. Error message: Active directory response: The LDAP server is unavailable. See the Exchange setup log for more information on this error. For more information, visit: http://technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.AdInitErrorRule.aspx

Error: Either Active Directory doesn't exist, or it can't be contacted. For more information, visit: http://technet.microsoft.com/library(EXCHG.150)/ms.exch.setupreadiness.CannotAccessAD.aspx

Michael Downey
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  • What DNS server is the Exchange server using? Do the appropriate A and SRV records exist in the AD DNS zone? – joeqwerty Mar 04 '19 at 01:02
  • I don't know I am trying to instal the server – Michael Downey Mar 04 '19 at 01:38
  • Do you mean that you had a 2008R2 and 2016 DC before, and remove the 2008R2 DC, install Exchange 2019? Please check the Exchange 2019 DNS server is pointing 2016DC, and also check the forest level in 2016DC. (`Get-ADForest | fl Name,ForestMode`) – Shaw Lu Mar 04 '19 at 02:17
  • Server 1 was a Domain Controller and 2008R2. Server 2 is a Domain Controller and 2016. Server 3 is 2019 and was trying to instal Exchange 2019 on it – Michael Downey Mar 04 '19 at 02:25
  • How did you remove the old server - did you demote it properly and successfully? Have you verified that the service records for the old DC are gone from DNS? – Rob Moir Mar 04 '19 at 06:49
  • Using DCPROMO /FORCEREMOVAL after failing to get it to demote any other way – Michael Downey Mar 04 '19 at 07:18

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Active Directory should be at least Windows 2012R2 function level (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/Exchange/plan-and-deploy/system-requirements?view=exchserver-2019#network-and-directory-servers) which means that you need:

  1. To make sure that replication on AD works properly
  2. Demote and remove 2008R2 AD server from the domain (before doing this, make sure that replication to Windows 2016 on AD level is configured!!)
  3. Upgrade function level on your AD to 2016 server (https://support.microsoft.com/en-hk/help/322692/how-to-raise-active-directory-domain-and-forest-functional-levels)
  4. And now you will be allowed to install the Exchange 2019. Also, you need to use the account which is: a) domain admin b) schema admin c) enterprise admin

If you have removed Windows 2008R2 AD server from the domain, you need to demote it forcefully.

P.Pauls
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