GGG

Microsoft Exchange
Installing Cumulative Updates
on Exchange 2013

1 |Page

Table of Contents
1.0 System Support Steps............................................................................................. 3
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6

Prerequisites.....................................................................................3
Prepare Active Directory....................................................................5
Putting Exchange Servers into Maintenance Mode...............................6
Installing Cumulative Updates............................................................7
Taking the server out of maintenance mode........................................8
Post Update Tasks.............................................................................9

2 |Page

1.0 System Support Steps

This process is to be followed when Installing Cumulative Updates on Exchange 2013
Servers
Install the updates to all Exchange servers over 2 weeks
Both Silverwater servers in week 1
Both Belrose servers in week 2

1.1 Prerequisites
Before completing these activities ensure
Complete

Task Description

Download the CU or
Service Pack setup file
from the Microsoft
Download Center and
extract it to a folder on
each server
Read and review the
release notes
Take a backup of Active
Directory
Take a backup of your
existing Exchange 2013
servers and databases
Have documented any
customisations such as

OWA

Config files on
servers

Registry changes

Lync integration

3 |Page

Third party add-ons

MoveActiveMailboxDatabase
-server %activeserver
% -ActivateOnServer
%servertomoveto%
Run GetMailboxDatabaseCopy
Status

Note: When the

databases are first
moved the
ContextIndexState
may appear as failed

Run the GetMailboxDatabaseCopy

Status command again
after a few minutes,
and the
ContextIndexState
should appear as
Healthy

4 |Page

1.2 Prepare Active Directory

You may be required to prepare Active Directory before installing the latest Cumulative
Updates.
Check the Release Notes, and follow the below steps to prepare AD if required.
Complete

Task Description

Retrieve the existing Schema

Version
Set the Execution policy for
PowerShell to Unrestricted
Run DCDIAG
Run Repadmin /syncall (With
elevated privileges)
Run setup.exe
/PrepareSchema
/IAcceptExchangeServerLicen
seTerms
NOTE: Needs to be done as an
Enterprise Admin and Schema
Admin)
Must be performed in the
same AD Site as the Schema
Master, on a server with
RSATADDS-Tools feature
installed (The Schema Master
would meet these
requirements)
Run setup.exe /PrepareAD
/IAcceptExchangeServerLicen
seTerms
Run setup.exe
/PrepareDomain
/IAcceptExchangeServerLicen
seTerms
Retrieve the new Schema
Version and compare with the
previous version to confirm
that the changes have been
5 |Page

applied.

6 |Page

1.3 Putting Exchange Servers into Maintenance Mode

Follow these steps to put an Exchange 2013 Server into maintenance mode
Description

Illustration

Launch Exchange
Management Shell as
Administrator

Drain messaging queues

Redirect messages to
another server

Set-ServerComponentState %servername%
-Component HubTransport State Draining
Requester Maintenance
Redirect-Message Server %ServerName% -Target
%serverName%.gwf.com.au
Confirm Y and press Enter

Run the following

command

CD C:\Temp\EXtest
Start-ExchangeServerMaintenanceMode.ps1 -Server
<ServerName> -TargetServer <TargetServerFQDN>

7 |Page

Description

Illustration
Get-DatabaseAvailabilityGroup status | FL

Check if a server is in
maintenance mode

Any servers in Maintenance Mode will be visible in

the ServersInMaintenance attribute. Picture above
shows no servers in maintenance mode.

1.4

Installing Cumulative Updates

Follow these steps below to install the cumulative update

Description

Illustration

On the Exchange Server

extract the cumulative update
In an elevated command
prompt run the following
command from the location
where you extracted the
cumulative update files.

Setup /m:upgrade
/IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

Note: this can be a lengthy

process so allow enough time
to complete the upgrade.
Reboot the server

8 |Page

1.5 Taking the server out of maintenance mode

Follow these steps below to take the server out of maintenance mode
Description

Illustration

Launce Exchange
Management Shell as
Administrator

CD C:\Temp\EXtest
Run the following command

Stop-ExchangeServerMaintenanceMode.ps1 -Server
<ServerName>

9 |Page

1.6 Post Update Tasks

Follow these steps below after the update has completed and the server has rebooted
Description

Illustration

Check the database copy

status

Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus
Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus server
%servername% | fl name,activationsuspended

Check for databases

suspended from auto
activation
ActivationSuspended should
be false on all databases

Unsuspend databases from

auto activation (If Required)

Resume-MailboxDatabaseCopy -Identity
DB01\%servername%

Needs to be done for each

database which has
ActivationSuspended : True

[PS] D:\>cd 'D:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange

Server\V15\Scripts'
Rebalance the Database
Availability Group

[PS] D:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange

Server\V15\Scripts>.\RedistributeActiveDatabases.p
s1 -DagName gwfdag1
-BalanceDbsByActivationPreference
-ShowFinalDatabaseDistribution

Restore Customisations

Cd\
Verify the Server Health

Cd temp\extest
.\alltest.ps1

Check the cluster nodes are

all up
Test service health
Test MAPI connectivity to
each database

Get-ClusterNode
Test-ServiceHealth
Test-MAPIConnectivity

10 |Page

Description

Illustration

Test replication health

Test-ReplicationHealth

Verify that each Mailbox

server that is in a DAG has
the correct database
activation policy for your
environment.
Check server component
status to verify that you have
not left any servers in
maintenance mode.

Get-ServerComponent

Set the Execution policy for

PowerShell to previous values

11 |Page