Upgrading Exchange Server Cumulative Update.

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Cumulative updates and Service Packs should be installed in the internet-facing site first, before installing in other sites in the organization.

  • The first servers to be updated in a site are the Mailbox servers.
  • The Client Access servers are updated second.
  • Edge Transport servers can be updated last.


The steps for installing cumulative updates and service packs on Exchange 2013 are:

1. Preparation procedures:
  • Take full backup of Active Directory.
  • Take full backup of Exchange servers and all exchange databases.
  • Download the latest Cumulative update (CU) from the official Microsoft wesite itself, not from any other site.
  • Take a backup of any customization such as OWA, config files on servers, registry changes, Lync integration, or third party add-ons.
  • Verify that exchange SSL certificate is not expired.
  • Disable Anti-virus application.
  • Disable any 3rd party e-mail scanning application.

 

2. Upgrading Mailbox Servers:

If Mailbox server is a single server, not part of Database Availability Group (DAG):

  • Drain active mail queue on the mail server:
Set-ServerComponentState <ServerName> -Component HubTransport -State Draining -Requester Maintenance

i.e. to make it take the effect immediately, run the command:
if Mailbox server is single-role (MBX only)

Restart-Service MSExchangeTransport

if Mailbox server is a multi-roles (MBX & CAS)

Restart-Service MSExchangeTransport
Restart-Service MSExchangeFrontEndTransport
  • Redirect all pending emails from local queue to another mailbox server:
Redirect-Message -Server <ServerName> -Target <MailboxServerFQDN>
Confirm
Are you sure you want to perform this action?
Redirecting messages to .
[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [?] Help (default is "Y"):Y
  • Put the server in maintenance mode:
Set-ServerComponentState <ServerName> -Component ServerWideOffline -State Inactive -Requester Maintenance

If Mailbox server is a a part of Database Availability Group (DAG):

  • Drain active mail queue on the mail server:
Set-ServerComponentState <ServerName> -Component HubTransport -State Draining -Requester Maintenance

i.e. to make it take the effect immediately, run the command:
if Mailbox server is single-role (MBX only)

Restart-Service MSExchangeTransport

if Mailbox server is a multi-roles (MBX & CAS)

Restart-Service MSExchangeTransport
Restart-Service MSExchangeFrontEndTransport
  • Redirect all pending emails from local queue to another mailbox server:
Redirect-Message -Server <ServerName> -Target <MailboxServerFQDN>
Confirm
Are you sure you want to perform this action?
Redirecting messages to .
[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [?] Help (default is "Y"):Y
  • Pause cluster services:
Suspend-ClusterNode <ServerName>
  • Move all active databases to other DAG members:
Set-MailboxServer <ServerName> -DatabaseCopyActivationDisabledAndMoveNow $True
  • Review the existing database copy auto activation policy, so that you can return it to the same configuration after you’ve completed the upgrade:
Get-MailboxServer <ServerName> | Select DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy
DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy : Unrestricted
  • To prevent mailbox databases copies from become active on the server. If the policy is already “Blocked”, then no action is required:
Set-MailboxServer <ServerName> -DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy Blocked
  • Put server in maintenance mode:
Set-ServerComponentState <ServerName> -Component ServerWideOffline -State Inactive -Requester Maintenance
  • Run CU setup from GUI, or by using the command:
Setup /m:upgrade /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms
  • Take server out of maintenance mode:

If Mailbox server is a single server, not part of Database Availability Group (DAG):

Set-ServerComponentState <ServerName> -Component ServerWideOffline -State Active -Requester Maintenance

i.e. to make it take the effect immediately, run the command:
if Mailbox server is single-role (MBX only)

Restart-Service MSExchangeTransport

if Mailbox server is a multi-roles (MBX & CAS)

Restart-Service MSExchangeTransport
Restart-Service MSExchangeFrontEndTransport

If Mailbox server is a a part of Database Availability Group (DAG):

Set-ServerComponentState <ServerName> -Component ServerWideOffline -State Active -Requester Maintenance
Resume-ClusterNode <ServerName>
Name                               ID    State
----                                 --    -----
<ServerName>               1     Up
Set-MailboxServer <ServerName> -DatabaseCopyAutoActivationPolicy Unrestricted
Set-MailboxServer <ServerName> -DatabaseCopyActivationDisabledAndMoveNow $False
Set-ServerComponentState <ServerName> -Component HubTransport -State Active -Requester Maintenance

i.e. to make it take the effect immediately, run the command:
if Mailbox server is single-role (MBX only)

Restart-Service MSExchangeTransport

if Mailbox server is a multi-roles (MBX & CAS)

Restart-Service MSExchangeTransport
Restart-Service MSExchangeFrontEndTransport

To verify Server is out of maintenance mode:

Get-ServerComponentState <ServerName> | ft Component,State –Autosize
3. Upgrading Client Access Servers:

If Client Access Server is a single server, not part of Load Balance:

  • Prepare Active Directory:
setup.exe /PrepareSchema /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

i.e. this command requires Enterprise Admins and Schema Admins permissions, and must be performed in the same AD Site as the Schema Master on a server with the RSAT-ADDS-Tools feature installed – the Schema Master itself would meet these requirements.

setup.exe /PrepareAD /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms
setup.exe /PrepareDomain /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

i.e. you must run the last command in each domain in your forest that contains Exchange servers or mailboxes.

  • Run CU setup from GUI, or by using the command:
Setup /m:upgrade /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

If Client Access Server is a more than one server, part of Load Balance:

  • Remove Client Access Server from HLB.
  • Prepare Active Directory:
setup.exe /PrepareSchema /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

i.e. ti requires Enterprise Admins and Schema Admins permissions, and must be performed in the same AD Site as the Schema Master on a server with the RSAT-ADDS-Tools feature installed – the Schema Master itself would meet these requirements.

setup.exe /PrepareAD /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms
setup.exe /PrepareDomain /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

i.e. the last command must be run in each domain in your forest that contains Exchange servers or mailboxes.

  • Run CU setup from GUI, or by using the command:
Setup /m:upgrade /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms
  • After Installation, you must redistribute Exchange databases between all mailbox servers by run the command:
cd $exscripts
C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\scripts>.\RedistributeActiveDatabases.ps1 -DagName DAGNAME -BalanceDbsByActivationPreference
4. Restore customization:
  • Restore any any customization such as OWA, config files on servers, registry changes, Lync integration, or third party add-ons that you backed up in preperation procedure.
 5. Enable Anti-virus application.
6. Enable your e-mail scanning application.
7. Verify Server Health:
  • Check all cluster nodes and make sure that they are not suspended:
Get-ClusterNode
  • Make sure that all services are running:
Test-ServiceHealth
  • Check MAPI connectivity on all Mailbox servers:
Test-MAPIConnectivity
  • Check Database copy status on all Mailbox servers:
Get-MailboxDatabaseCopyStatus
  • Check replication health on all Mailbox servers:
Test-ReplicationHealth