Updated - Verify Exchange Server Schema Version

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This article was originally posted on my personal blog here. Since I don't actively maintain it anymore, I am publishing it here.

When you run Exchange Setup to prepare schema, usually the very next question is, how do I verify schema was updated successfully? Verifying only the values of attributes as mentioned below is not a good verification of Exchange setup completion. This article is intended to only provide reference to attributes and their values.

Let’s start back at Exchange 2003 SP2.

One of the last actions setup /forestprep in Exchange 2003 is to set objectVersion attribute on Exchange organization container to a value of 6903. You can verify this using ADSIEdit and navigating to Configuration NC, Exchange organization object under services\Microsoft Exchange node.

On the other hand, when setup /domainprep is run, it sets the objectVersion attribute on Microsoft Exchange System Objects container to a value of 6936. You can verify this using ADSIEdit and navigating to Domain NC, Microsoft Exchange System Objects container.

In Exchange 2007, after successful run of Setup /PrepareSchema you will find that the attributes mentioned above are not changed! You need to verify the value of rangeUpper attribute of ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt object in Schema NC. The value should be 10637.

It is only when you run Setup /PrepareAD the objectVersion attribute of Organization container in Configuration NC is updated to a value of 10666. You will also find that objectVersion attribute on Microsoft Exchange System Objects container in Domain NC is set to a value of 10628.

You will also notice that Setup /PrepareDomain does not have any effect on these attribute values.

Let’s briefly review what does Exchange 2007 SP1, SP2 and Exchange 2010 setup update these attribute values to.

Exchange 2007 SP1

  • Value of rangeUpper attribute of ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt object in Schema NC is set to 11116 when setup /PrepareSchema is run successfully .
  • Setup /PrepareAD sets the objectVersion attribute of Organization container in Configuration NC is updated to a value of 11221. objectVersion attribute on Microsoft Exchange System Objects container in Domain NC is also set to the same value of 11221.
  • Setup /PrepareDomain does not have any effect on these attribute values.

Exchange 2007 SP2

  • Value of rangeUpper attribute of ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt object in Schema NC is set to 14622 when setup /PrepareSchema is run successfully .
  • Setup /PrepareAD sets objectVersion attribute of Organization container in Configuration NC to a value of 11222. objectVersion attribute on Microsoft Exchange System Objects container in Domain NC remains unchanged at valueof 11221.
  • Setup /PrepareDomain does not have any effect on these attribute values.

Exchange 2007 SP3

  • Value of rangeUpper attribute of ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt object in Schema NC is set to 14625 when setup /PrepareSchema is run successfully .
  • objectVersion attribute of Organization container in Configuration NC remains unchanged at a value of 11222. objectVersion attribute on Microsoft Exchange System Objects container in Domain NC remains unchanged at valueof 11221.
  • Setup /PrepareDomain does not have any effect on these attribute values.

Exchange 2010

  • Value of rangeUpper attribute of ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt object in Schema NC is not changed from 14622 when setup /PrepareSchema is run successfully .
  • Setup /PrepareAD sets objectVersion attribute of Organization container in Configuration NC to a value of 12640. objectVersion attribute on Microsoft Exchange System Objects container in Domain NC remains unchanged at valueof 12639.
  • Setup /PrepareDomain does not have any effect on these attribute values.

Exchange 2010 SP1

  • Value of rangeUpper attribute of ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt object in Schema NC is not changed from 14726 when setup /PrepareSchema is run successfully .
  • Setup /PrepareAD sets objectVersion attribute of Organization container in Configuration NC to a value of 13214. objectVersion attribute on Microsoft Exchange System Objects container in Domain NC is changed to valueof 13040.
  • Setup /PrepareDomain does not have any effect on these attribute values.

Exchange 2010 SP2

  • Value of rangeUpper attribute of ms-Exch-Schema-Version-Pt object in Schema NC is changed to 14732 when setup /PrepareSchema is run successfully .
  • Setup /PrepareAD sets objectVersion attribute of Organization container in Configuration NC to a value of 14247. objectVersion attribute on Microsoft Exchange System Objects container in Domain NC remains unchanged at valueof 13040.
  • Setup /PrepareDomain does not have any effect on these attribute values.

When reading this article, consider the fact that the lab setup I used was upgraded from Exchange 2003 schema to Exchange 2007 schema and then to Exchange 2010/SP1 schema. Service Pack 2 was tested in Exchange 2003 environment with no Exchange 2007 or Exchange 2010 Service Pack 1. This should not affect any attribute values mentioned above however I cannot guarantee since I have not tested it.