In this topic you will deploy the Hosting Platform components of Microsoft Provisioning System (MPS). These components are not technically MPS core components; however, these are required in order to provision the Microsoft Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration services, such as Hosted Exchange and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services Hosting.

Tasks

  1. Deploy the Hosting Platform
  2. Add the Provtest.exe Utility to the System Path
  3. (Optional) Install the MPF Resource Kit
  4. Deploy and Initialize Hosted Active Directory namespace
  5. Move MPSSQL01 into the SQL OU
  6. Move MPS01 and MPS02 into the Provisioning Backend Servers OU

Deploy the Hosting Platform

In this procedure you will deploy all the components under the Hosting Platform, choose an appropriate organizational unit (OU) and initialize Active Directory for Hosting, install and initialize the Plan Manager Database, and configure security on the Managed Helpers namespace.

Procedure W08-DWSPV.34: To deploy the Hosting Platform

  1. In the MPS Deployment Tool, in the Requirements Status pane, expand Hosted Platform, and then expand Hosted Plans Database.

  2. Right-click Initialize Managed Plans Database, and then click Set procedure parameters.

  3. When prompted for the SQL Server Instance Name, type the name of the SQL Server instance MPSSQLVS01.

  4. Expand Plan Manager Database, right-click Server not assigned, click Install on Server, and then select MPSSQL01.

  5. Under Plan Manager Database, right-click MPSSQL01, and then select Select SQL instance.

  6. In the Select SQL Server dialog box, type the name of the SQL Server Failover instance MPSSQLVS01.

  7. In the MPS Deployment Tool, in the Requirements Status pane, expand Hosting Platform, and then expand Initialize Default Services.

  8. Right-click Initialize Active Directory for Hosting, and then select Set procedure parameters.

  9. When prompted for the name of the hosting organization, accept the default, Hosting.

  10. In the Requirements Status pane, right-click Hosting Platform, and then select Install all in this group.

  11. Click Start Deployment to start the installation of the Hosting Platform Service components.

  12. Monitor the deployment session on the Install Details tab.

Add the Provtest.exe Utility to the System Path

In this procedure you add Microsoft Provisioning Tools directory to the system path. This lets you run Provtest from any location. Provtest.exe is a command-line utility that allows you to submit XML provisioning requests to MPS. You will use this tool throughout the rest of the Deployment Walkthrough to perform certain provisioning tasks.

Procedure W08-DWSPV.35: To add the Provtest.exe utility to the system path

  1. On MPS01, select System from Control Panel.

  2. Edit the Path system environment variable. Place your cursor at the end of the Variable Value field, and then type the following text: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Provisioning\Tools.

(Optional) Install the MPF Resource Kit

In this procedure you will install the MPF Resource Kit, which installs a troubleshooting utility called TraceView. This utility is useful in troubleshooting MPS-related errors.

Procedure W08-DWSPV.36: To install the MPF Resource Kit

  1. On MPS01, browse to the MSIShare folder (typically, C:\MSIShare).

  2. Run MPFReskit.msi and perform a typical installation of the MPF Resource Kit.

Deploy and Initialize Hosted Active Directory

In this procedure you will deploy and initialize the Hosted Active Directory namespace using the MPS Deployment Tool.

Procedure W08-DWSPV.37: To deploy and initialize Hosted Active Directory

  1. In the MPS Deployment Tool, in the Requirements Status pane, right-click Hosted Active Directory, and then click Install all in this group.

  2. Click Start Deployment to start the installation of the Hosting Platform Service Components.

  3. Monitor the deployment session on the Install Details tab.

Move MPSSQL01 into the SQL OU

Move the MPSSQL cluster nodes into the SQL OU. The MPSSQL cluster nodes consist of MPSSQL01 and MPSSQL02.

Procedure W08-DWSPV.38: To move the MPS SQL Cluster Nodes into the SQL OU

  1. Log on to AD01 using an account that is a member of the Domain Administrators group.

  2. Open Active Directory Users and Computers and navigate to Computers.

  3. Move MPSSQL01 and MPSSQL02 to the SQL OU (under Servers\Infrastructure).

Move MPS01 and MPS02 into the Provisioning Backend Servers OU

Next, move the provisioning servers into the Provisioning Backend Servers OU.

Procedure W08-DWSPV.39: To move MPS01 and MPS02 into the Provisioning Backend Servers OU

  1. Log on to AD01 using an account that is a member of the Domain Administrators group.

  2. Open Active Directory Users and Computers and navigate to Computers.

  3. Move MPS01 and MPS02 to the Provisioning Backend Servers OU (under Servers\Infrastructure).