Monthly Archives: December 2016

Proper DNS configuration for iPhone and Exchange Autodiscover

In order to get Autodiscover to work properly on your iPhone when doing an “Exchange” setup, you need the correct DNS records.

**note: I am assuming you already have a proper SSL cert on your email server, have the correct ports opened (80, 443m 587) and you KNOW your email server is working properly.  You’ll also need a standard MX record that points at your server.

 

Additional DNS records needed to make autodiscover work on an iPhone:

Create an SRV record with the following settings (on each domain you want autodiscover to work)

Service:  _autodiscover

Protocol: _tcp

domain: your domain (this should be prefilled under windows server when setting up the SRV record)

Priority: 0

Weight: 5

Port: 443

Target:  the mx record name for your server, for example, mail.yourdomain.com  (this MUST match the MX record name)

 

One more record needed:

Create an A record called autodiscover and point it to the same IP as your MX record IP address.

 

** at this point you are at the mercy of the public DNS servers expiring their cache and catching the new records.

 

iPhone Setup

on your iPhone, add email account, pick Exchange

type in the email address and password.  description (whatever you want here)

hit Next

At this point, one of two things may happen:

  1. you may get a server warning message.  if you do, click CONTINUE
    1. when you do that you (should) go right to the “Exchange” screen in #2 below.
  2. you may go directly to the “Exchange” screen with radio boxes for mail, contacts etc.

If you get the dreaded “server name” screen instead, this means your phone is not picking up the most current DNS settings.

Try it again later…

These settings have been tested and confirmed, so it does work – but like I said you have to wait for the DNS settings to get updated by whatever DNS server you are using.  If you have your TTL set very high (hours or a day) you may have to wait a day for this to work.

 

TEST YOUR AUTODISCOVER SETUP:

https://testconnectivity.microsoft.com

go to the above URL and run the “Outlook Autodiscover” test.

You’ll need to enter in an actual mailbox account username and password, but it will fully test your setup and verify that autodiscover is properly setup.

 

Quick Migration of Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V to Windows Server 2012 or 2016

Here are the proven and tested steps for migrating from Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2012 or 2016.  Note:  You cannot IMPORT a VM from 2008 R2 into 2012 or 2016, so you have to do the whole process manually.  That’s the reason for this post.

  1. log into the existing 2008 R2 virtual machine and note the following
    1. memory and CPU config
    2. IP addressing information (you need all the IP information, static IP’s etc.)
  2. Shut down the 2008 R2 virtual machine
  3. copy the VHD from the 2008 R2 virtual machine to the new host.
  4. On the new host open Hyper-V manager
    1. Edit disk
    2. select the VHD
    3. CONVERT to VHDX
    4. this will take a while
  5. When that completes, create a new VM
    1. DO NOT attach the hard drive.  Select “add a HD later”.  (I have seen issues with attaching the hard drive as part of the setup here, so I skip it and do it separate)
    2. Generation 1 VM
    3. set the memory and CPU configs
    4. complete the VM creation
    5. edit the VM and attach the VHDX file as IDE 0 master
  6. Using the Hyper-V remote control interface (by double clicking on a VM)
  7. Start the new VM
  8. boot into windows
  9. while on the desktop, after ~15-60 seconds you might see a “REBOOT” notification after changes are made to the OS.  If you get this notification, go ahead and reboot.  Otherwise, continue on.
  10. at this point in the Hyper-V manager, you need to double click on the VM and remotely control it through the Hyper-V manager
  11. while you are logged into the VM as administrator and at the desktop, insert the Hyper-V integration tools disc and upgrade the Hyper-V tools
  12. reboot when that completes
  13. log in again to the machine through the Hyper-V remote control interface
  14. edit the network adapter properties and set it exactly as it was before.
    1. Note:  During this whole process your OLD NIC will be hidden (because it’s gone now) and you will be given a new NIC and it will be in DHCP mode from the start.
    2. you will need to edit that new NIC and put in the correct static TCP/IP information if applicable to your setup.
    3. ALL OTHER settings (machine name, IIS, DNS, etc.) will retain fine.  Just edit the NIC and config the NIC the same way it was on the old VM

 

All done!