Instant Messaging

Setting Up a Pilot Deployment

Use the following steps to set up a simple deployment of Instant Messaging for reviewing or testing, prior to a production installation. These steps do not require setting up any Domain Name System (DNS) records or planning complex topologies. Use just one machine as an Instant Messaging home server that also performs routing functions.

These setup steps are included here:

  1. Install Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server
  2. Create a Home Server
  3. Give Users Access to the Service
  4. Install the Client Software and Log On to the Instant Messaging Home Server

Tip   Print out this procedure to have it in front of you as you complete each of these steps.

Before you install Instant Messaging

Before you install Instant Messaging Service, you must install the following software on each server:

Step One: Install Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server

Install Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server. When you run Exchange Server Setup, select Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Exchange System Management Tools, and Microsoft Exchange Instant Messaging Services in the Component Selection screen.

Note   You must have Microsoft Exchange Messaging and Collaboration Services installed on at least one server in the organization.

Step Two: Create a Home Server

Instant Messaging home servers host Instant Messaging user accounts and communicate directly with clients to send and deliver instant messages and presence information.

  1. Start System Manager
    On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, and then click System Manager.
  2. Navigate to the Protocols folder of the physical server on which you want to create the Instant Messaging home server.

    Servers

    1. Server_name
    2. Protocols
  3. Right-click Instant Messaging (RVP), click New, and then click Instant Messaging Virtual Server. This starts New Instant Messaging Virtual Server Wizard.
  4. As you step through the wizard, provide the following information:
  5. DNS domain name should display the domain name to which the home server will respond. Use the default domain name.

    If the home server also performs routing functions (a one-machine installation for a small business that has Instant Messaging connectivity to the Internet), change the default domain name to the Instant Messaging domain name (for example, im.microsoft.com). For other situations that require changing the domain name, you may need to first create a new IIS virtual server and specify the new domain name as the host header name of that virtual server. For more information, see the IIS online documentation.

    Tip   For this initial installation, accept the default entries for DNS domain name and Port. By default, the DNS domain name matches the fully qualified domain name of the computer; for example, yourcomputer.contoso.com.

  6. Select Allow this server to host user accounts, and then click Next.
  7. Click Finish to complete the wizard.

Note   If the DNS domain name used in step 4 is not DNS-resolvable (if you created an IIS virtual server with a new domain name), you need to create the necessary DNS resource records, including a host address (A) record for the home server, to ensure that the domain name is resolvable by DNS.

Step Three: Give Users Access to the Service

To give a user access to Instant Messaging Service, you assign the user to an Instant Messaging home server.

  1. Start Active Directory Users and Computers
    On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
  2. In the console tree, open the Windows 2000 domain, and then click Users.
  3. You may already have Windows 2000 user accounts created. However, if you need to create new accounts, do so now for each Instant Messaging user. When creating each account, if Create an Exchange mailbox is checked, the Instant Messaging user will have an Exchange mailbox. (To authenticate users, Instant Messaging uses the same password as Windows 2000 Server. An Exchange mailbox is not required to use Instant Messaging.)

    Tip  Complete these steps to create two users for this initial installation:

    Repeat these steps to create User2.

    Important   If you are using Digest authentication and you did not set the password policy before creating these accounts, you must now reset the users' passwords. Instant Messaging Service is unavailable to users until their passwords are changed. You reset user passwords from the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. For specific instructions, refer to the Windows 2000 online documentation. (This step is not necessary if you are using Integrated Windows authentication.)

  4. In the details pane, right-click a user name, and then click Exchange Tasks.
  5. In Exchange Tasks, click Enable Instant Messaging, and then click Next.
  6. Next to Instant Messaging Home Server, click Browse.
  7. In Select Instant Messaging Server, in the Server name column, select a home server. Click OK.
  8. If you have not yet configured an SRV resource record, choose an Instant Messaging Domain for this user from the drop-down list. Then click Next.
  9. Note   If you have already configured an SRV resource record (recommended for production deployments, but not necessary for test or pilot deployments), you can ignore the Instant Messaging Domain selection. When a user has a valid e-mail address already configured, Instant Messaging Service performs a DNS SRV query to determine the user's Instant Messaging domain.

  10. Review the Task Summary and note the Instant Messaging address for this user (someone@microsoft.com, or someone@im.microsoft.com). This is the address the user needs to log on to Instant Messaging Service. Then click Finish.

Note   If, before starting this process, you configured an SRV resource record, and the user was already assigned a primary e-mail address with a domain matching the DNS zone for the SRV record, the Instant Messaging address for this user will be the same as the primary SMTP address, username@e-mail_domain. This is recommended, particularly for production environments.

If you did not configure an SRV record, the Instant Messaging address for this user will take the form: username@Instant_Messaging_Domain (the domain you selected in step 8). This is acceptable for tests or pilot deployments.

Step Four: Install the Client Software and Log On to the Instant Messaging Home Server

Before you complete these steps, make sure that you have Internet Explorer 5.0 installed on your computer.

  1. Locate the \Instmsg\I386\Client directory on the Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server CD.
  2. Start Mmssetup.exe to install the client program.
  3. Enter the User1 credentials into the First Time Wizard:
  4. Click Next.
  5. Select the Do not connect to Internet-based services at this time - Use Exchange only check box.
  6. Click Next, and then click Finish.
  7. Repeat the previous four steps for User2.
  8. Note   For testing purposes, you may want to install the User2 client software on another computer that is connected to the Yourcomputer network.

Tip   You can use the Instant Messaging client to log on to MSN Messenger Service and send instant messages to your MSN Hotmail contacts.

Related Topics

Set the Password Policy Set Up the Service Distribute the Client Software