Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP3, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007
Topic Last Modified: 2007-10-29

In some cases, an administrator may want to delegate responsibility for setup and administration of a clustered mailbox server (CMS) to a subordinate administrator. In these situations, the privileged administrator typically wants to give the subordinate administrator only those rights that are necessary to perform the specific task or set of tasks, such as creating a CMS.

The release to manufacturing (RTM) version of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) support the delegation of a CMS installation. Delegated setup enables an administrator to quickly create the Active Directory directory service objects that are required for delegation to a subordinate administrator, and by allowing a subsequent installation, to adopt the previously created objects.

The general model for delegated setup is to have the administrator create Active Directory objects that are required to delegate the privilege, but the administrator does not do the complete installation. By having the administrator create the required objects and then giving the subordinate administrator access to the objects, the subordinate administrator can complete a CMS installation.

Performing a delegated setup of a CMS involves the following general tasks:

  1. Forming the cluster

  2. Creating the computer object for the CMS.

  3. Performing the provisioning for the delegation. You can provision a CMS for a single account or for a security group. The provisioning steps create temporary server objects for the nodes of the cluster. These are automatically deleted when the Mailbox server role is installed on the first passive node in the cluster.

  4. Completing the CMS installation.

Steps 1, 2, and 4 are performed by the subordinate administrator. Step 3 is performed by the administrator.

For detailed steps to delegate setup and allow a subordinate administrator to install a CMS, see How to Perform a Delegated Setup of a Clustered Mailbox Server.