One stop shop for avoiding the confusing maze of Microsoft support links to get all the required hot fixes and updates to install Exchange 2010 SP1.

I typically download all the updates and divide them into 3 different ZIP files. 2008-R1.zip for all Server 2008 R1 hot fixes. 2008-R2.zip for all Server 2008 R2 hot fixes. Shared.zip for all the updates that are shared on both platforms. Very handy to keep on a USB thumb drive.

Contents of Shared:
FilterPack64bit.exe
UcmaRedist.msp (August 2010 - 3.5.6907.210)

Contents of 2008-R1:
KB 973136 - request
KB 977592 - request
KB 977624-v2 - request
KB 979099 - request
KB 979744 - request
KB 979917 - request
KB 982867-v2 - request

Contents of 2008-R2:
KB 977020-v2 - request
KB 977357 - request
KB 979099 - request
KB 979744 - request
KB 979917 - request
KB 981314 - request
KB 982867-v2 - request
KB 983440 - request

Contents of W7:
KB 977020-v2 - request
KB 982867-v2 - request

The only updates in the list that are not a deployment blocker by the Exchange 2010 SP1 setup program are the Server 2008 R2 WMI memory leak hot fixes - KB 977357 and 981314. If you monitor your Exchange servers with System Center Operations Manager or anything that repeatedly polls the WMI Win32_Service class, this hot fix is recommended.

From time to time, Microsoft updates the hot fixes. You can see that a few of the hot fixes are already on v2.

The upcoming service packs for Windows and .NET Framework will reduce the importance of these updates and will render the collection obsolete.

Exchange 2010 SP1 has been released to the public here.

Assuming you are installing on a server that has all the Exchange roles enabled, these are the hot fixes you need before you can complete installation:

Updates needed for Server 2008 R2:

KB 977020 - .NET Framework 2.0 hotfix
KB 979099 - AD RMS hotfix
KB 979744 - .NET Framework 2.0 hotfix
KB 979917 - ASP.NET 2.0 hotfix
KB 2282949 - UCMA hotfix - August 2010 - 3.5.6907.210
KB 982867 - .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 hotfix
KB 983440 - ASP.NET 2.0 hotfix rollup
Office 2010 Filter Pack

You might wonder why I am pointing out what technology the hot fix is related to. The reason is, the updates are not made by the Exchange team, and cannot be included in the SP1 download binaries.

I will be providing a list of Server 2008 R1 updates required for Exchange 2010 SP1. Since it is based on the older OS, there are more updates needed than the list above.

If you have trouble finding download links for the above, you can always request them with Hotfixr.

Update: Looks like Technet has the full list now for all operating systems.

To begin, follow the instructions here for the usual Server 2008 R2 workaround/fixes for Server 2008 R2 and OCS 2007 R2.

1. From an elevated PowerShell prompt: Import-Module ServerManager [Enter]
2. Install the prerequisites for Group Chat Server with: Add-WindowsFeature AS-NET-Framework,Desktop-Experience,FS-FileServer,NET-Framework-Core,MSMQ-Server,MSMQ-Directory,RSAT-ADDS,WAS-Process-Model,WAS-Config-APIs,Web-HTTP-Logging,Web-Mgmt-Compat,Web-Mgmt-Console,Web-Static-Content,Web-Windows-Auth [Enter]
3. Install KB 975858 so certificate based authentication works properly.
4. Install the OCS Group Chat Server as you normally would on any other operating system. Elan's guide is helpful for this (Part 1 / Part 2).
5. Install the OCS Core update from here and the UC API update from here. (If those links are outdated, go to KB 968802 for the latest links or use the ServerUpdateInstaller.exe)
6. Install the OCS 2007 R2 CU6 Group Server update from here. It is also a good idea to grab the Admin tools update from here and updated client from here.
7. At this point, if you try to start the OCS Group Chat Server services, they will stop without anything useful in the Event Logs. I'll save you time debugging this by pointing you to this older KB article here. You need to run %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2\Group Chat Server\ServerConfigTool.exe so that the tool will update the Group Chat database schema to the QFE1 level.
8. After running the ServerConfigTool.exe, you'll be able to start the update OCS 2007 R2 Group Chat services.

Celebrate, at this point you'll have a working Group Chat install on Server 2008 R2.

I've heard of numerous reports of the CU6's SQL back-end update having version mismatch problems with the front-end update.

One cause I can speculate on is that the web caches that Microsoft uses publish the updated bits are lagging behind. Unfortunately, due to the updates always having the same filename from Cumulative Update to Cumulative Update, it is hard to determine what version you have downloaded without looking at the file dates stored in each individual update.

If the front-end is updated without the proper back-end update, the front-end will complain about version mismatches in the SQL stored procedures.

Update: A tip from Tom Pacyk - install the OCS2009-DBUpgrade.msi before the other CU6 updates.

I talked a little about the .NET 4.0 issue here a few days ago but now that .NET 4.0 is on Windows/Microsoft Update as a recommended update, it is hitting more users during OCS installation.

If you install .NET 4.0 Framework before installing any OCS server role, the OCS setup program will complain that .NET 3.5x is not installed, even if you have .NET 3.5x installed (x being equal to 0 or 1, meaning .NET 3.50 or .NET 3.51).

Solution? Uninstall .NET 4.0 Framework, install OCS server roles, and then install .NET 4.0 if necessary. The OCS product team is working with the Windows product team to get a hotfix/update out for this.

Ideally, I wish there was a service pack for OCS 2007 R2 that had updated install bits for the ASN fix and the Server 2008 R2 gotchas.

OCS 2007 R2 Server:
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 - KB 968802 - Download
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Back-end database update - KB 2032834 - Download

OCS 2007 R2 Client:
Office Communicator 2007 R2 - KB 2028888 - Download
Office Communicator Phone Edition 2007 R2 - KB 2267962 - Download

Group Chat:
Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Group Chat Server - KB 2032881 - Download
Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Group Chat Client - KB 2032922 - Download
Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Group Chat Admin Tool - KB 2032949 - Download

I tend to keep an eye on the Office Cumulative Updates site (the link is on the right side of my website) and the June 2010 update for Outlook 2007 caught my eye.

In particular, there seem to be a few Exchange 2010 fixes directly related to Outlook 2007 crashing.

The issues fixed that caught my eye include:

1. This hotfix provides a design change. After you install this hotfix, the Secure Temp folder for Office Outlook 2007 is automatically cleared when you exit Office Outlook 2007.

2. After the Outlook mailboxes are moved a server that is running Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, Office Outlook 2007 crashes intermittently.

3. In Office Outlook 2007, all received email messages are stored incorrectly in the Deleted Items folder. (Unfortunately, I've had clients keep very important e-mail in Deleted Items and then wonder where the messages went when they empty the Deleted Items folder.)

4. You may have data loss on meeting update when you use Office Outlook 2007 against Exchange Server 2010. When this issue occurs, the body of the meeting request is replaced by the following text: One or more problems with your meeting were detected and fixed.

5. After you install the Office Live Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Outlook, Office Outlook 2007 crashes during startup.

You can read more about the update here, and as general rule of thumb, it is good to keep the MSO.DLL updated as well, from here.

A hotfix rollup is available for Forefront Protection for Exchange with some noteworthy fixes. This rollup will bring the build version to 11.0.689.0.

The following fixes are issues I've personally seen with the RTM version of FPE:

1. A Forefront Protection for Exchange scan engine update fails and generates Application Log errors
2. Forefront Protection for Exchange replacing legitimate attachments with text files and quarantining legitimate mail
3. The Forefront Protection for Exchange client crashes when adding an IP address, or range, to either the IP Allow/Block List
4. Spam Reports may take an excessive amount of time to retrieve in Forefront Protection for Exchange
5. Forefront Protection for Exchange generates more Realtime Scan Timeout notifications than expected

There are more fixes than what I listed, and you can review them here.

You can request the hotfix rollup here.

One of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of publishing OCS - the use of hardware load balancers. Thankfully there is a brand new document from Microsoft to help you out.

To quote the download page:
"This document explains infrastructure and system requirements for hardware load balancing of Office Communications Server Enterprise pools, Edge Server arrays, and Communicator Web Access. It also explains various networking concepts, such as one arm vs. two arm configurations, network address translation (NAT), VLAN tagging, and Mutual Transport Layer Security (MTLS) connection multiplexing, in the context of an Office Communications Server deployment."

Grab the document here.