Request a Certificate for Exchange 2010

For realizing Exchange 2010 new function, I build the related system on Hyper-V environment so that can also understand the Hyper-V mechanism.

At first, I need to request a certificate for Exchange because it always need to be used on communicate between Servers or Client and Server.

Let us begin to learn "How to request a certificate for Exchange 2010" now!


Create new certificate on Exchange Server

• Click "Server Configuration" --> "TEST-CAS-01" --> "New Exchange Certificate..."

• Enter a friendly name as "Adatum Mail System" --> "Next > " button

• Click "Enable wildcard certificate" check box --> Enter "Root domain" as "*.adatum.com" --> Click "Next > " button

• Enter "Organization and Location" information and save a "Certificate Request file" on one path, next to "Next> " button

• Click "New" button

• Click "Finish" button

• Finally, you will see a new certificate that the status is "This is a pending certificate...".  So you have to do the next step --- Let this certificate is valid.

Request the Certificate from a CA
Due to I use the Active Directory Certificate Services of Windows Server 2008 R2 as CA, I will show how to request the certificate from this CA.

• Enter the requested URL to click "Request a certificate"

• Click "advanced certificate request"

• Click "Submit a certificate request by using a base 64 encoded CMC ..."

• At the moment, please open a certificate request file that the previous activity never save as a "reg" format on one path.

• Please mark the content between BEGIN and END New CERTIFICATION REQUEST next to copy it.

• Return to the original request form next to paste it on "Saved Request".

• Change Certificate Template to "Web Server" next to click "Submit> " button

• Click "Download certificate"

• Save as "certnew.cer" to one location

Active Exchange Certificate

• Right-Click the pending certificate next to select "Complete Pending Request..."

•  Click "Browse..." button

•  Select "certnew.cer" file

•  Click "Complete" button

•  If complete Pending Request process,

•  You will see the Exchange Certificate status is from "Pending" to "Valid".

Now the exchange will have a certificate on CAS.

Otherwise, this certificate have no any function now until it be assigned to the Exchange Service as SMTP,POP3,IMAP,UM and so on.
I will show it on next article how to assign the wildcard certificate to Exchange Service.
Please wait...

Convert Dynamic to Fixed virtual disk (VHD format)

Do you know how to convert the Dynamic virtual disk to Fixed virtual disk with VHD format?
In the Hyper-V manager, it has already built-in this function. Not need to find or buy any converter utility!

• Right-Click the Hyper-V Server and select "Edit Disk..." in menu

• Click "Next > " button

• Click "Browse..." button

• Select a VHD file belong to Dynamic disk type next to click "Open" button

• Click "Next > " button

• Select "Convert" option next to click "Next >" button

• Click "Browse..." button for putting the fixed disk to the special location.

• Select the path and key in the name of fixed disk, next to click "Save" button

• Click "Next >" button

• The convert process is running now!

After finished, the virtual disk type will be fixed disk now.
It is very simple and easy to do it, isn't it?

Shrink Volume and Resize VHD disk

When I convert physical disk "500GB" to virtual disk by "VHD2DISK" tool, I find out the virtual disk size has 500 GB but I just want the system partition (about 60 GB) to boot it on Hyper-V.

How to do it? Shrink next Resize it!
[Shrink Volume]

• In the Server Manager of Windows Server 2008 R2, please right-click "Disk Management" to select "Attach VHD".

• Click "Browse..." button

• Select the converted disk next to click "Open" button

• Click "OK" button

• You will see a new "Disk 7" mounted

• Right-Click this disk next to select "Shrink Volume..." in menu

• Shrink Processing now!

• I want to keep 60 GB system disk so that the disk size is 60*1024= 61440 MB after shrink. 

What size need to be shrinked? About 415497 MB (Caculation: 476937-61440= 415497 MB)

After write down this value, please click "Shrink" button.

• You will see the two partition: one is system partition, the other is data partition.

• Right-Click Disk 7 to "Detach VHD"

• Click "OK" button

• So do that the mounted VHD disk is release!

[Shrink Disk]
Download a good utility "VHDResizer" from this URL: http://vmtoolkit.com/files/folders/converters/entry87.aspx

• To extract and execute it, the VhdResizer windows will pop up and you can click "Open" button for selecting source VHD file.

• Select the Shrinked VHD next to click "Open" button

• You will see the VHD disk information as Type and Size(mb). And it will tell you the min size of destination VHD will be 60 GB.

• Click "saves as" button for selecting the VHD location of Destination vhd.

• Key in the vhd file name next to click "Save" button

• After changing disk type to "Fixed" and writing down 61 GB in "new size" field, please click "resize" button.

• Resize Processing now!

• Click "No" to disable Resize another disk.

After finishing the above procedure, you can mount this VHD file on Hyper-V and the disk size only has 60 GB, not 500 GB as the physical disk size.