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Minimum Requirements
Before getting started, it’s important to confirm you have the minimum hardware and configuration requirements for installing BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for Microsoft® Exchange.
Confirm you have the minimum hardware and configuration requirements:
- Minimum requirements for up to 500 users: Intel® Pentium® IV processor (2GHz or greater), 1.5 GB RAM, MSDE 2000 or higher, 20 GB disk space in addition to Windows® requirements
NOTE: Due to limitations of MSDE, it is recommended that SQL Server™ be used if there are multiple Exchange servers in the environment and/or an increasing or higher number of BlackBerry® users. For more information, please see the “BlackBerry Enterprise Server implementation considerations” section within the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange Performance Benchmarking (PDF)
- Windows 2000 Server (Server or Advanced Server Editions) with Service Pack 4 or Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1
- Integrates with Microsoft® Exchange 5.5 (Service Pack 4 or later), Microsoft Exchange 2000 (Service Pack 2 or later) or Microsoft Exchange 2003 mail server environments (mixed mode or native installation). NOTE: Learn more about BlackBerry Enterprise Server support for Microsoft Exchange Sever 2007
- Microsoft Exchange 5.5 Administrator, Microsoft Exchange 2000 System Manager or Microsoft Exchange 2003 System Manager, Microsoft Exchange 2007 MAPI Client
- Microsoft Internet Explorer® version 6.0 or later
Download the full hardware and configuration requirements (PDF)
Continue to Step 2 – Pre-installation Tasks
Pre-installation Tasks
To successfully complete a BlackBerry® Enterprise Server installation, you must complete the following pre-installation tasks:
- Ensure you have a fully functioning Microsoft® Exchange email environment
- IMPORTANT: Create the BlackBerry® Service Account and assign the correct permissions. Please see the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center article KB02276 for more information
- Install Microsoft Exchange System Manager on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Refer to the Microsoft guide for installing Exchange System Management Tools
- For Microsoft Exchange 2007, the Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects 1.2.1 must be installed instead of the Exchange Management Console 2007. Download the Microsoft Exchange Server MAPI Client and Collaboration Data Objects 1.2.1
NOTE: Research In Motion does not support installing Microsoft Outlook® on the same server as the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Read the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center article KB10493 to learn more
- Install the Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.8 with Security Patch MS04-003, 2.8 Service Pack 1 or 2.8 Service Pack 2 on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. For more information, go to the MDAC Download Center
- If you are using a remote database, install the Java® Database Connectivity (JDBC) driver that matches your version of Microsoft SQL Server™ on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
Continue to Step 3 – Begin Your Install
Begin Your Install
For installation resources, follow the links below:
- IMPORTANT : You MUST be logged into the server with the BlackBerry® Service Account you created in Step 2 to successfully install the BlackBerry® Enterprise Server
- Run the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Installation Executable while referencing the step-by-step installation walk through. View an interactive, step-by-step walk through of a Microsoft® Exchange install
Additional installation resources:
- View the BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for Microsoft® Exchange Getting Started Guide (PDF)
- View the complete BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange Installation Guide
Continue to Step 4 – Add a User Account to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server
Add a User Account to BlackBerry Enterprise Server Software v4.1 and Higher
Follow the below steps to add a user account:
- On the BlackBerry® Manager, in the left pane, click a BlackBerry® Enterprise Server
- On the Server Configuration tab, click Common
- Click Add Users
- In the Show Names from the drop-down list, click an address group
- In the user list, click a user
- Click Select
- Click OK
When adding a user account to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, you should consider the following:
- For information on wirelessly activating a device using Enterprise Activation, review the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center article KB03674. For troubleshooting Enterprise Activation issues, read the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center article KB13852.
- NOTE: Your user account can only be created on one BlackBerry Enterprise Server at a time. If you have the same user account created on multiple BlackBerry Enterprise Servers it will not work properly.
- If you add a user account that was previously on another BlackBerry Enterprise Server, please ensure that the account has been removed from the old BlackBerry Enterprise Server and delete all user data from the device before attempting to add to the new BlackBerry Enterprise Server. For more information on deleting all user data from a BlackBerry smartphone, view the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center article KB02318.
- For information on implementing a BlackBerry smartphone onto your BlackBerry Enterprise Server, please see the “Implementing BlackBerry devices” section within the BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for Microsoft® Exchange System Administration Guide (PDF).
- To reassign a device that was previously assigned to another user, refer to the “Issuing existing BlackBerry devices to new users” section of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange System Administration Guide (PDF).

