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Released: December 2016 Quarterly Exchange Updates

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The_Exchange_Team
Platinum Contributor
Dec 13, 2016

Today we are announcing the latest set of Cumulative Updates for Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2013. These releases include fixes to customer reported issues and updated functionality. Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 4 and Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 15 are available on the Microsoft Download Center. Update Rollup 22 for Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 3 and Update Rollup 16 for Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 3 are also available.

A new Outlook on the web compose experience

Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 4 includes a refresh to the compose experience. The body of the message is now “framed” and formatting controls have been moved to the bottom of the view. This mirrors the current experience in Office 365. image

Support for .Net 4.6.2

Exchange Server 2013 and Exchange Server 2016 now fully support .Net 4.6.2 on all supported operating systems. Customers who have already updated their Exchange servers to .Net 4.6.1 can proceed with the upgrade to 4.6.2 before or after installing the cumulative updates released today. Customers who are still running .Net 4.5.2 are advised to deploy Cumulative Update 4 or Cumulative Update 15 prior to upgrading to .Net 4.6.2. The upgrade to .Net 4.6.2, while strongly encouraged, is optional with these releases. As previously disclosed, the cumulative updates released in our March 2017 quarterly updates will require .Net 4.6.2.

Change to Pre-Requisites installed by Setup

Since Exchange Server 2013, the Windows feature Media Foundation has appeared as a pre-requisite in our setup checks on Windows Server 2012 and later. However, if you chose to allow Exchange setup to install the required OS Components, Desktop Experience has been installed on all supported operating systems. Desktop Experience is required on Windows Server 2008R2. The Desktop Experience feature includes additional components which are not necessary for Exchange Server and require frequent patching. Windows Server 2012 and later modified feature definitions to include Media Foundation. Exchange Setup in Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 4 and Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 15 has been updated to install Media Foundation instead of Desktop Experience on Windows Server 2012 and later. This change will only apply to newly installed servers. Applying either cumulative update will not change the existing configuration of the server. If desired, an administrator can add Media Foundation and remove Desktop Experience from the list of installed Windows features on Windows Server 2012 and later.

Update on Windows Server 2016 support

The Windows team has released KB3206632. This update addresses the issue where IIS would crash after a DAG is formed and the server is subsequently restarted. This update is now required on all servers running Exchange Server 2016 on Windows Server 2016. Setup will not proceed unless the KB is installed.

Latest time zone updates

All of the packages released today include support for time zone updates published by Microsoft through October 2016.

Important Public Folder fix included in these releases

Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 14 and Exchange Server Cumulative Update 3 introduced an issue where new posts to a public folder may not have been indexed if there was an active public folder migration (KB3202691). This issue is now resolved. To ensure all public folders are indexed appropriately, all public folder mailboxes should be moved to a new database after applying the appropriate cumulative update released today.

Release Details

KB articles which contain greater depth on what each release includes are available as follows: Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 4 does not include new updates to Active Directory Schema. If upgrading from an older Cumulative Update or installing a new server, Active Directory updates may still be required. These updates will apply automatically during setup if user permissions and AD requirements are met. If the Exchange Administrator lacks permissions to update Active Directory Schema, a Schema Admin needs to execute SETUP /PrepareSchema prior to the first Exchange server installation or upgrade. The Exchange Administrator should also execute SETUP /PrepareAD to ensure RBAC roles are updated correctly. Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 15 does not include updates to Active Directory, but may add additional RBAC definitions to your existing configuration. PrepareAD should be executed prior to upgrading any servers to Cumulative Update 15. PrepareAD will run automatically during the first server upgrade if Setup detects this is required and the logged on user has sufficient permission.

Additional Information

Microsoft recommends all customers test the deployment of any update in their lab environment to determine the proper installation process for your production environment. For information on extending the schema and configuring Active Directory, please review the appropriate TechNet documentation. Also, to prevent installation issues you should ensure that the Windows PowerShell Script Execution Policy is set to “Unrestricted” on the server being upgraded or installed. To verify the policy settings, run the Get-ExecutionPolicy cmdlet from PowerShell on the machine being upgraded. If the policies are NOT set to Unrestricted you should use the resolution steps in KB981474 to adjust the settings. Reminder: Customers in hybrid deployments where Exchange is deployed on-premises and in the cloud, or who are using Exchange Online Archiving (EOA) with their on-premises Exchange deployment are required to deploy the most current (e.g., 2013 CU15, 2016 CU4) or the prior (e.g., 2013 CU14, 2016 CU3) Cumulative Update release. For the latest information on Exchange Server and product announcements please see What's New in Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2016 Release Notes. You can also find updated information on Exchange Server 2013 in What’s New in Exchange Server 2013, Release Notes and product documentation available on TechNet.

Note: Documentation may not be fully available at the time this post was published.

The Exchange Team
Updated Jul 01, 2019
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51 Comments

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  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Dec 14, 2016
    There are no lists of changes for the 2007 and 2010 update rollups in the respective KB articles.

    Where can I find information about what's included in those updates?

  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Dec 14, 2016
    Will 2016cu4 require any schema changes over 2016cu3 ?
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Dec 13, 2016
    Can we get a compressed version of the 2016 ISO? The other installs are relatively small, but the 2016 CU ISOs weigh in around 5.5 GB. Just simply zipping it on disk puts it down to a more manageable 2.2 GB.
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Dec 13, 2016
    in the reminder

    Reminder: Customers in hybrid deployments where Exchange is deployed on-premises and in the cloud, or who are using Exchange Online Archiving (EOA) with their on-premises Exchange deployment are required to deploy the most current (e.g., 2013 CU15, 2016 CU4) or the prior (e.g., 2013 CU14, 2016 CU3) Cumulative Update release.

    What about Exchange 2010 SP3 RU 16, I think you missed. As there are orgs who still run hybrid config on Exchange 2010

    • Deleted's avatar
      Deleted
      Dec 13, 2016
      @ExchangeITPRo - We do not list a requirement for Exchange Server 2010 rollups due to differences in the underlying product code and servicing. The requirement for Exchange Server 2010 Hybrid is Service Pack 3, not a particular rollup, unless we announce differently. Exchange Server 2016 is sourced from the same code running in Office 365 and therefore inherits the same requirements to be available in on-prem servers. These changes are also included in Exchange Server 2013 updates when appropriate due to changes within Office 365.

      That being said, Exchange Server 2010 rollups continue to provide important security fixes and critical updates to time zone definitions. Customers are always encouraged to deploy the most recent update for Exchange Server 2010 and Exchange Server 2007 whether they are hybrid or not.

  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Dec 13, 2016
    There were the issues with password changes in OWA when servers are in child (resource) domain. Was that fixed?
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Dec 13, 2016
    Any schema updates with this CU?
    • Deleted's avatar
      Deleted
      Dec 13, 2016
      I need to learn how to read. Found what I was looking for... underlined.. shame on me. shame.
      • Deleted's avatar
        Deleted
        Dec 13, 2016
        It states that CU4 doesn't require a schema update but there was a forest update that prevented us from installing on our servers (we aren't Schema or Enterprise Admins - split roles here). We only needed to run Setup /PrepareAD, the other commands didn't do anything. Something to be aware of for others out there. It's a little misleading.
  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Dec 13, 2016
    Hello Exchange Team,

    Its been *twenty-three* weeks since I posted this question and I’m just wondering if I will need to wait two years for an answer as I did with a previous question. I guess you folks must be really busy!

    In case you missed it my question was … Why are some redirection functions apparently not working in the Exchange Management shell in both Exchange 2016 and Exchange 2013 regardless of rollup level or other factors? e.g. if you run “Get-MailPublicFolder 3> output.txt” to redirect warning messages to a text file, any warning messages will be visible on the screen but the output file will be empty. I’ve seen others reporting this problem in various forums but no acknowledgement of the problem and no resolution from Microsoft.

    Looking forward to a timely response from Microsoft.

    Thanks a lot !

    • Deleted's avatar
      Deleted
      Dec 13, 2016
      @Sime3000 - If you want all console output to be written to a file, you need to use the Start-Transcript and Stop-Transcript commands. Exchange cmdlets do not redirect output written to the console.
      • Deleted's avatar
        Deleted
        Dec 13, 2016
        Well, six months to get a response to question is a big improvement to my last question which took two years for a response. Things are really looking up.

        I wasn't looking for all console output to be written to a file, as I've repeatedly asked for the last six months, just warning messages as you would do in a normal PowerShell session ( https://msdn.microsoft.com/powershell/reference/5.1/Microsoft.PowerShell.Core/about/about_Redirection) .

        This also begs the question - what else does the Exchange shell not do that you would normally be able to do in a Windows PowerShell session? Can you please point me to some doc that outlines these limitations in the Exchange shell ? Thanks.

  • Deleted's avatar
    Deleted
    Dec 13, 2016
    Hello Exchange Team (4th request),

    Speaking of Windows Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2016…

    The current version of Jetstress clearly does not list Windows 2016 as a supported operating system. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36849

    For those of us that are currently deploying this combination, when exactly should we expect the version of Jetstress that will officially support Windows 2016 ?

    Thanks!

    • Deleted's avatar
      Deleted
      Dec 13, 2016
      @sime3000 - Jetstress 2013 is supported on Windows Server 2016. The Download Center details may be updated to reflect this in the future. It generally is not our practice to change these entries as it gives people the impression the product has changed when it hasn't.
      • Deleted's avatar
        Deleted
        Dec 13, 2016
        Thanks for taking the time to respond.

        "It generally is not our practice to change these entries as it gives people the impression the product has changed when it hasn’t"

        The last version of Jetstress was posted for download about four months prior to the general release of Windows 2016 RTM so it’s reasonable for people in the field such as myself to assume that it has not been tested with Windows 2016 and that’s a legitimate concern for those of us who are working to deploy your product on Windows 2016 for our mutual customers. New Operating System, new storage drivers, etc...

        When your group can't be bothered to make minor doc updates and continues to generate botched quarterly updates, e.g. CU3 and the failed Windows 2016 support in September, then it becomes evident to everyone (except perhaps your dedicated fanboys) that your group doesn't care that much about the success of the product and cares even less about those in the field that are working hard to deploy it.

        Twenty years after the release of Exchange 4.0, your documentation continues to exhibit holes and rather than address the holes you prefer to waste everyone’s time by forcing them to post basic questions here for clarification. For some reason those questions are generally ignored and the few responses that are provided are mostly excuses.