Released: October 2018 Quarterly Exchange Updates

The latest cumulative update for Exchange Server 2016 is now available on the download center. There is no release for Exchange Server 2013 or Exchange Server 2010 as these products are both in the extended support phase of lifecycle. The cumulative update released today includes fixes to customer reported issues, all previously reported security/quality issues and updated functionality.

Updated Pre-requisite requirements

.NET Framework 4.7.2 Support

.NET Framework 4.7.2 is now supported with Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 11. .NET Framework 4.7.2 will be required on Exchange Server 2016 with the Cumulative Update released in June, 2019. We have validated .NET Framework 4.7.2 on the previously released Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 21 and are announcing .NET Framework support with Exchange Server 2013 Cumulative Update 21 as well. .NET Framework 4.7.2 will be required on the forthcoming Exchange Server 2019. Windows Server 2019, which is also required for Exchange Server 2019, installs .NET Framework 4.7.2 by default.

Changes to Visual C++ Version Dependencies

With today’s release we are updating the Visual C++ runtime version dependencies on Exchange Server 2016. Effective with Cumulative Update 11, all Exchange Server 2016 roles (Management Tools, Mailbox, Edge) will require installation of Visual C++ 2012 runtime. This is a change from Cumulative Update 10 where Visual C++ 2013 was incorrectly listed as being required on all roles. Visual C++ 2013 runtime, in addition to Visual C++ 2012, is required on the Mailbox role only. Versions of Exchange setup before Cumulative Update 11 silently installed Visual C++ 2010 and 2012 components. Exchange setup has been changed in Cumulative Update 11 and later to enforce the Visual C++ runtime requirements using setup pre-requisite rules. When installing Cumulative Update 11 or later for the first time on an existing server, setup will detect the presence of the previously installed instances of Visual C++ placed there by Exchange setup and will not indicate that the Visual C++ 2012 runtime needs to be installed. However, when setup performs the first upgrade of a server to Cumulative Update 11 or later, it will remove the versions of the Visual C++ binaries placed there by Exchange setup previously. This removal is necessary to change setup behavior, correct the condition which caused us to issue an advisory to install MS11-025 and ensure that future Visual C++ updates are applied by Windows Update and Microsoft Update. Important: To avoid a setup failure, it is necessary to install the Visual C++ 2012 runtime before installing Cumulative Update 11 or later for the first time on an existing server. The setup pre-requisite rule works as expected when using Cumulative Update 11 or later to install a new server using the Cumulative Update 11 or later package.

Note: Exchange Server 2019, when released, will include the Visual C++ pre-requisite rules enforced by setup.

Release Details

KB articles that describe the fixes in each release are available as follows:

• Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 11 (KB4134118), Download, UM Lang Packs

The updates released today do not include new updates to Active Directory Schema. If upgrading from an older Exchange version or installing a new server, Active Directory updates may still be required. These updates will apply automatically during setup if the logged on user has the required permissions. If the Exchange Administrator lacks permissions to update Active Directory Schema, a Schema Admin must execute SETUP /PrepareSchema prior to the first Exchange Server installation or upgrade. Cumulative Update 11 does require an Administrator to execute SETUP /PrepareAD to ensure RBAC roles are current before applying the cumulative update released today.

Adjustment to Cumulative Update Release Schedule

Due to the delay associated with Cumulative Update 11, there will not be a cumulative update released in December 2018. Our next planned set of quarterly updates will occur in March 2019 and will include Exchange Server 2016 Cumulative Update 12 and Exchange Server 2019 Cumulative Update 1.

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 currently supported cumulative update for the product version in use, e.g., 2013 Cumulative Update 21, 2016 Cumulative Update 11 or 10. 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 is published.

The Exchange Team