Enabled Scripting Agent Extension breaks Exchange Setup

Problem

I came across an interesting issue when setting up a new Exchange 2013 server in an Exchange organization having the cmdlet extension agent enabled.

As mentioned in my last post Exchange setup checks for the existence of the ScriptingAgentConfig.xml file when agent extenstion is enabled in the Exchange organization. It turned out that this ist not only true when you install an Exchange update using /mode:update, but as well when installing a new Exchange server using /mode:install.

The following error occurs when Exchange Management Tools are provisioned.

Configuring Microsoft Exchange Server    Preparing Setup                                                               COMPLETED    Stopping Services                                                             COMPLETED    Copying Exchange Files                                                        COMPLETED    Language Files                                                                COMPLETED    Restoring Services                                                            COMPLETED    Language Configuration                                                        COMPLETED    Exchange Management Tools                                                     FAILED     The following error was generated when "$error.Clear();          Set-WERRegistryMarkers;        " was run: "Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningBrokerException: Provisioning layerinitialization failed: '"Scripting Agent initialization failed: "File is not found: 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Bin\CmdletExtensionAgents\ScriptingAgentConfig.xml'.""' ---> Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningException: "Scripting Agent initialization failed: "File is not found: 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Bin\CmdletExtensionAgents\ScriptingAgentConfig.xml'."" ---> System.IO.FileNotFoundException: "File is not found: 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\V15\Bin\CmdletExtensionAgents\ScriptingAgentConfig.xml'."   at Microsoft.Exchange.ProvisioningAgent.ScriptingAgentConfiguration.Initialize(String xmlConfigPath)   at Microsoft.Exchange.ProvisioningAgent.ScriptingAgentConfiguration..ctor(String xmlConfigPath)   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---   at Microsoft.Exchange.ProvisioningAgent.ScriptingAgentConfiguration..ctor(String xmlConfigPath)   at Microsoft.Exchange.ProvisioningAgent.ScriptingAgentClassFactory.get_Configuration()   at Microsoft.Exchange.ProvisioningAgent.ScriptingAgentClassFactory.GetSupportedCmdlets()   at Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningBroker.BuildHandlerLookupTable(CmdletExtensionAgent[] enabledAgents, Exception& ex)   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---   at Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningLayer.GetProvisioningHandlersImpl(Task task)   at Microsoft.Exchange.Provisioning.ProvisioningLayer.GetProvisioningHandlers(Task task)   at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.b__4()   at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.InvokeNonRetryableFunc(Action func, Boolean terminatePipelineIfFailed)".

As expected a fresh Exchange install contains the sample file only. The following screenshot shows the Exchange Management Shell and the releated folder in the background.

Solution

The only solution currently known to me is to disable the cmdlet extension agent until the setup of the new Exchange server has finished.

Disable-CmdletExtensionAgent "Scripting Agent"

Having the cmdlet extension agent disabled the setup finishes without any issues. Don’t forget to copy the cmdlet extension Xml file to the newly built server and to enable the cmdlet extension agent again.

Enable-CmdletExtensionAgent "Scripting Agent"

Links

• Cmdlet extension agents

You need assistance with your Exchange Server setup? You have questions about your Exchange Server infrastructure and going hybrid? You are interested in what Exchange Server 2016 has to offer for your environment?

Contact me at thomas@mcsmemail.de
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