Error when running Setup /PrepareSchema to prepare the schema for an existing Exchange hybrid environment

  • Article
  • Applies to:
    Exchange Online, Exchange Server 2016 Enterprise Edition, Exchange Server 2016 Standard Edition, Exchange Server 2013 Enterprise, Exchange Server 2013 Standard Edition

Original KB number:   3121439

Symptoms

When you run Exchange Server Setup together with the /PrepareSchema to update the schema for an existing Exchange hybrid environment, you receive the following error message:

A hybrid deployment with Office 365 has been detected. Please ensure that you are running setup with the /TenantOrganizationConfig switch. To use the TenantOrganizationConfig switch you must first connect to your Exchange Online tenant via PowerShell and execute the following command: "Get-OrganizationConfig | Export-Clixml -Path MyTenantOrganizationConfig.XML". Once the XML file has been generated, run setup with the TenantOrganizationConfig switch as follows "/TenantOrganizationConfig MyTenantOrganizationConfig.XML".

If you continue to see this this message then it indicates that either the XML file specified is corrupt, or you are attempting to upgrade your on-premises Exchange installation to a build that isn't compatible with the Exchange version of your Microsoft 365 tenant. Your Microsoft 365 tenant must be upgraded to a compatible version of Exchange before upgrading your on-premises Exchange installation.

When you follow the instructions in the error message to generate the XML file, and then you run Setup /PrepareSchema together with the /TenantOrganizationConfig switch, you receive the following error message:

The parameter 'TenantOrganizationConfig' is not valid for current operation 'PrepareSchema'. Setup checks failed: Invalid command line arguments.

Cause

The /PrepareSchema switch is valid only for schema operations. The /TenantOrganizationConfig switch is used with the /PrepareAD switch.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, run Setup together with the /PrepareAD and /TenantOrganizationConfig switches. For example, run the following command:

Setup.exe /PrepareAD /TenantOrganizationConfig MyTenantOrganizationConfig.xml /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms

Note

In this scenario, schema extension is performed implicitly by running the /PrepareAD switch. Therefore, to complete these steps, you must have Schema Admin rights to perform the schema changes in addition to the rights that are necessary to perform the /PrepareAD steps.

More information

For more information, see Prepare Active Directory and domains for Exchange Server.

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