I am having a problem installing SCC,setup fails on cluster mailbox pre-reqs with the following errors in setup logs. The cluster has been created without problems. Servers are 64 bit, W2K3 R2.......all pre-req software & hotfixes installed/ [11/28/2006 1:34:27 PM] [2] CountServersAndCheckCmsOwner() found 0 servers. [11/28/2006 1:34:27 PM] [2] CountExchangeNodes() found 0 nodes. [11/28/2006 1:34:27 PM] [2] [WARNING] An unexpected error has occurred and a Watson dump is being generated: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. [11/28/2006 1:34:27 PM] [2] [ERROR] Object reference not set to an instance of an object. any ideas ? thanks

Is there any more information in the setup log file, or perhaps in the event log that you can share? I'd like to see what process generated the exception and watson dump.

Scott, Strange thing is drwatson created event log --can't recall exact words but was along the lines of checkipandnetworkname I believe.However we rebuilt AD and while exchange setup failed with same error it did not log dr.watson to event log anymore details from exch setup logs. [30/11/2006 02:01:17] [0] **************[30/11/2006 02:01:17] [0] Setup will run the task 'test-setuphealth'[30/11/2006 02:01:17] [1] Setup launched task 'test-setuphealth -DomainController 'pocpool-intel05.exch.local' -DownloadConfigurationUpdates $true -ExchangeVersion '8.0.685.21' -Roles 'Mailbox' -ScanType 'PrecheckInstall' -SetupRoles 'AdminTools','Mailbox','ClusterMailbox' -CreatePublicDB $false -TargetDir 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server' -IISInstalled $true' [30/11/2006 02:01:17] [1] Beginning processing.[30/11/2006 02:01:25] [1] Ending processing.[30/11/2006 02:01:25] [0] **************[30/11/2006 02:01:25] [0] Setup will run the task 'test-setuphealth'[30/11/2006 02:01:25] [1] Setup launched task 'test-setuphealth -DomainController 'pocpool-intel05.exch.local' -DownloadConfigurationUpdates $false -ExchangeVersion '8.0.685.21' -Roles 'ClusterMailbox' -ScanType 'PrecheckInstall' -SetupRoles 'AdminTools','Mailbox','ClusterMailbox' -CmsName 'exchcms' -CmsDataPath 'M:\EXCHSVR' -CmsIPAddress '172.30.245.131' -CmsSharedStorage $true -CreatePublicDB $true' [30/11/2006 02:01:25] [1] Beginning processing.[30/11/2006 02:01:26] [1] Beginning processing.[30/11/2006 02:01:26] [1] NewClusteredMailboxServerObjects InternalValidate entered.[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] Dumping the cluster named: .[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] Groups[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] group: Cluster Group [not a CMS, PreferredOwners = ][30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] OwnerNode: exchSER01[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] State: Online[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] Resource: Cluster IP Address [Online, type = IPAddress, PossibleOwners = exchser01,exchser02 ][30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] IpAddress = [172.30.245.130][30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] Resource: Cluster Name [Online, type = NetName, PossibleOwners = exchser01,exchser02 ][30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] NetName = [exchCLUS01][30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] group: exchCMS_Group [not a CMS, PreferredOwners = ][30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] OwnerNode: exchSER01[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] State: Online[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] Resource: Disk M: [Online, type = Disk, PossibleOwners = exchser01,exchser02 ][30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] group: Quorum Group [Cluster Quorum Group, PreferredOwners = ][30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] OwnerNode: exchSER01[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] State: Online[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] Resource: Disk Q: [Online, type = Disk, PossibleOwners = exchser01,exchser02 ][30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] Nodes[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] node: exchSER01 [ state = Up ][30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] node: exchSER02 [ state = Up ][30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] CheckNewCmsParametersAndFillInDefaults() -- verifying the parameters are valid.[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] Verifying that the cluster does not contain a single copy cluster and a clustered mailbox server using cluster continuous replication.[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] CountServersAndCheckCmsOwner(): group 'Cluster Group' has a network name of 'exchCLUS01'.[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] CountServersAndCheckCmsOwner() found 0 servers.[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] [WARNING] An unexpected error has occurred and a Watson dump is being generated: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.[30/11/2006 02:01:27] [1] [ERROR] Object reference not set to an instance of an object.[30/11/2006 02:01:28] [1] [ERROR] Clustered Mailbox Server installation cannot continue: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.[30/11/2006 02:01:28] [1] Ending processing.

It's difficult to tell what's happening here without first finding out what process is generating the Watson. Can you manually run drwtsn32.exe on the system and see if there are remnants of the crash in the Application Errors areaof the GUI? BTW, where did you get the build you're using?

buildwas received from MS, we are working with a tap customer on this.A colleague also built out replica environment and got exact same error.Servers had to be rebuilt for fresh install again with customer early next week.The dr.watson log has no entry around them timeframeof the exchange install.Will post logs from the build on mon/tues as we will most likely have same error unless we work wiht different build thanks niamh

Problem solved.............the issue was that we had placed the quorum in a separate group within the cluster, not in the default cluster group