EDIT: This article seems to be popular, however readers should note it is from 2011! Check out the updated article here:
Upgrading DirSync to the Latest Version
—————-
As Microsoft has already stated, the new 64-bit version of DirSync.exe is not installed or configured differently than its 32-bit predecessor. However, as a tinkerer, I wanted to verify this and have a look under the hood anyway!
Below are some screenshots of my experiences and insights along the way:
Before you start: Read and follow the instructions! In this article, I assume you’re at the point where you’re actually ready to install this product.
1. First I installed the .Net Framework prerequisites as well as my favorite MMC snap-ins onto a new Windows 2008 R2 server. You can do this using the following two lines in PowerShell | Import-Module ServerManagerAdd-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS -Restart |
2. Then I ran dirsync.exe (downloaded from the portal.microsoftonline.com site).a. NOTE: Microsoft didn’t bother to change the installer’s executable name (dirsync.exe). This may be confusing if you plan to download and store both x86 and x64 versions. | ![]() |
3. A few clicks of the “Next” button… | ![]() |
a. NOTE: We install to the “Program Files” directory. If this were a x86 application we’d be using “\Program Files (x86)” | ![]() |
b. NOTE: This screen may take 5-10 minutes. It’s installing a few things in the background:i. SQL 2008 R2 Expressii. Forefront Identity Manager 2010 (FIM)iii. Configuration of the FIM Management Agents (MAs) | ![]() |
… | ![]() |
4. Once the background tasks have completed, you’re able to run the Configuration Wizard. This is where you will need to have your Office 365 tenant prepared and credentials identified, etc. | ![]() |
5. Next… | ![]() |
6. You should have created this account earlier. Whatever you put in here will be stored within FIM, and if you ever change the credentials, you’ll need to re-run this setup wizard. | ![]() |
a. Or for the expert user: Dive into FIM directly | ![]() |
7. Here you need to supply your forest’s Enterprise Admin credentials. This username is not saved anywhere, and is only needed once to set permissions for these new objects:a. Yourdomain\MSOL_AD_Syncb. Yourdomain\MSOL_AD_Sync_RichCoexistence |
![]() |
8. Selecting this box enables some extra features required for a “hybrid deployment” / “rich coexistence”, and by doing so you’ll allow FIM to update attributes IN YOUR Active Directory. If this box is not checked, FIM will read-only. | ![]() |
9. Next.. | ![]() |
10. If you’re ready, you can run the initial full synchronization now. Otherwise, you can run it manually at any time.a. Once configured, DirSync runs every 3 hours. | ![]() |
11. If you promise to be careful, you can poke around in the FIM configuration. ![]() |
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Online Directory Sync\SYNCBUS\Synchronization Service\UIShell\miisclient.exe![]() ![]() |
12. Finally, be sure to run Microsoft Update again. You’ll notice that SQL 2008 R2 does not have SP1. | ![]() |