Even though installing pre-requisites on Windows Server 2008 R2 is simple and straight forward as described here, it makes it even faster if you were to use a script to do so.

MVP Anderson Patricio recently published a script for the same. What the script did not do is what I took liberty to add. I am publishing entire script below with credit to Anderson where it is due.

My code adds functionality to download and install Microsoft Filter Pack if the server has internet connectivity.

UPDATE: Pat Richard enhanced this script and added some checks and other functionality which makes it even more useful. You can read Pat’s post here. The script below is result of combined effort of Anderson, Pat and myself.

#############################################################################
# Set-Exchange2010Prereqs.ps1
# Configures the necessary prerequisites to install Exchange 2010 on a
# Windows Server 2008 R2 server
#
# Pat Richard, MVP
# http://ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange
#
# 1.0 – Original script 11/27/09 based on the work of Anderson Patricio and
# Bhargav Shukla
#
# Dedicated blog post:
# http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/archive/2009/12/12/Automated-prerequisite-installation-via-PowerShell-for-Exchange-Server-2010-on-Windows-Server-2008-R2.aspx
#
# Some info taken from
# http://msmvps.com/blogs/andersonpatricio/archive/2009/11/13/installing-exchange-server-2010-pre-requisites-on-windows-server-2008-r2.aspx
# https://www.bhargavs.com/index.php/powershell/2009/11/script-to-install-exchange-2010-pre-requisites-for-windows-server-2008-r2/
#############################################################################

# Detect correct OS here and exit if no match
if (-not((Get-WMIObject win32_OperatingSystem).OSArchitecture -eq '64-bit') -and (Get-WMIObject win32_OperatingSystem).Version -eq '6.1.7600'){
	Write-Host "This script requires a 64bit version of Windows Server 2008 R2, which this is not." -ForegroundColor Red -BackgroundColor Black
	Exit
}

Function InstallFilterPack(){
# future: look and see if it's already installed
# 			via registry HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{95120000-2000-0409-1000-0000000FF1CE}
	trap {
		Write-Host "Problem downloading FilterPackx64.exe. Please visit http://tinyurl.com/36yrlj"
		break
	}
	#set a var for the folder you are looking for
	$folderPath = 'C:\Temp'

	#Check if folder exists, if not, create it
	if (Test-Path $folderpath){
		Write-Host "The folder $folderPath exists."
	} else{
		Write-Host "The folder $folderPath does not exist, creating..." -NoNewline
		New-Item $folderpath -type directory | Out-Null
		Write-Host "done!" -ForegroundColor Green
	}

	# Check if file exists, if not, download it
	$file = $folderPath+"\FilterPackx64.exe"
	if (Test-Path $file){
		write-host "The file $file exists."
	} else {
		#Download Microsoft Filter Pack
		Write-Host "Downloading Microsoft Filter Pack..." -nonewline
		$clnt = New-Object System.Net.WebClient
		$url = "http://download.microsoft.com/download/b/e/6/be61cfa4-b59e-4f26-a641-5dbf906dee24/FilterPackx64.exe"
		$clnt.DownloadFile($url,$file)
		Write-Host "done!" -ForegroundColor Green
	}
	#Install Microsoft Filter Pack
	Write-Host "Installing Microsoft Filter Pack..." -nonewline
	$expression = $folderPath+"\FilterPackx64.exe /quiet /norestart"
	Invoke-Expression $expression
	Start-Sleep -Seconds 10
	write-host "done!" -ForegroundColor Green
}

Function SetRunOnce(){
	# Sets the NetTCPPortSharing service for automatic startup before the first reboot
	# by using the old RunOnce registry key (because the service doesn't yet exist, or we could
	# use 'Set-Service')
	$hostname = hostname
	$RunOnceCommand = "sc \\$hostname config NetTcpPortSharing start= auto"
	if (Get-ItemProperty -Name "NetTCPPortSharing" -path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
	    	Write-host "Registry key HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\NetTCPPortSharing already exists." -ForegroundColor yellow
        	Set-ItemProperty "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce" -Name "NetTCPPortSharing" -Value $RunOnceCommand | Out-Null
	} else {
	    	New-ItemProperty "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce" -Name "NetTCPPortSharing" -Value $RunOnceCommand -PropertyType "String" | Out-Null
	}
}

Import-Module ServerManager
$opt = "None"
# Do {
	clear
	if ($opt -ne "None") {write-host "Last command: "$opt -foregroundcolor Yellow}
	write-host
	write-host Exchange Server 2010 - Prerequisites script
	write-host Please, select which role you are going to install..
	write-host
	write-host '1) Hub Transport'
	write-host '2) Client Access Server'
	write-host '3) Mailbox'
	write-host '4) Unified Messaging'
	write-host '5) Edge Transport'
	write-host '6) Typical (CAS/HUB/Mailbox)'
	write-host '7) Client Access and Hub Transport'
	write-host
	write-host '9) Configure NetTCP Port Sharing service'
	write-host '   Required for the Client Access Server role' -foregroundcolor yellow
	write-host '   Automatically set for options 2,6, and 7' -foregroundcolor yellow
	write-host '10) Install 2007 Office System Converter: Microsoft Filter Pack'
	write-host '    Required if installing Hub Transport or Mailbox Server roles' -foregroundcolor yellow
	write-host '    Automatically set for options 1, 3, 6, and 7' -foregroundcolor yellow
	write-host
	write-host '13) Restart the Server'
	write-host '14) End'
	write-host
	$opt = Read-Host "Select an option.. [1-14]? "

	switch ($opt)    {
		1 { InstallFilterPack; Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server -restart }
		2 { SetRunOnce; Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server,Web-ISAPI-Ext,Web-Digest-Auth,Web-Dyn-Compression,NET-HTTP-Activation,RPC-Over-HTTP-Proxy -restart }
		3 { InstallFilterPack; Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server -restart }
		4 { Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server,Desktop-Experience -restart }
		5 { Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,ADLDS -restart }
		6 { SetRunOnce; InstallFilterPack; Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server,Web-ISAPI-Ext,Web-Digest-Auth,Web-Dyn-Compression,NET-HTTP-Activation,RPC-Over-HTTP-Proxy -restart }
		7 { SetRunOnce; InstallFilterPack; Add-WindowsFeature NET-Framework,RSAT-ADDS,Web-Server,Web-Basic-Auth,Web-Windows-Auth,Web-Metabase,Web-Net-Ext,Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console,WAS-Process-Model,RSAT-Web-Server,Web-ISAPI-Ext,Web-Digest-Auth,Web-Dyn-Compression,NET-HTTP-Activation,RPC-Over-HTTP-Proxy -restart }
		9 { Set-Service NetTcpPortSharing -StartupType Automatic }
		10 {
			# future - auto detect Internet access
			write-host 'Can this server access the Internet?'
			$filtpack = read-host 'Please type (Y)es or (N)o...'
			switch ($filtpack)				{
				Y {InstallFilterPack}
				N {Write-warning 'Please download and install Microsoft Filter Pack from here: http://tinyurl.com/36yrlj'}
			}
		}
		13 { Restart-Computer }
		14 {write-host "Exiting..."}
		default {write-host "You haven't selected any of the available options. "}
	}
# }
# while ($opt -ne 14)