Installing Exchange Server 2019 Errors out at Client Access Role

This is my first post on ServerFault.

I have been trying, for a few days now, to install Exchange 2019 into a Exchange 2016 setup.
I started off with Exchange 2019 CU4, but also tried CU3. The inventory is as follows

Server1 : Exchange 2016
Server2 : Exchange 2016

Server3: NEW Exchange 2019
Server4: NEW Exchange 2019

I have recently done another installation of Exchange 2019 CU3 (3 servers) install on an existing Exchange 2016 deployment without any issues.

The current setup simply fails at the CAS Role with following error

The same error even occurs when i do a 2019 ONLY lab install which does not have any existing 2016 environment .. not sure where i am missing the components.

"

[03/05/2020 21:43:54.0071] [2] Active Directory session settings for 'New-OwaVirtualDirectory' are: View Entire Forest: 'True', Configuration Domain Controller: 'DC-001.DOMAIN.local', Preferred Global Catalog: 'DC-001.DOMAIN.local', Preferred Domain Controllers: '{ DC-001.DOMAIN.local }'
[03/05/2020 21:43:54.0071] [2] User specified parameters: -Role:'Mailbox' -WebSiteName:'Exchange Back End' -DomainController:'DC-001.DOMAIN.local'
[03/05/2020 21:43:54.0071] [2] Beginning processing new-OwaVirtualDirectory
[03/05/2020 21:43:54.0086] [2] Searching objects "Server2.DOMAIN.local" of type "Server" under the root "$null".
[03/05/2020 21:43:54.0149] [2] Previous operation run on domain controller 'DC-001.DOMAIN.local'.
[03/05/2020 21:43:54.0149] [2] Processing object "Server2\owa".
[03/05/2020 21:44:04.0071] [2] [WARNING] A failure occurred while trying to enable the ISAPI filter.
[03/05/2020 21:44:04.0071] [2] [ERROR] An error occurred while creating the IIS virtual directory 'IIS://Server2.DOMAIN.local/W3SVC/2/ROOT/owa' on 'Server2'.
[03/05/2020 21:44:04.0086] [2] [ERROR] ISAPI extension owaauth.dll in group MSExchangeClientAccess wasn't found and its status can't be changed. Please make sure this ISAPI extension (IIS Web service extension) is still listed in IIS Manager. If it's not, it may need to be added again.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0539] [2] [ERROR] An error occurred while creating the IIS virtual directory 'IIS://Server2.DOMAIN.local/W3SVC/2/ROOT/owa' on 'Server2'.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0539] [2] [ERROR] ISAPI extension owaauth.dll in group MSExchangeClientAccess wasn't found and its status can't be changed. Please make sure this ISAPI extension (IIS Web service extension) is still listed in IIS Manager. If it's not, it may need to be added again.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0539] [2] Ending processing new-OwaVirtualDirectory
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0571] [2] Active Directory session settings for 'Set-OwaVirtualDirectory' are: View Entire Forest: 'True', Configuration Domain Controller: 'DC-001.DOMAIN.local', Preferred Global Catalog: 'DC-001.DOMAIN.local', Preferred Domain Controllers: '{ DC-001.DOMAIN.local }'
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0571] [2] User specified parameters: -Identity:'Server2\OWA (Exchange Back End)' -FormsAuthentication:'False' -WindowsAuthentication:'True'
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0571] [2] Beginning processing set-OwaVirtualdirectory
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0586] [2] Searching objects "Server2\OWA (Exchange Back End)" of type "ADOwaVirtualDirectory" under the root "$null".
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0586] [2] Previous operation run on domain controller 'DC-001.DOMAIN.local'.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0586] [2] [ERROR] The operation couldn't be performed because object 'Server2\OWA (Exchange Back End)' couldn't be found on 'DC-001.DOMAIN.local'.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0586] [2] Ending processing set-OwaVirtualdirectory
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0602] [1] The following 2 error(s) occurred during task execution:
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0602] [1] 0. ErrorRecord: An error occurred while creating the IIS virtual directory 'IIS://Server2.DOMAIN.local/W3SVC/2/ROOT/owa' on 'Server2'.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0602] [1] 0. ErrorRecord: System.InvalidOperationException: An error occurred while creating the IIS virtual directory 'IIS://Server2.DOMAIN.local/W3SVC/2/ROOT/owa' on 'Server2'. —> Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Metabase.ManageIsapiExtensionCouldNotFindExtensionException: ISAPI extension owaauth.dll in group MSExchangeClientAccess wasn't found and its status can't be changed. Please make sure this ISAPI extension (IIS Web service extension) is still listed in IIS Manager. If it's not, it may need to be added again.
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.IisTasks.ManageIsapiExtensions.SetStatus(String hostName, String groupID, String extensionBinary, Boolean allow)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Metabase.OwaIsapiFilter.Install(DirectoryEntry virtualDirectory)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.OwaVirtualDirectoryHelper.EnableIsapiFilter(ADOwaVirtualDirectory adOwaVirtualDirectory, Boolean forCafe)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.NewOwaVirtualDirectory.InternalProcessMetabase()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.NewExchangeVirtualDirectory1.InternalProcessRecord()
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.ThrowError(Exception exception, ErrorCategory errorCategory, Object target, String helpUrl)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.WriteError(Exception exception, ErrorCategory category, Object target)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.NewExchangeVirtualDirectory1.InternalProcessRecord()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.b__91_1()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.InvokeRetryableFunc(String funcName, Action func, Boolean terminatePipelineIfFailed)
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0617] [1] [ERROR] The following error was generated when "$error.Clear();
$windowsAuthenticationEnabled = $true
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.Exchange.Clients.Owa2.ServerVariantConfiguration');
try
{
$snapshot = [Microsoft.Exchange.VariantConfiguration.OwaServer.OwaServerConfiguration]::GetSnapshot([Microsoft.Exchange.VariantConfiguration.MachineSettingsContext]::Local)
if (($snapshot -ne $null) -and ($snapshot.WindowsAuthenticationDisabled -ne $null) -and $snapshot.WindowsAuthenticationDisabled.Enabled)
{
Write-ExchangeSetupLog -info "WindowsAuthenticationDisabled is true, disabling windows authentication on vdir…"
$windowsAuthenticationEnabled = $false
}
else
{
Write-ExchangeSetupLog -info "WindowsAuthenticationDisabled is false, enabling windows authentication on vdir…"
}
}
catch
{
Write-ExchangeSetupLog -info $_
}
$BEVdirIdentity = $RoleNetBIOSName + "\OWA (Exchange Back End)";
new-OwaVirtualDirectory -Role Mailbox -WebSiteName "Exchange Back End" -DomainController $RoleDomainController;
set-OwaVirtualdirectory -Identity $BEVdirIdentity -FormsAuthentication:$false -WindowsAuthentication:$windowsAuthenticationEnabled;
" was run: "System.InvalidOperationException: An error occurred while creating the IIS virtual directory 'IIS://Server2.DOMAIN.local/W3SVC/2/ROOT/owa' on 'Server2'. —> Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Metabase.ManageIsapiExtensionCouldNotFindExtensionException: ISAPI extension owaauth.dll in group MSExchangeClientAccess wasn't found and its status can't be changed. Please make sure this ISAPI extension (IIS Web service extension) is still listed in IIS Manager. If it's not, it may need to be added again.
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.IisTasks.ManageIsapiExtensions.SetStatus(String hostName, String groupID, String extensionBinary, Boolean allow)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Metabase.OwaIsapiFilter.Install(DirectoryEntry virtualDirectory)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.OwaVirtualDirectoryHelper.EnableIsapiFilter(ADOwaVirtualDirectory adOwaVirtualDirectory, Boolean forCafe)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.NewOwaVirtualDirectory.InternalProcessMetabase()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.NewExchangeVirtualDirectory1.InternalProcessRecord()
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.ThrowError(Exception exception, ErrorCategory errorCategory, Object target, String helpUrl)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.WriteError(Exception exception, ErrorCategory category, Object target)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.NewExchangeVirtualDirectory1.InternalProcessRecord()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.b__91_1()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.InvokeRetryableFunc(String funcName, Action func, Boolean terminatePipelineIfFailed)".
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0617] [1] [ERROR] An error occurred while creating the IIS virtual directory 'IIS://Server2.DOMAIN.local/W3SVC/2/ROOT/owa' on 'Server2'.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0617] [1] [ERROR] ISAPI extension owaauth.dll in group MSExchangeClientAccess wasn't found and its status can't be changed. Please make sure this ISAPI extension (IIS Web service extension) is still listed in IIS Manager. If it's not, it may need to be added again.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0617] [1] 1. ErrorRecord: The operation couldn't be performed because object 'Server2\OWA (Exchange Back End)' couldn't be found on 'DC-001.DOMAIN.local'.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0617] [1] 1. ErrorRecord: Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.ManagementObjectNotFoundException: The operation couldn't be performed because object 'Server2\OWA (Exchange Back End)' couldn't be found on 'DC-001.DOMAIN.local'.
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.DataAccessTask1.GetDataObject[TObject](IIdentityParameter id, IConfigDataProvider session, ObjectId rootID, OptionalIdentityData optionalData, Func2 notFoundError, Func2 multipleFoundError, ExchangeErrorCategory errorCategory)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetObjectWithIdentityTaskBase3.ResolveDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetSystemConfigurationObjectTask3.ResolveDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetObjectTaskBase2.PrepareDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetVirtualDirectory1.PrepareDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetExchangeVirtualDirectory1.PrepareDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetWebAppVirtualDirectory1.PrepareDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetTaskBase1.InternalValidate()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetSystemConfigurationObjectTask3.InternalValidate()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetExchangeVirtualDirectory1.InternalValidate()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetWebAppVirtualDirectory1.InternalValidate()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetOwaVirtualDirectory.InternalValidate()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.<ProcessRecord>b__91_1()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.InvokeRetryableFunc(String funcName, Action func, Boolean terminatePipelineIfFailed)
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0617] [1] [ERROR] The following error was generated when "$error.Clear();
$windowsAuthenticationEnabled = $true
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.Exchange.Clients.Owa2.ServerVariantConfiguration');
try
{
$snapshot = [Microsoft.Exchange.VariantConfiguration.OwaServer.OwaServerConfiguration]::GetSnapshot([Microsoft.Exchange.VariantConfiguration.MachineSettingsContext]::Local)
if (($snapshot -ne $null) -and ($snapshot.WindowsAuthenticationDisabled -ne $null) -and $snapshot.WindowsAuthenticationDisabled.Enabled)
{
Write-ExchangeSetupLog -info "WindowsAuthenticationDisabled is true, disabling windows authentication on vdir..."
$windowsAuthenticationEnabled = $false
}
else
{
Write-ExchangeSetupLog -info "WindowsAuthenticationDisabled is false, enabling windows authentication on vdir..."
}
}
catch
{
Write-ExchangeSetupLog -info $_
}
$BEVdirIdentity = $RoleNetBIOSName + "\OWA (Exchange Back End)";
new-OwaVirtualDirectory -Role Mailbox -WebSiteName "Exchange Back End" -DomainController $RoleDomainController;
set-OwaVirtualdirectory -Identity $BEVdirIdentity -FormsAuthentication:$false -WindowsAuthentication:$windowsAuthenticationEnabled;
" was run: "Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.ManagementObjectNotFoundException: The operation couldn't be performed because object 'Server2\OWA (Exchange Back End)' couldn't be found on 'DC-001.DOMAIN.local'.
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.DataAccessTask1.GetDataObject[TObject](IIdentityParameter id, IConfigDataProvider session, ObjectId rootID, OptionalIdentityData optionalData, Func2 notFoundError, Func2 multipleFoundError, ExchangeErrorCategory errorCategory)
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetObjectWithIdentityTaskBase3.ResolveDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetSystemConfigurationObjectTask3.ResolveDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetObjectTaskBase2.PrepareDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetVirtualDirectory1.PrepareDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetExchangeVirtualDirectory1.PrepareDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetWebAppVirtualDirectory1.PrepareDataObject()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetTaskBase1.InternalValidate()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.SetSystemConfigurationObjectTask3.InternalValidate()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetExchangeVirtualDirectory1.InternalValidate()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetWebAppVirtualDirectory1.InternalValidate()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Management.SystemConfigurationTasks.SetOwaVirtualDirectory.InternalValidate()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.b__91_1()
at Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.Task.InvokeRetryableFunc(String funcName, Action func, Boolean terminatePipelineIfFailed)".
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0617] [1] [ERROR] The operation couldn't be performed because object 'Server2\OWA (Exchange Back End)' couldn't be found on 'DC-001.DOMAIN.local'.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0617] [1] [ERROR-REFERENCE] Id=ClientAccessOwaComponent___62bd834915a7470798aa47ba1f2b6800 Component=EXCHANGE14:\Current\Release\Shared\Datacenter\Setup
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0617] [1] Setup is stopping now because of one or more critical errors.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0617] [1] Finished executing component tasks.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0649] [1] Ending processing Install-ClientAccessRole
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0649] [0] CurrentResult console.ProcessRunInternal:198: 1
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0649] [0] CurrentResult launcherbase.maincore:90: 1
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0649] [0] CurrentResult console.startmain:52: 1
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0649] [0] CurrentResult SetupLauncherHelper.loadassembly:452: 1
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0649] [0] The Exchange Server setup operation didn't complete. More details can be found in ExchangeSetup.log located in the :\ExchangeSetupLogs folder.
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0649] [0] CurrentResult main.run:235: 1
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0649] [0] CurrentResult setupbase.maincore:396: 1
[03/05/2020 21:44:14.0649] [0] End of Setup

"

Appreciate any help and pointers in the direction to complete the setup.

Thanks in advance.