08 Aug 08 RPC over HTTP/S with Exchange 2003
Most organizations using Exchange server 2003/2007 are configured to allow users to connect via Outlook Web Access over a secure socket layer interface (SSL) for sending/receiving email.
The web mail version of Outlook has come a long way since the Exchange 5.5 days. Each new version of Microsoft Exchange brings new and enhanced features to Outlook Web Access.
But some users (my self included) like the features and feel of using the full version of Microsoft Outlook for email/contacts and scheduling.
Exchange 2003 (SP1) has a feature that not many organizations use or care much about. It is called RPC over HTTP/S.
This allows you to connect to your organizations email server using the full version of Outlook over the Internet for all your email/scheduling needs.
Exchange 2003 Server Setup:
To set up Outlook to connect using RPC over HTTP/S, we first must install the feature on the Exchange server.
1.) Go to the Add/Remove Windows Components on your Exchange Server.
2.) Click on the Network Services, then add “RPC over HTTP Proxy”, then click finish.
This installation will create a virtual directory on the Internet Information Server default web site. Next, we will have to configure the security settings for this new virtual folder (RPC).
1.) Go the the IIS manager and expand the default web sites.
2.) Right click on RPC and choose properties and go the directory security tab.
3.) Click Edit under the “Authentication and access control”. Be sure to clear the “Enable Anonymous Access” checkbox and change to “Basic Authentication”.
Note: You will see a message warning you about password being transmitted with out encryption. You can click YES.
4.) Enter your domain name in the “default domain” section.
Once you have configured the the virtual directory, you must ensure that you use a SSL certificate on the RPC virtual directory. Most installations of Exchange server already have an SSL certificate for Outlook Web Access. You can use this certificate.
Note: You can configure the RPC proxy to use different ports on your installation. You can learn more on this here.
Setting Up Outlook for RPC over HTTP/S
You will need to have Outlook 2003 (SP1) or later to connect to Exchange over RPC.
1.) Configure a new user profile using the Microsoft Exchange option.
2.) Be sure to use the internal server name of your Exchange server in the setup. (This will cause a warning box to appear letting you know that it cannot contact your mail server. You can safely ignore this message).
3.) Enter the “More Settings” and click on the “Connections” tab. Be sure to check “Connect to my Exchange mailbox using HTTP”, then click on the “Exchange Proxy Settings”
4.) Enter your valid domain name (most often the one that is used for your web mail, the FQDN that was used to get the SSL Certificate). Click OK.
You now can test your connection to your Exchange server. If you have all your settings in order (you will be prompted with a login box), you will now be connected to your Exchange server over the Internet and using the full features of Microsoft Outlook.
You can find out more information regarding this post here and here.
