Chapter Summary

When you connect your Exchange 2000 Server environment to the Internet, your users will instantly be able to communicate with users from other Internet organizations—provided that MX records exist in DNS for your Internet domain. Your users will also be able to access their mailboxes and public folders via popular Internet mail clients and Web browsers.

The IIS of Windows 2000 manages all Internet client protocol engines. The SMTP and NNTP services are integrated with Exchange 2000 Server. The Exchange 2000 Setup program adds the IMAP4 and POP3 protocol engines to the IIS process in addition. LDAP is supported directly by Windows 2000 Active Directory.

On the server, you manage Internet protocol settings primarily with the Exchange System Manager, with one exception: The default HTTP virtual server must be managed in the Internet Services Manager to remain compatible with existing non-Exchange Web sites. However, the creation of additional virtual servers, the adjustment of virtual server settings, and the configuration of newsgroups and the Web Storage System must be carried out using the Exchange System Manager utility.

On the client, you can work with a variety of Internet-aware programs, such as POP3 and IMAP4 clients, newsreaders, or even Windows Explorer, to access Exchange 2000 resources. The Web Storage System, accessible via HTTP and WebDAV, can provide new avenues for cross-platform collaboration using virtually any application, including Microsoft Office and other Win32 programs.