Accessing Outlook Using VPN Connectivity

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One of the long-supported methods of mobile connectivity to Exchange has been to set up a VPN client on the remote system and synchronize content between client and server. Exchange 2003 continues to support this method, and improvements in the Outlook 2003 client provide improvements in synchronization.

Outlook VPN synchronization enables users, typically with laptop computers, to access the same Outlook information whether they are connected to the LAN or working remotely from the network. When connected remotely, the user works offline and synchronizes his or her client content to the Exchange server.

VPN connectivity for Outlook is covered in depth in Chapter 25, "Getting the Most Out of the Microsoft Outlook Client," which provides best practices on how organizations implement remote access connectivity to Outlook and procedures for installing and configuring the client for synchronization.

Connecting Outlook over HTTP Proxy

New to Outlook 2003 and Exchange 2003 is the capability of synchronizing between the Exchange server and Outlook client without setting up a VPN connection. This new functionality is commonly referred to as MAPI over HTTP, RPC over HTTP, or HTTP Proxy. Effectively this functionality, which is new to Windows 2003, enables a user to establish a secured connection over HTTP for data synchronization. Rather than simply allowing secured browser access using SSL, HTTP Proxy provides an Outlook client to connect to an Exchange server for full Outlook synchronization.

Using HTTP Proxy eliminates the challenge of establishing a VPN connection that might otherwise have traditional VPN ports blocked by firewalls. HTTP Proxy is covered in depth in Chapter 25.

Using Outlook Web Access As a Remote Client

For mobile access to Exchange without the need of transporting mail with a laptop computer, Microsoft Exchange 2003 continues its support of a browser-based client with Outlook Web Access (OWA, pronounced "oh-wah"). Microsoft has drastically improved the OWA client with significant feature enhancements in the Web client, such as spell checker, rules, and preview mode. Many organizations have chosen to implement Outlook Web Access in Exchange Server 2003 as the primary client for users of Exchange because of the full features of the new OWA client.

OWA is good for home access because an IT organization does not have to arrange to install and support the full Outlook client on home systems, and OWA is a good solution for kiosk or Internet caf usage. Because OWA uses a standard browser over http port 80 or https port 443, there are few restrictions or limitations on client access to Exchange using OWA.

Implementing OWA in a server environment is covered in Chapter 10, "Outlook Web Access 2003," and the client piece of OWA is covered in Chapter 26, "Everything You Need to Know About Outlook Web Access Client."

Using Exchange ActiveSync for PDA Connectivity

New to Exchange is the capability of extending mobility from the user property page in Active Directory Users and Computers to enable more than just laptop synchronization and browser access and to include mobile synchronization with devices such as pocket PCs. In previous versions of Exchange, an organization that wanted to synchronize a Pocet PC device would either have users install ActiveSync software on their desktop and synchronize their Pocet PC devices individually, or purchase a third-party or add-on gateway product, such as Microsoft Mobile Information Server.

Figure 22.1. User property page for mobile configuration.

graphics/22fig01.gif

Exchange ActiveSync is built in to Exchange 2003 and supports the synchronization of Pocet PC PDAs, Pocet PC-enabled mobile phones, and SmartPhone devices. Pocket devices that have network connectivity ”whether Ethernet, wireless LAN, or mobile public network ”can securely synchronize to Exchange 2003. The synchronization connects mail, calendar, contacts, notes, and files linked between Exchange 2003 and the mobile device.

Exchange ActiveSync functionality is covered in more detail in the section "Leveraging Exchange ActiveSync for PDA Mobile Communications," later in this chapter.

Using Mobile Web Access for Wireless Phone Access

For mobile devices that are not operating under the Windows CE operating system for Pocet PC Exchange ActiveSync synchronization ”such as mobile phones ”Exchange 2003 supports mobile Web access by these devices. Mobile Web support in Exchange 2003 includes xHTML used in WAP 2.x devices, cHTML, and HTML browser-based device support. With the capability for HTML-type devices to access Exchange client information ”such as mail, calendar, contact, and other folder information ”users who rely on their mobile phone device can send and receive information directly with Exchange.

Chapter 24, "Configuring Client Systems for Mobility," covers the setup of mobile devices to access mobile Web information in Exchange. The basics of mobile Web access is covered in more detail in the section "Using Outlook Mobile Access for Browser-based Devices," later in this chapter.

Using Non-Windows Systems to Access Exchange

When mobile access to Exchange is required that does not fit any of the categories covered so far in this section, see Chapter 27, "Outlook for Non-Windows Systems," which provides alternatives. Mobile system access by non-Windows devices includes Apple Macintosh systems or Unix-based system access to Exchange.

Automatic Update on Mobile Devices

Key to Microsoft's strategy and offerings for mobile access is the ability for remote users to have access to all of their mail, calendar, contact, and Exchange information, regardless of where they are and what type of device they have available. Part of the strategy is to make sure that Exchange information is always up to date.

Rather than synchronizing information once a day and then working off a cached version for several hours, with the high likelihood that information will be grossly out of date by the next synchronization period, Exchange 2003 provides the ability to keep devices automatically updated throughout the day. In addition to enabling the user to pull down or request a synchronization of information at any time, technology has been built in to Exchange 2003 that pushes updated information to devices, even " waking up" the device ”using the Short Message Service (SMS) ”to accept updates that can keep important information readily available to the mobile user.

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Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Unleashed
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Unleashed (2nd Edition)
ISBN: 0672328070
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 393
Authors: Rand Morimoto

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