OWA w/o front-end/back-end

[anawrocki]

I am going to be adding a second E2K server and moving half of the users to it so that we have our risk spread out a little bit. This is strait forward and easy.

But my question is this,

Does anyone know a way to have a single url for OWA when you have two E2K servers without a front-end/back-end configuration. I do not want to buy a 3rd Exchange server and License just so there is a single url.

 

[mcsdphf12]

Have you looked at any of Microsoft's load balancing solutions? I am not sure if OWA can utilize these features but it would be worth looking.

Front-end servers (while expensive for the Exchange Enterprise Server license) are worth it for the ability to offload the SSL overhead from your main mailbox storage servers.. Also, when implemented correctly they can make things a "little" more secure.

Just my $.02..

Hunter

 

[anawrocki]

Load Balencing will not work because as I understand it OWA in default form requires a URL the points to the mail server on which the mail box resides. So if LB decided to redirect to the wrong mail server OWA will not work.

The front end server is smart enough to know which mail server to redirect the request to.

 

[Evilbart]

owa knows from the directory where the mailbox resides and switch automatically to the correct server

nothing to worry about ;-)

//Bart

 

[anawrocki]

That is awsome. I had an exchange instructor tell me that there was no way to have a single url without a front-end server.

I will be building the new server shortly and can not wait to give it a try.

Anything special needed from a TCP/IP perspective on the second server? (other then the normal port 25,80,443)?

Or do I even need to open 80 & 443 externaly for server2? Is all of the http & https traffic going to flow thru server1?

 

[Evilbart]

i think i misunderstood something here

this was for a front-end setup.

From what i understand is that you have some kind of FW that does portforwarding to your (currently) only owa/mailserver. (this is for the external world access)

when you add a second server and you try owa internal it will change automatically to the correct server

from external that may not work (i'm not sure, i don't have all the equipment ;-))
you can change IIS to run on port 8080 or 81 and tell your users that are on the second server to go to

http://webmail.domain.tld:8080/exchange

or so

i'm not that sure about my suggestion, i can be wrong but then i will be corrected by the community here ;-)

//Bart

 

[anawrocki]

I will let you know how it turns out. I should know in a day or two. Worst case scenario the users on Server2 will need to remember a new url.

 

[Evilbart]

as far as i can find info the suggestion i made makes sense in a way ...

I'm awaiting your feedback ;-)

//Bart

 

[anawrocki]

As near as I can tell it can not be done without a front end server. So what I have decided to do is just make the users I move remember a new url for the new mail server.

I will edit the error in IIS that comes up when they hit the old url and the mail box is not there. The error will either display the new url or redirect them.

 

[Evilbart]

nice solution!

thx for the feedback

//Bart

 

[anawrocki]

I take it back, I may have it working but I won't be able to fully test it until I get my SSL Cert installed.

More Later

 

[anawrocki]

OK,

Out of the box, E2K does redirect you to the correct server if you hit OWA on the wrong server. Assuming that your IIS Security and DNS are set up in such a way to allow for it.

One small anoyance is that you have to log on twice because you end up hitting two different servers, however it will get the job done for those who can not remember that they were moved to a different server.