Simplifying the Outlook Web App 2010 URL
Some of you probably wonder how you can simplify the Outlook Web App (OWA) URL on your Exchange 2010 Client Access servers?
With IIS 7.0 at our disposal, it’s much simpler than it was with Exchange 2007 installed on Windows Server 2003. Just like its the case with Exchange 2007 installed on Windows Server 2008, you no longer need to use an IIS redirect HTML file. Instead, you can use the “HTTP Redirect” feature in IIS 7.0.
You can find this by clicking on the Default Web Site in the IIS Manager as shown below.
Clicking on “HTTP Redirect” brings you to the below screen. Here you should check “Redirect requests to this destination” and enter the absolute path to OWA (e.g. https://mail.exchangelabs.dk/owa). Also make sure you check “Only redirect requests to content in this directory (not subdiretories) and make sure the selected status code is “Found (302)”. Then click “Apply”.
Because any redirection configured on the Default Web Site is propagated to the lower-level vdirs, you must remove the redirection setting on all existing vdirs. You do this by click on each vdir and opening the “HTTP Redirect” button. Now simply uncheck “Redirect requests to this destination” followed by clicking “Apply”.
There’s only one more step and that is to disable the SSL requirement on the Default Web Site. This is done by selecting the Default Web Site and clicking on the SSL button in the Features View as shown below.
On the SSL Settings page, uncheck “Require SSL”.
If you don’t uncheck the SSL requirement, you will get an HTTP 403 Forbidden: Access is denied error.
Now open the Exchange Management Shell or a Command Prompt window, and issue an “IISReset /noforce”
Finally let’s test whether automatic redirection works properly. To do so let’s launch our favorite browser supported by OWA Premium (Internet Explorer, Safari or Firefox) and enter: mail.domain.com (in my example mail.exchangelabs.dk) and viola:
Note
If you’re transitioning from Exchange 2003, make sure you don’t remove the pre-configured redirect setting on the /Exchange, /ExchWeb, and /Public vdirs.
Cheers,
Henrik Walther
Technology Architect/Writer
MCM: Exchange 2007 | MVP: Exchange Architecture
MCITP: EMA + EA | MCSE: M + S | TechNet Influent
Ramy Mahmoud Says:
September 23rd, 2009 at 5:03 am
Simplify More by editing the 403 error page >
1) In IIS 7, click on the Default Website
2) Click on Error Pages
3) Click on 403, and selected Edit
4) Click on the Respond with a 302 Redirect radio button, and inserted the URL to OWA.
jumrat Says:
September 24th, 2009 at 12:27 am
Can we apply for ISA Server 2006 Enterprise Publish Exchange 2007 or 2010 Client Access server NLB?
How to work?
Henrik Walther Says:
September 24th, 2009 at 12:31 am
Jumrat: It works fine when CAS servers are in an NLB, but when you’re publishing Exchange 2010 services via ISA Server you should consider doing the re-direction in ISA instead.
manjeet Says:
September 25th, 2009 at 2:54 am
this is helpful i need more like this
many -100 thanks
Koi Says:
October 7th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Thanks for the guide.
If you redirect the default webpage to the OWA, this also changes other webpage to redirect. Will this impact the offline address book publishing to the OAB virtual directory which is obviously re-directed to the OWA page now.
Regards.
Henrik Walther Says:
October 7th, 2009 at 7:40 am
If you mean virtual directories then yes these will by default inherit this setting. But if you read the post we’re changing this behaviour by unticking redirection on the virtual directories.