RPC over HTTP
We are setting up a new office and need to implement rpc over http. All the back end configuration on the server has been done and the client machines can connect to the exchange server through a vpn. We want to eliminate the vpn hence the need for RPC. I went ahead and set up all the outlook 2003 clients with the correct server information and installed the server certificate on them as well but it will not connect. The server certificate says exchange.mydomain.com but it says it was issued by server5.mydomain.com. My question is do the issued to field and the issued by field have to be the same? If that is the case I would need to change my CA to the exchange server, correct? Thanks in advance.
ASKER
Yes you are correct, those are the current settings.
I presume this is a self generated certificate?
The first thing I would suggest is that you use a commercial SSL certificate. I have spent many hours trying to get the feature to work with home grown, only to switch to a commercial SSL certificate and have it working in minutes. When you can get an SSL certificate for US$20, it seems silly to spend hours trying to get it to work.
Have you tested the feature internally to ensure that it is connecting over HTTPS?
Simon.
The first thing I would suggest is that you use a commercial SSL certificate. I have spent many hours trying to get the feature to work with home grown, only to switch to a commercial SSL certificate and have it working in minutes. When you can get an SSL certificate for US$20, it seems silly to spend hours trying to get it to work.
Have you tested the feature internally to ensure that it is connecting over HTTPS?
Simon.
Enable OWA temporarily and see if you can connect to the site: https:\\exchange.mydomain.com\exchange without sing a certificate warning. If you can, the correct certificate is installed on the workstation(s).
Double-check the server configuration. Open ESM, expand as needed, right-click on the server name choose Properties. Click on the RPC-HTTP tab and confirm that the first radio button is NOT selected (one of the others should be).
If all seems well, try starting outlook from the command line as follows: "outlook.exe /rpcdiag" (no quotes) and see if there are any clues in the RPC diagnostics window.
Double-check the server configuration. Open ESM, expand as needed, right-click on the server name choose Properties. Click on the RPC-HTTP tab and confirm that the first radio button is NOT selected (one of the others should be).
If all seems well, try starting outlook from the command line as follows: "outlook.exe /rpcdiag" (no quotes) and see if there are any clues in the RPC diagnostics window.
ASKER
I checked the rpc-http settings in ESM and see that the first option IS check, but the second one is greyed out and the only other option is to have this server as a backend server. The problem is there is only one exchange server in the entire domain and this is it.
Choose the third option - that's the correct choice.
ASKER
Ok, chose the third option then it says that ports are not configured properly on the server, if i click yes it will change the ports for me, then it needs to reboot. I have not problem doing this as long as it does not affect the rest of the organization's e-mail after the change is complete.
This is going to make the needed changes to allow RPC over HTTP to access the GC and Information Store. You used to have to do this manually but thanks to E2K3 SP1, we now have this tab to help with the configuration.
To put your mind at ease, look through this piece by Daniel Petri: http://www.petri.co.il/configure_rpc_over_https_on_a_single_server.htm Scroll down to the section:
Configure all your global catalogs to use specific ports for RPC over HTTP for directory services
To put your mind at ease, look through this piece by Daniel Petri: http://www.petri.co.il/configure_rpc_over_https_on_a_single_server.htm Scroll down to the section:
Configure all your global catalogs to use specific ports for RPC over HTTP for directory services
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
Hey Sembee we went ahead and purchased a certificate and set it up on our server, imported it into the client workstations but the connection still does not work.
ASKER
Sembee you were right in the end, i did have to change the registry keys manually. Thanks so much for you help.
ASKER
Hey Sembee, just one more question. On other systems we have set this up on there was always an option to save the password when it prompted you. It would never save the password but it would save the domain. Is there a setting that needs to be checked in order for this to happen?
I have never seen a save password option for Outlook with RPC over HTTPS.
Simon.
Simon.
No comment has been added to this question in more than 21 days, so it is now classified as abandoned.
I will leave the following recommendation for this question in the Cleanup Zone:
Accept Sembee's comment as answer
Any objections should be posted here in the next 4 days. After that time, the question will be closed.
f_o_o_k_y Experts Exchange Cleanup Volunteer
I will leave the following recommendation for this question in the Cleanup Zone:
Accept Sembee's comment as answer
Any objections should be posted here in the next 4 days. After that time, the question will be closed.
f_o_o_k_y Experts Exchange Cleanup Volunteer
Forced accept.
Computer101
EE Admin
Computer101
EE Admin
Use this URL to connect to my proxy server for exchange:
exchange.mydomain.com
Mutually authenticate the session with SSL (checked)
Principal name for proxy server: msstd:exchange.mydomain.co
No check in "On fast networks, connect using HTTP first"
Check in "On slow networks connect using HTTP first"
Authentication set to basic.