server address

[agostino]

I use O2007 and sbs2003 exchange.
The server address field is: "my-server.mycompany.LOCAL"
But netstat detects that the connection is done on the public address
(81.174.62.xxx)
I expect that it resolves the address as a local ip address. Where does it
get the external address?

tnx in advance
Agostino
cedapsrl

 

[Roady [MVP]]

It all depends what kind of connection you are making. Probably you are
making a connection via Outlook Anywhere now.
The internal name reported in Outlook does not have to be the same as the
name linked to the external IP address.

It could also be a simply network/firewall configuration error. Without
knowing any details about the infrastructure, it is impossible to tell
what's going on for sure.

 

[agostino]

The infrastructure is the simplest possible, so i've omitted the details.
The sbs has just one interface, connected to my private lan
(ip=192.168.0.xxx).
The enterprise firewall nats the incoming http, https and smtp connection to
my exchange server.
So, in 'non microsoft' mail world a name is resolved in just one way:
trought dns name.

Here, the impression is that there is a more sophisticated mechanism doing
something.
It is also less clear to understand.
Does it exist a documentation of this mechanism?
tnx for your reply
agostino

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Have you or have you not configured Outlook with the Outlook Anywhere
settings?
Look in your account settings.

You are turning things around now and are assuming that
my-server.mycompany.LOCAL resolves to the public interface as well. You have
not verified that via netstat or a ping. All you've verified is that the
connection that is being made via Outlook is done to your public interface.
This is a perfectly normal situation when you've set Outlook to always
connect via Outlook Anywhere.

 

[agostino]

You are turning things around now
???
From my first message:

But netstat detects that the connection is done on the public address

So, netstat has been done.

my-server.mycompany.LOCAL gives the private address, as it should.

thanks anyway

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Netstat revealed that you are connecting to the public address. You have not
verified which exact name you are connecting to. My guess is that you have
configured Outlook to connect via Outlook Anywhere and set that as the
default. This is why I already asked in my first reply if you have done
that. I repeated that question in my second reply to you and you still
haven't answered that.

Looking up this setting will most likely confirm my assumption that you are
connecting via Outlook Anywhere which also explains why you are connecting
to the external address and not to the internal one. Don't configure Outlook
to connect via Outlook Anywhere and you'll see that you'll now also connect
via the internal address and not the external address.

 

[agostino]

Unfortunatly I have a localized version of outlook, where "Outlook Anywhere"
is never mentioned.
In the system control panel, i have the email settings icon, i open the
correct profile, then, in the email tab i have "Microsoft Exchange", i click
on "Change" button (the third one), then in Advanced (bottom right),
Connection tab i see a section on the bottom of the dialog, wich is called
"Outlook via Internet".
The flag "Connect to Exchange through Internet" is checked. Clicking on the
button "Exchange proxy settings" i see the public dns name of my exchange
server:
https://mail.mycompany.com
The authentication is set to 'base authentication'.
So i guess the following thought, correct me if i'm wrong.
Configuring outlook in order to access an exchange server is a matter of
proxying rather than accessing directly.
The client is first connecting to a proxy, and from that to the inner server
using the server's netbios name (well proxy and server are actually the same
machine). That's why you keep indicating the server with it's internal
netbios-name. The public dns name is actually the name of the proxy for the
rpc over https encapsulation.

thanks
agostino

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Almost. The "Outlook via Internet" option is a way to still be able to
contact the Exchange server when you are away from the network that the
Exchange server is on. This option makes sense if you are using a laptop and
you are indeed trying to connect to the Exchange server when you are away.

If you do not want that, if you do not have a need for it or simply prevent
it from happening internally, you can either disable that option or add a
DNS entry in your local DNS server which resolves the external name to the
internal IP address.

If the option is disabled, then Outlook will try to make an Exchange
connection directly via the internal address and name. Generally speaking,
Outlook would do this even when the option is selected and will try to
locate the Exchange server internally instead of externally. The last option
is usually preferred in managed environments since it then doesn't matter to
which option Outlook is set on all of the clients.