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The current article, is the first article in a series of four articles, which will dedicate
to a detailed review of the client protocol connectivity flow in
Exchange 2013/2010coexistence environment.
So get ready to dive into the wonderful world of Exchange 2013 and Exchange
2010 coexistence!
1. Exchange 2010 client when we mention the term: Exchange 2010 client, the
meaning is Exchange client that his mailbox is hosted on the Exchange 2010
mailbox server.
2. Exchange CAS 2013 or CAS2013 or New York Public facing Exchange CAS in
our scenario, the Exchange 2013 coexistence environment is implemented by
adding Exchange CAS 2013 infrastructure to the headquarter company: the New
York site. The New York Exchange 2013 CAS server will serve as a main point or
focal point for external Exchange client and for internal Exchange clients as an:
Autodiscover Endpoint.
To clarify the essence of the relationships, between the Exchange 2013 CAS server
and his Exchange 2010 clients, we can define three major responsibilities of
Exchange 2013 CAS server to his Exchange 2010 clients (and Exchange 2013 clients).
We can classify the responsibilities of Exchange CAS to his Exchange client into two
major sections:
Section 1: providing access to a users mailbox
The most basic and essential service that Exchange 2013 CAS provides to his
Exchange clients (legacy or non-legacy Exchange client) is the ability to get access to
the content of their mailbox.
In an Exchange environment, the only way that Exchange client can use for access
Exchange mailbox content is, by addressing the Exchange CAS server, which will
handle his request and mediate between the Exchange mail client and his
Exchange Mailbox server (in our scenario, the mailbox that is hosted by Exchange
2010 Mailbox server).
To be more specific about the term: providing mailbox access, in an Exchange
2013 coexistence environment, the Exchange CAS server is responsible for
providing mailbox access to three different types of mail clients:
1. Web mail client (OWA)
2. ActiveSync mail client (Mobile)
3. Outlook mail client
Section 2: Autodiscover services
The Autodiscover services
Exchange 2010 clients will contact Exchange CAS 2013 by default and the behind
the Scenes the Exchange CAS 2013 will fetch the Autodiscover information from
an Exchange CAS 2010 server.
Exchange 2010 clients will access their mailboxes that are hosted on the Exchange
2010 mailbox server via the mediation of Exchange CAS 2013 server. In other
words, Exchange 2013 CAS will proxy all of the Exchange 2010 client to the legacy
Exchange infrastructure (Exchange CAS 2010).
The element that generates the Autodiscover information is the Exchange 2010 CAS
and the element the physically provide the Autodiscover information to the
Exchange 2010 clients is, the Exchange 2013 CAS.
To recap:
Exchange 2010 clients will address the Exchange CAS 2013 server when they
need Autodiscover information. In other words, Exchange 2010 clients relate to
the Exchange 2013 CAS as: Autodiscover Endpoint.
Exchange CAS server proxy the requests to Exchange 2010 CAS.
The Exchange 2010 CAS generates the Autodiscover response.
The New York site includes Exchange 2013 Public facing server.
The Madrid site includes Exchange 2010 Public facing server.
To demonstrate the concept of: primary Public facing Exchange site, that holds
the role of public Autodiscover Endpoint, lets use the following scenario:
In case that the external Exchange client belong to site 1, the Public facing
Exchange CAS server sends Autodiscover information that includes information
about public Exchange resources from site 1.
In case that the external Exchange client belong to site 2, the Public facing
Exchange CAS server sends Autodiscover information that includes information
about public Exchange resources from site 2 and so on.
The primary Public facing Exchange CAS and access to mailbox data services
In a scenario that the external Exchange client needs access to his mailbox, the
Public facing Exchange CAS server from site 1 that serves until now, as: public
Autodiscover Endpoint, start to act as a Smart Router that handles the Exchange
client requests for mailbox access.
Scenario 1: In case that the external Exchange client belong to site 1, the Public
facing Exchange CAS server will proxy the external Exchange client request to the
internal Exchange infrastructure
In case that the external Exchange client belong to site 2, there are a couple of
passable scenarios.
Scenario 1: in case that the Exchange client from site 2 is an: Outlook client, the
external Outlook client will contact the public representative of his site such as
the Public facing Exchange CAS server of site 2 (based upon the Autodiscover
information that he got in the former phase).
Scenario 2: in case that the Exchange client form site 2 is ActiveSync client, the
New York Public facing Exchange CAS will Proxy the client request to the Madrid
Public facing Exchange CAS
Scenario 3: in case that the Exchange client form site 2 is OWA client, the New
York Public facing Exchange CAS will send a redirection command to the OWA
client that will redirect the OWA client browser to the Madrid Public facing
Exchange CAS.
In the following diagram, we can see the process in which the New York Public
facing
Exchange CAS accepts the external Exchange client communication request and,
based upon the type and the Exchange CAS server location, decide how to handle
the request.
The second Title of the Exchange 2013 CAS after he fulfills his job as a central
Autodiscover Endpoint is to serve as a Smart, Router, that will handle the external
Exchange mail client requests and, based on the unique charters of the scenario,
choose the best next step.
In the following diagram, we can see an example of the different methods, which
the Exchange 2013 CAS can choose when he gets a connection\service requests
from external and internal Exchange 2010 clients.
In the following diagram, we can see an example of the different methods, which
the Exchange 2013 CAS can choose when he gets a connection\service requests
from external and internal Exchange 2010 clients.
The Exchange 2013 CAS can choose one of the following methods for serving the
Exchange clients:
1. Exchange 2013 CAS can choose to proxy the request to: a local Exchange 2010
CAS such as in a scenario that Exchange client 2010 Outlook and ActiveSync
need access to their mailbox (Number1).
2. Exchange 2013 CAS can choose the proxy to the request to: remote Exchange
2010 CAS that is located on a different Active Directory site. This operation
described as: cross site proxy (Number2 + 3).
3. Exchange 2013 CAS can choose a combination of methods such as: send a
redirection command to the external OWA client + Proxy the user credentials to
Exchange 2010 CAS, in a scenario of an OWA client and regional namespace
(Number 4).
4. Exchange 2013 CAS can choose to proxy the request to Exchange 2013 Mailbox
server in a scenario of Exchange 2013 client that needs access to his mailbox
(Number 5).
I use the term: matrix because, in a complex Exchange environment, the number
of the client protocol connectivity flow scenarios could be huge.
To be able to make it more digestible, we can reduce the optional client protocol
connectivity flow scenario, into to six major scenarios.
The six major scenarios can be divided into two groups:
1. External Exchange 2010 clients passable scenarios
In the following diagram, we can see the three major optional scenarios, for
External Exchange 2010 clients in an Exchange 2013/2010 coexistence
environment.
The common denominator for all the different scenarios, is that the journey of the
Exchange 2010 clients, begins at the Public facing Exchange CAS server of New York
site.
The rest of the flow, depends upon the location of the Exchange 2010 Mailbox
server who hosts the user mailbox.
Scenario 1 Exchange 2010 user, which his mailbox is hosted on Exchange 2010
Mailbox server at the New York site.
The New York Public facing Exchange CAS server will handle the external
Exchange 2010 by Proxy his request to the internal Exchange CAS 2010.
Scenario 2 Exchange 2010 user, which his mailbox is hosted on Exchange 2010
Mailbox server in Los Angles site (non-Public facing Exchange site).
Because there is no option for a direct connection to the Exchange server in Los
Angles site, the Public facing Exchange CAS server from the New York site, will
accept the Exchange 2010 client request and forward (Proxy) the request to the
nearest Exchange 2010 CAS server.
In our scenario, the nearest Exchange 2010 CAS server is located in the same
Active Directory as the Exchange CAS 2013 server.
Scenario 3 Exchange 2010 user, which his mailbox is hosted on Exchange 2010
Mailbox server at the Madrid site (a Public facing Exchange site).
At a first glance, this scenario looks a little strange because its not obvious why the
Madrid Exchange 2010 client connects the Public facing Exchange 2013 CAS server
in New York site, instead of connecting his Madrid Exchange CAS server.
The answer is that the New York Public facing Exchange CAS act as a public
Autodiscover Endpoint.
The Exchange clients are not aware to their physical location. The element that
will enable them access to their mailbox or provide them an instruction how to
get to their destination, meaning the Public facing Exchange CAS server who could
serve them is the New York Public facing Exchange CAS.
When a Madrid external Exchange client address the New York Public facing
Exchange CAS as an Autodiscover Endpoint, the New York Public facing Exchange
CAS recognizes that the user mailbox is hosted on Madrid site and sends him
Autodiscover response that includes the public name of the Madrid Public facing
Exchange CAS server: europe.mail.o365info.com
2. Internal Exchange 2010 clients passable scenarios
In the following table, we can see the three major optional scenarios, for internal
Exchange 2010 clients in an Exchange 2013/2010 coexistence environment.
In the following diagram, we can see the representation of the different internal
client protocol connectivity flow that can be implemented in the internal (nonpubic) Exchange environment.
Scenario 4 Exchange 2010 user, which his mailbox is hosted on Exchange 2010
Mailbox server at the Madrid site.
The charter of this scenario is a company site that uses the Exchange 2010 legacy
infrastructure and doesnt include Exchange 2013 servers.
For the Madrid Exchange 2010 clients, the client protocol connectivity flow is
implemented as a combination of the Exchange 2013 infrastructure and the local
Exchange 2010 infrastructure.
The Autodiscover service will be provided by the Exchange 2013 CAS (the
Exchange 2013 CAS in the New York headquarters site).
Madrid Exchange 2010 mail client such as: Outlook, ActiveSync and OWA will
access their Exchange 2010 mailboxes via local Exchange 2010 CAS.
Web services for Exchange 2010 clients, such as Outlook, will be provided by the
local Madrid Exchange 2010 CAS.
Scenario 5 Exchange 2010 user, which his mailbox is hosted on Exchange 2010
Mailbox server at the New York site.