How to Simplify the Outlook Web Access URL

Users commonly request that a simpler URL for Outlook Web Access be made available for accessing their mailbox. This procedure configures a request sent to the root of the Web server (https://server/) to redirect to the Exchange virtual directory. For example, a request to https://mail/ is directed to https://mail/exchange/, which then triggers implicit logon.

Before You Begin

Before you perform the procedures in this topic, it is important that you first read "How a Front-End and Back-End Topology Works" in the Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange 2000 Server Front-End and Back-End Server Topology Guide.

To successfully complete the procedures in this topic, confirm the following:

• The front-end server has authentication enabled.

Procedure

To simplify the Outlook Web Access URL

1. Using the Internet Services Manager, open the properties for the Default Web Site.

2. Click the Home Directory tab, and then select A redirection to a URL.

3. In Redirect to, type /<directory name>, and then click A directory below URL entered. For example, to redirect https://mail/ requests to https://mail/exchange, in Redirect to, you would type /exchange.

If you want your users to use SSL to access their server, you can redirect client requests to https://mail**/<directory name>**. To require users to use SSL, In Redirect to, type https://mail/<directory name>, and then click A directory below URL entered. This setting hard codes the name of the server; therefore if you redirect client requests to https://mail, the client must be able to resolve the name mail.

For More Information

For more information about enabling authentication on the front-end server (also known as implicit logon), see "How a Front-End and Back-End Topology Works" in the Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange 2000 Server Front-End and Back-End Server Topology Guide.