Protocol Virtual Servers in Exchange Server 2003

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Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 includes protocol virtual servers, several of which provide client access. Protocol virtual servers rely on Internet Information Services (IIS) and Active Directory directory service for their operations and services. By default, Exchange Server 2003 Setup creates the following protocol virtual servers:

  • Exchange Virtual Server   Enabled by default, this virtual server includes several virtual directories: Exadmin, Exchange, Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync, Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile Access and public. It provides WebDAV access to Exchange mailbox and public folder data in Outlook Web Access, Microsoft Outlook Mobile Access, and Exchange ActiveSync users.

  • IMAP4 Virtual Server   Disabled by default, this virtual server provides IMAP4 client access to Exchange mailbox and public folder data.

  • NNTP Virtual Server   Disabled by default, this virtual server provides NNTP client access to Exchange public folder data.

  • POP3 Virtual Server   Disabled by default, this virtual server provides POP3 client access to Exchange mailbox data.

  • SMTP Virtual Server   Enabled by default, this virtual server provides SMTP messaging services.

Exchange Server 2003 installs and manages the POP3 and Internet Message Access Protocol version 4rev1 (IMAP4) client access protocols, but uses the SMTP and NNTP protocol stacks provided by IIS. SMTP is discussed in detail in SMTP Transport Architecture. This section focuses on the other Internet client access protocols: HTTP, IMAP4, POP3, and NNTP.

This section discusses the following concepts:

  • How Exchange 2003 Integrates with IIS   IIS and Exchange 2003 are tightly integrated through the use of protocol stubs and a shared memory queue. The implications of this integration, as they relate to deploying, managing, and troubleshooting messaging services are discussed throughout this section.

  • Internet Standard Client Access Protocols, including HTTP, NNTP, IMAP4, and POP3   You must understand the way in which Exchange Server 2003 protocol virtual servers use Internet protocols for client access to Exchange data and services.

  • The Architecture of RPC over HTTP   Remote procedure call (RPC) over HTTP enables Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 clients to securely connect to an Exchange server over the Internet using Microsoft Exchange MAPI transport services. This section discusses how RPC over HTTP works and how to implement it in your organization.

  • Exchange Mobility Features   Exchange 2003 includes new mobility features such as Outlook Mobile Access and Exchange Server ActiveSync, both of which are also implemented as protocol virtual servers. This section discusses how these features work and how to implement them in your organization.