BES Express for Microsoft Exchange 5.0.2 MR 1

If you are using BES Express for Exchange Server you should check out, BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express for Microsoft Exchange Version 5.0 Service Pack 2 Maintenance Release 1.

This maintenance release should be tested and installed on to computers hosting BES Express, BlackBerry Administration Service, BlackBerry Attachment Service, BlackBerry MDS Connection Service or the BlackBerry Router.

 

Fixed Issues

“(DT 838289) In the initial release of BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express 5.0 SP2, users with BlackBerry® devices running
BlackBerry® 6 are not be able to browse to their organization's intranet sites. This occurs because BlackBerry 6 handles browser
transport selection using a different method than previous versions of the BlackBerry® Device Software.”

“In BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express 5.0 SP2 MR1, the MDS Browser Domains IT policy rule has been added. You can use
this IT policy rule to specify the domain of your organization's intranet sites. After you apply the IT policy to BlackBerry devices,
users with devices running BlackBerry 6 can browse to the domains that you specified.”

Using Autodiscover During a Migration

I came across the Autodiscover and Migration Issues post on the Migrationwiz.com Blog. It discusses a few options for working around Autodiscover issues when migrating between Exchange Orgs, typically to and from Hosted providers.

 

For some time now I have been using another method, which works very well and is great for longer term co-existence.

The Procedure

1. Setup DNS (private and public) for a sub domain on target Exchange Org and mailboxes. E.G. mail2.noak.es; autodiscover.mail2.noak.es; and daniel@mail2.noak.es.

2. Migrate the data.

3. Convert daniel@noak.es to a Mail User (strip the mailbox, retain proxyaddress etc) in the source Exchange Org.

4. Add the targetaddress (“External E-mail Address”) and proxyaddress Daniel@mail2.noak.es to Daniel@noak.es in the source Exchange Org.

This works because Autodiscover will fail on SCP records, but continue with other steps until it uses the targetaddress and will successfully connect to autodiscover.mail2.noak.es.

 

Below: Outlook 2010 using Autodiscover to resolve on an premise AD user to Hosted Exchange mailbox.

 

 

Below: Outlook 2010 configuration complete resolve to Hosted Exchange.

 

It is often easier to script this and working with the right suppliers this can be done. Both Cobweb and Migrationwiz.com have API’s available which we can use to automate most of the work. When combined with taking multiple passes (initial + delta) results in minimal disruption to end users.

 

With Exchange 2010 SP1 Hosting editions beginning to appear all of this will be taken care of natively with the addition of remote PowerShell using New-RemoteMoveRequest and user federation.

Outlook 2011 for Mac

Having played with Outlook 2011 and the rest Office for Mac I must say I am impressed over the 2008 editions. There is not the seamless feel between Windows and Mac I had hoped for.

I have already come across one slight niggle when setting up Outlook 2011 with Exchange Server, this has already caused a number of support cases. The User Name section suggests entering DOMAIN\SOMEONE, however depending on Exchange Server configuration this my need to be someone@emaildomain.com as it is with Cobweb.

I really like the delegation section, which is very simple and clear.

If you would like to test it with Exchange  Server contact Cobweb and we can help you out with a mailbox.

Easy Migration from Google Apps to Hosted Exchange

We use Migrationwiz.com almost exclusively for on-boarding (and when the need arises off-boarding) mailboxes to the Cobweb Hosted Exchange service. I have previously blogged about this, but it makes everything a lot simpler and overcomes a number of hurdles traditional on premise or PST migrations will encounter. Our customers have noticed and often comment on how smooth the whole process is.

A sticking point has been migrating from non-Exchange servers such as Google Apps where user credentials must be supplied for each mailbox. They have a fantastic password gathering service, which although secure has raised questions about sending users to a “new” web site requesting passwords. Well, this is no more thanks to a new addition on Migrationwiz.com enabling use of the Google Apps OAUTH domain key and secret to access mailbox data.

For more information on visit the Migrationwiz.com wiki, How do I migrate from Google using administrative credentials?

If you want someone to manage the migration for you and are looking for a Hosted Exchange provider head over to http://www.cobweb.com. If you fancy migrating yourself we all Cobweb Hosted Exchange settings are already loaded in to provider list on Migrationwiz.com.

Feel free to drop me a message if you need any other advice.

Entourage 2008 Autodiscover.xml and SSL Error

The Mac OS X operating system with Entourage 2008 messaging client may exhibit the following behaviour if the client Autodiscover lookup for https://domain.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml can be resolved, but is not an Exchange Server Autodiscover file.

Unable to establish a secure connection to domain.com because the correct root certificate is not installed

 

This seems to occur when the web server hosting https://domain.com/ has an untrusted or incorrect SSL certificate and the file https://domain.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml is accessible, but not in the correct format for Exchange Server Autodiscover.

 

The following solutions could be used to work around this:

· On the web server prevent resolution of https://domain.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml to a file.

· On the web server hosting https://domain.com/ install a valid SSL certificate from a public CA. Set a redirect on https://domain.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml to https://autodiscover.domain.com/autodiscover/autodiscover.xml hosted on the Exchange Server CAS role.

 

Where the above is not possible the following could be used:

· Set local hosts entry in the Mac OS X operating system for domain.com to resolve to 127.0.0.1 (Note: this will prevent browsing to http://domain.com  from the computer)