Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Using the Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Administration Tool on SBS


By now you probably have a fleet of Windows Mobile 5.0 devices in the field, and you've been reading up on all the new security benefits that WM5.0 provides to your business, or your clients business. You get excited (as any good person would about solid security) and install the Using the Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync Web Administration Tool.

And that's when things seem to go wrong.

Not to worry! There is a solution for you!

First, open the IIS manager and ensure you still only have one default website. If you have two, then you should probably

  1. Un-install the web tool

  2. Copy down the IP address settings for the default website, and change them to All Unassigned

  3. Re-install the web tool

  4. Revert the IP address settings to what you had copied down before

Next, you'll want to check the ExAdmin virtual directory.

  1. Open IIS manager again (unless you never closed it)

  2. Check out the Directory Security in the Secure Communications tab, edit it and clear the Require secure channel (SSL) box.

Finally, we need to ensure the MobileAdmin virtual directory is running in the Exchange Application Pool

  1. Again in IIS Manager, expand default website and open the properties of the MobileAdmin virtual directory

  2. On the Virtual Directory tab, in Application Pool, select ExchangeApplicationPool

Phew! After all that you're good to go with mobile administration. Now you can again celebrate the best in mobile security using your SBS server as the centerpoint of that security.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

How do you "Un-install the web tool" ?

The first time I installed this, i noticed a second "Default Web Site" was created... so after some frustration, i simply deleted the second default website.

Now when I try to install this tool again, it says successful - but neither a 2nd default website is created, nor does it appear within my existing website.

Any ideas? Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Well. I resolved it.

I manually created a virtual directory, pointing to the directory within c:\program files... and that worked perfectly.

As for uninstalling, i later stumbled upon the uninstall tool in the add/remove programs area... duh, how did i overlook that!?

Colby

Anonymous said...

I get the website but it does not work. it give me an error when I try to look at a mail box. active sync is workin but not web admin.

any other ideas?

Sean Daniel said...

You'll have to be more specific on the errors your receiving and what you're doing. Were you sure to follow all the instructions on the website on how to configure web admin?

Anonymous said...

Wow...thanks for your post on this, Sean. I encountered this scenario and your directions were great. Problem solved...

Guys like you, Susan, Merv, Eriq, et al make SBS a pleasure to admin.

Thanks again,

Sean

Unknown said...

Why do you need to clear the SSL requirement in the ExAdmin virtual directory?

(I note this is enabled, looking at two different SBS 2003 R2 Premium installs) by default).

Cheers, Duncan.

Anonymous said...

Excellent, this is the first time i have even opened IIS and your intructions are so much clearer than the ones that came with the tool. It's almost like Microsoft give only half the info so you are forced to take official Microsoft training.

Thanks,

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU! Your instructions solved my problem. I had the problem of duplicate default websites in IIS when installing the tool. I uninstalled via add/remove, deleted the now empty duplicate website in IIS, changed my original default website to "all unassigned", reinstalled - all according to your directions and voila! Made my day!