[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference chefs::ms-exchange

Title:Microsoft Exchange Server
Notice:
Moderator:FLASK2::SYSTEM
Created:Fri Feb 17 1995
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Thu Jun 05 1997
Number of topics:1099
Total number of notes:5174

974.0. "Remote RAS Service??!" by CHEFS::gjcpc.reo.dec.com::criddle () Wed Apr 02 1997 15:32

Hi...

I have a requirement to connect my Exchange Server to an existing site (in 
another company) to allow public folder replication of information relating to 
a project.

The mechanism being consired is RAS (as I do not have an X.25 card, and the 
systems sit the other sides of firewalls).

I have been advised that for security constraints it would be recommended to 
use the normal Digital RAS servers as opposed to simply connecting a modem to 
my server and using a 'spare' phone line.

Is this possible?

Presumably my system would need to be in the same domain as the Digital RAS 
server (or at least in a domain trusted by it).

As I would no longer be actually configuring the RAS service on my server, I 
would presumably need to configure an IP based connector and there would need 
to be some configuration to cause a connection to the remote MTA to go via the 
central RAS server which would then dial up the connection and so on.
This doesn't seem very realistic!!

Any thoughts appreciated.

Rgds,
Graham

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
974.1BBRDGE::LOVELL� l'eau; c'est l'heureThu Apr 03 1997 08:5526
    Hi Graham - longtime since we last spoke ....
    
    The scenario you describe seems full of potential hitches ;
    
    - The most interesting thing is *WHAT* do you want to connect your
      (presumably private) Easynet-based Exchange server to?  Presumably a 
      customer's Exchange network if you want to replicate public folders.
      As far as I understand, the public folder replication is based on
      Windows NT networking and therefore you would be bridging the two
      company WNT networks together.  
    
    - Secondly, you seem to want to initiate the connection from the 
      Digital side (questions about DIGITALn domain and trust
      relationships).  The trust relationship piece is quite easy to set up
      for incoming but I think you'll find that even if the corporate RAS 
      servers do allow dial-back (if authorised) it could be difficult to
      set them up to do RAS dial-out (sort of like reverse DECserver) which 
      is what you seem to want.
    
    - You seem to want to use a messaging (MTA) approach to the transfer.
      Is this possible with Exchange Public Folders?  I thought that
      the replication services (NTFS and Jet database management) took
      care of this.
    
    - I would expect there is a solution (perhaps based on tunneling) but
      that you would need an ExARC approval for what you describe.
974.2CHEFS::gjcpc.reo.dec.com::criddleThu Apr 03 1997 09:4953
Hi, Chris...

Good to hear from you again..

    
    The scenario you describe seems full of potential hitches ;
 
>>> Don't I know it!!!
   
    - The most interesting thing is *WHAT* do you want to connect your
      (presumably private) Easynet-based Exchange server to?  Presumably a 
      customer's Exchange network if you want to replicate public folders.
      As far as I understand, the public folder replication is based on
      Windows NT networking and therefore you would be bridging the two
      company WNT networks together.  

>>> Yes, I do want to link to a customer's Exchange network. However, I don't
>>> think that this equates to linking the two NT networks together.
>>> Public folder replication is based on messaging (not NT networking) and
>>> so (I think) so long as the Exchange servers are configured to be within
>>> the same Organisation, they can be configured in different sites and 
>>> connectors established between them. In this mode, replication of public
>>> folders should be possible to configured.
    
    - Secondly, you seem to want to initiate the connection from the 
      Digital side (questions about DIGITALn domain and trust
      relationships).  The trust relationship piece is quite easy to set up
      for incoming but I think you'll find that even if the corporate RAS 
      servers do allow dial-back (if authorised) it could be difficult to
      set them up to do RAS dial-out (sort of like reverse DECserver) which 
      is what you seem to want.

>>> Ideally from the Digital side, but not essential. The point about trust 
>>> relationships was that if I need to use the corporate RAS servers, then
>>> the official Digital NT domains will need to trust my domain.
    
    - You seem to want to use a messaging (MTA) approach to the transfer.
      Is this possible with Exchange Public Folders?  I thought that
      the replication services (NTFS and Jet database management) took
      care of this.

>>> As above, it's messaging based.
    
    - I would expect there is a solution (perhaps based on tunneling) but
      that you would need an ExARC approval for what you describe.

>>> Tunneling would be a nice route, but as you say there are approvals to 
>>> go through...
>>> Any thoughts...

Rgds,
Graham

974.3What about using an IMC ?CRIME::BIJAOUITomorrow Never KnowsThu Apr 03 1997 16:037
    Can't you setup your server as part of the other company's organization
    and use an IMC (IMS in 5.0) for setting up the connection and the
    public folder replication ? Because all is happening by mail, all you
    have to ensure is internet mail connectivity with the other site, which
    shouldn't be a big deal.
    
    Pierre.
974.4CHEFS::gjcpc.reo.dec.com::criddleThu Apr 03 1997 16:549
Hi, Pierre...

That sounds like an excellent idea!!

Many thanks..

Rgds,
Graham