Remote E-mail Access with Outlook 2003 Using RPC over HTTPS Information Services now offers full remote access to your Exchange e-mail, calendar, contacts, etc. via the Outlook client without having to use the Virtual Private Networking software. For those users who need the full Outlook client at home, or for those who have a laptop that they use both at work and away, the new Outlook RPC over HTTPS technology provides the perfect solution. Please note that with this solution, you can access your e-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, etc. if they are stored on the Exchange server and/or if they are stored in a.pst file local to the machine you plan to use remotely. You cannot access.pst files stored on a WFUBMC network drive or on your WFUBMC desktop computer with this solution. In order to take advantage of this new solution, your computer must meet the following prerequisites: 1. You must be running the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. 2. You must be running Microsoft Outlook 2003. 3. You need to install a Microsoft patch obtained by going to the following URL: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;331320&product=out2003. Once your machine meets the prerequisites above, you may continue on to the Accessing the Mail Control Panel section of this document to begin the configuration process. If you do not have all of the software required, thanks to WFUBMC s licensing agreements with Microsoft, you can purchase Windows XP or Outlook 2003 for home use at substantially discounted prices. Employees of WFUHS can purchase these titles at the WFUSM Bookstore. NCBH employees can purchase the needed software through the Home Use Program and the Employee Purchase Program. Information on these NCBH-only programs is available at http://infinet.wfubmc.edu/hdesk/ncbh_ms_home_use.htm. Accessing the Mail Control Panel: 1. Begin the configuration process by going to the Mail Control Panel. 2. On the client computer where Outlook 2003 is installed, click Start, and then click Control Panel. 3. If Control Panel is in Category view and thus there is no mail icon to select, click the Switch to Classic View link at the top left.
4. Category View looks like the screen below.
5. Classic View looks like the screen below. You will need to be in this view to continue. 6. Double-click the Mail icon (which is highlighted above). If you are already using the installation of Outlook 2003 on this computer, then skip to the section of this document titled, Modifying an Existing Profile. Otherwise, continue on to the next section titled Adding a New Profile.
Adding a New Profile: 1. Click the Show Profiles button in the bottom right hand corner. 2. Click Add and then type a descriptive name for the profile. Continue by clicking OK. 3. Click Add a new e-mail account, and then click Next.
4. Click Microsoft Exchange Server, and then click Next.
5. The next screen will look like the one below. Please follow the directions below and change the user name field to your user name. 6. In the Microsoft Exchange Server box, type the name of your Exchange computer. This will be exchvs2.medctr.ad.wfubmc.edu. 7. Leave the Use Cached Exchange Mode check box selected. In the User Name box, type the name of the user account that you want to use, and then click More Settings. ***Outlook may try to resolve the user name and the host name of the Exchange computer. If you receive an error message or if a Check Name dialog box appears, click Cancel. 8. Please skip to the Configuring Outlook 2003 to Run with RPC over HTTPS section of this document.
Modifying an Existing Profile: 1. If you are already using Outlook 2003 on this computer to check your WFUBMC e- mail while you are in the office, you should be able to modify your existing profile to support RPC over HTTPS providing that you have installed the patch specified in the prerequisites section of this document. 2. To modify an existing profile, click the E-mail Accounts button in the Mail Setup window.
3. The E-mail Accounts window will appear. Make certain that View or change existing e-mail accounts is selected and click Next.
4. Another E-mail Accounts window will appear (shown below). Be sure to select Microsoft Exchange Server under Name and then click the Change button. Please note that it is absolutely critical that the Deliver new e-mail to the following location: item on this screen read Mailbox Your Name or Private Folders. If it reads, Personal Folders or Archive Folders all of the e-mail you have on the server will be copied to your computer and removed from the server. If you have this problem, the Help Desk (6-HELP) can walk you through correcting it.
5. A third E-mail Accounts (shown below) window will appear. You will now need to follow the instructions in the Configuring Outlook 2003 to Run with RPC over HTTPS section of this document.
Configuring Outlook 2003 to Run with RPC over HTTPS: 1. In the E-mail Accounts box now displayed on your screen, click the More Settings button. 2. After clicking the More Settings button you will be presented with the screen below. Please follow the directions to select the correct configuration. 3. In the Microsoft Exchange Server dialog box, click the Connection tab. 4. Click Connect using Internet Explorer's or a 3rd party dialer, click to select the Connect to my Exchange mailbox using HTTP check box, and then click Exchange Proxy Settings.
5. After clicking the Exchange Proxy Settings button, the screen below will appear. Please follow the provided directions to select the correct configuration. 6. In the Use this URL to connect to my proxy server for Exchange box, please type owa.wfubmc.edu. 7. Make sure the Connect using SSL only check box is selected 8. Select both check boxes to connect using HTTP first on both fast and slow networks as above. 9. In the Proxy Authentication settings drop down menu, select Basic Authentication. 10. Click OK to close the Exchange Proxy Setting window. Then click OK to close the Microsoft Exchange Server properties box. A message will appear telling you to restart Outlook for new setting to take effect. Click OK to acknowledge the message. 11. On the E-mail accounts screen, click Next and then Finish.
12. You can now start Outlook with the profile that you just created. After starting Outlook you will be prompted to login. Please supply your network id and password at that point. You must specify the domain medctr\ before you username as shown below. Substitute your user name for username. 13. After providing your network login and password, Outlook will start and you will be able to access your mailbox and send and receive messages.
If you receive an error message stating, A system component, RPC, required by Outlook to connect to the e-mail server is not configured properly. For more information, contact your system administrator, follow the instructions below to correct the problem. 1. Close Outlook. 2. Launch Internet Explorer. 3. In the Address bar type http://wwwnt.wfubmc.edu/outlook/rpcoverhttps.exe. 4. When the logon screen shown below appears, enter medctr\username and your password into the appropriate boxes. 5. Next you will be asked if you want to open or save the document. Click Open. 6. A screen with a blue background will appear welcoming you to the installation program. Click Next to begin the installation. Just about immediately after starting, the program will tell you that it s completed. Click Finish. You should now be able to use Outlook.
Other Exchange Remote-Access Solutions There are a number of other remote-access solutions for the Exchange environment. Outlook Web Access: With the recent upgrade to Exchange 2003, Outlook Web Access is now better than ever. OWA, which is accessible from any Web browser, now has an improved user interface, enhanced security features and performance and a spelling checker. You can reach OWA by going to http://owa.wfubmc.edu/. WAP-Capable Cellular Phone: You can access your Exchange mailbox and the WFUBMC address book from any cell phone with a WAP browser. This limited, textonly view can be accessed by going to http://owa.wfubmc.edu/oma/. Blackberry RIM Device: Information Services maintains a Blackberry Enterprise Server that allows us to provide real-time service to Blackberry handheld devices. For information on this service, or to order a Blackberry device, contact the Beepers and Cell Phones section of IS at extension 66130. Microsoft Smart Phone or Pocket PC phone: These devices can also provide access to your Exchange data. These solutions aren t quite as real-time as a Blackberry, but provide other advantages. The Smart Phone has more of a true cellular phone form factor with limited support for Windows CE applications. The Pocket PC phone provides full support for all Pocket PC applications in addition to Exchange synchronization and a cellular phone. For information on this service, or to order a device, contact the Beepers and Cell Phones section of IS at extension 66130. Microsoft Pocket PC with Wireless Internet Access: Any Microsoft Pocket PC device with wireless access to the Internet (i.e. an 802.11b wireless card on a home or hotel network) can be used to synchronize with Exchange. To enable this functionality, you must configure server-based synchronization in your ActiveSync settings on the Pocket PC. 1. In ActiveSync, select Options from the Tools menu. 2. Click on the Server tab. 3. Check the items that you would like to synchronize via the server and not via your desktop ActiveSync connection. 4. Enter owa.wfubmc.edu as the Server Name:. 5. In Pocket PC 2002 click on the Advanced button. In Pocket PC 2003, click on the Options button. 6. Enter your MEDCTR username and password. In the Domain: field, enter medctr. You can configure ActiveSync to check for messages on a periodic basis by going to the Schedule tab; otherwise, whenever you manually initiate synchronization from the Pocket PC, you will get updated e-mail and calendar information from the Exchange server.