Plan, Install, Configure and

Manage Client Access: Plan, Deploy and Manage a Client Access Server (CAS)

Plan, deploy and manage a Client Access Server (CAS)

This objective may include but is not limited to:

– Design to account for differences between legacy CAS and Exchange CAS/CAF

– Configure Office web application

•Company: GottaGoKart – GoKart franchise in 10 different cities

•Problem: – Most of their employees access email through

mobile devices or a browser

•Goal: – Review the various planning elements to the

Client Access role including the configuration of Office web applications

Scenario: Go Kart LLC

You must deploy one CAS in every AD site with Mailbox servers

Need to make sure the CAS server that are Internet facing are accessible using the chosen client protocol

– Install the CAS on the same system as the Mailbox, on a separate system or on multiple systems for redundancy and high availability

The CAS handles ALL client connectivity however unlike previous versions of CAS (2007 and 2010) it no longer does any data rendering

– CAS only provides authentication and proxy/redirection

– CAS supports client Internet protocols, transport and UM

Planning Deployment of CAS

Terminology explanation

– CAF (or CAFE) stands for Client Access Front End, which is what the Client Access role was called in Microsoft internal documents

•With CAS no longer keeping any state or session data this means the following:

– Much of the complexity for configuration of CAS is removed

– Load balancers that work at Layer 4 of the OSI model can be used (although Layer 7 application-aware load balancers may be better in certain situations)

– RPC for mailbox access is done

– New services run on the Mailbox role so that role becomes the bigger focus for performance design decisions

Legacy CAS and E15 CAS/CAF(E)

RPC is no longer a supported direct access protocol so all Outlook connectivity must be RPC over HTTPS (Outlook Anywhere)

Benefits include no longer a need to have the RPC Client Access service

Two fewer name spaces are needed with site resilient solutions than what we had with 2010

FQDN is not needed to connect because through Autodiscover and the user’s mailbox GUID + @ + domain a connection can be made

Exchange 2013 CAS Benefits

Server Certificates:

– Use the Certificate Wizard to request a digital cert (or use the EMS)

Virtual Directories:

– You can configure the virtual directories for the Offline Address Book (OAB), Exchange Web Services, Exchange ActiveSync, Outlook Web App (OWA) and the EAC (Exchange Administration Center)

CAS Configuration

Exchange 2007/2010 allowed OWA users to preview documents in emails from their browsers through WebReady Document Viewing

Supported documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF) were converted to HTML for display without having the application installed

Exchange 2013 uses a better method through the use of an OWAS however now you need to install this server (as opposed to it being included within Exchange)

– A Web app Open Platform Interface (WOPI) call is made to the Office Web Apps Server which renders the document

Office Web Apps Server (OWAS)

We’ve discussed planning elements and it seems wise to establish multiple CAS servers and use a load balancer

An Office Web Apps Server (OWAS) will be

configured and set up for them and they will use this over built-in document viewing

Scenario: GottaGoKart

Additional Research

•Exchange 2013 Client Access Server Role

• http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2013/01/25/exchange-2013-client-access-server-role.aspx

•Deploy Office Web Apps Server

• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj219455.aspx

•Exchange 2013 with Office Web Apps Server Integration

• http://www.msexchange.org/articles-tutorials/exchange-server-2013/management-administration/exchange-2013-office-web-apps-server-integration.html