Understanding Exchange Web Services Virtual Directories

Applies to: Exchange Server 2010 SP3, Exchange Server 2010 SP2

When you install the Client Access server role on your Exchange server, one Exchange Web Services virtual directory is created in the default Internet Information Services (IIS) Web site on the Exchange server. You can manage the virtual directory by using the Exchange Management Shell, IIS Manager, and through a configuration file located in the directory to which you installed Microsoft Exchange Server 2010.

Exchange Web Services virtual directories support the calendar sharing and other functionality offered by Exchange Web Services. The Exchange Web services included in Exchange 2010 provide an XML messaging interface that enables you to manage Exchange store items and access Exchange server functionality from client applications. For an overview of Exchange Web Services, see Introduction to Web Services.

Looking for management tasks related to Exchange Web Services virtual directories? Check out the Exchange Web Services virtual directory cmdlets referenced in the Client Access Cmdlets topic.

Contents

Configuring Exchange Web Services Virtual Directories

Managing Exchange Web Services Information in Your Infrastructure

Configuring Exchange Web Services to Manage SSL Offloading

Configuring Exchange Web Services Virtual Directories

Most organizations find that the default Exchange Web Services virtual directory that's created during installation of the Exchange 2010 Client Access server role is sufficient. However, you can remove, create, and modify the settings of an Exchange Web Services virtual directory.

Managing Exchange Web Services Information in Your Infrastructure

For the functionality provided by Exchange Web Services to work, you must keep the information in the following locations in sync:

• Internet Information Services (IIS)

• Active Directory

• The Exchange Web Services web.config file

If there's a discrepancy between what you've configured in IIS for the Exchange Web Services virtual directory, what's configured in the web.config file, and what's is stored in Active Directory, Exchange Web Services won't initialize and calendaring sharing and other functionality won't work.

When Exchange Web Services doesn't initialize, an event is logged with the following error code: ServiceActivationException. If you get this error, it's a best practice to remove and then re-create the Exchange Web Services virtual directory. For more information about the cmdlets and parameters you need to use to perform these actions, see Remove-WebServicesVirtualDirectory and New-WebServicesVirtualDirectory.

Configuring Exchange Web Services to Manage SSL Offloading

SSL is enabled by default on Exchange Web Services virtual directories. If you want to enable SSL offloading, you must disable SSL on each Client Access server in your organization.

If you don't have an SSL offloading device and you want to maintain secure communication between client and server, SSL must be enabled on each Client Access server in your organization.

For more information about how to manage SSL on Exchange Web Services virtual directories, see Enable or Disable SSL on Exchange Web Services Virtual Directories.

 © 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.