Question about internal/external access URLs

Hi Experts!

I have a quick question around outlook behaviour.

How does outlook choose whether to use the external / internal outlook anywhere access url? Same for OAB/ EWS Urls.

Thanks, Amine

March 9th, 2015 1:51pm

As I understand it, if a client is domain-joined and connected to Active Directory, it will pick up Autodiscover from an SCP record, in which case it will use the internal URLs.  Otherwise, it will pick up Autodiscover from the Autodiscover DNS record and it will use the exte
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March 9th, 2015 8:02pm

Hi Amine,

Thank you for your question.

As Ed said, when outlook client is  domain-joined and connected to Active Directory, it will pick up Autodiscover from an SCP record, in which case it will use the internal URLs. 

When the outlook client is on Internet, outlook will attempt to connect to AD to retrieve SCP object but fail because the computer is not on domain, outlook prompts for email address and password. Outlook will attempt to locate Autodiscover using the known urls:Autodiscover.domain.com or autodiscover.domain.com/autodiscoverw(which we has registered in ISP). Outlook will connector to autodiscover URL and contain setting. Using Exchange Http, outlook can connector mailbox server and availability using External URL which we specific.

We could refer to the following link to learn SCP:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/jj900169%28v=exchg.150%29.aspx

If there are any questions regarding this issue, please be free to let me know. 

Best Regard,

Jim

March 10th, 2015 4:20am

Thanks a lot for your answers. That's really helpful.

to confirm : a workgroup machine will always pick the the external URL regardless of whether it is internal or external.

Also trying to make the analogy with ActiveSync Client is a bit confusing:

ActiveSync will always use the DNS to perform autodiscover so how will it know whether it is internal or external.

Thanks again!

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March 10th, 2015 6:10am

ActiveSync wasn't designed with domain members in mind.  It was designed for mobile devices as a low-usage protocol so you didn't use up all your data minutes collecting your mail.
March 10th, 2015 3:51pm

Thanks a lot for your answers. That's really helpful.

to confirm : a workgroup machine will always pick the the external URL regardless of whether it is internal or external.

Also trying to make the analogy with ActiveSync Client is a bit confusing:

ActiveSync will always use the DNS to perform autodiscover so how will it know whether it is internal or external.

Thanks again!

Hi Amine,

to confirm : a workgroup machine will always pick the the external URL regardless of whether it is internal or external.

A: If the outlook is on a workgroup machine, we will manually configure profile and didnt use autodiscover. So workgroup machine didnt use internal URL or external URL. 

In fact, Active Sync client is same as workgroup machine, and it will use DNS instead of internal URL or external URL.

If there are any questions regarding this issue, please be free to let me know. 

Best Regard,

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March 10th, 2015 10:16pm

Are you sure about that Jim?  My understanding is that Outlook on a workgroup machine will use DNS Autodiscover records (company.com, autodiscover.company.com or an SRV record in that order).
March 11th, 2015 12:11am

Are you sure about that Jim?  My understanding is that Outlook on a workgroup machine will use DNS Autodiscover records (company.com, autodiscover.company.com or an SRV record in th
Free Windows Admin Tool Kit Click here and download it now
March 11th, 2015 2:48am

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