File Share Witness & Exchange 2013

In a DAG ( Exchange 2013) to have ability to perform automatic failover requires three separate physical network locations.In the scenario below two redundant datacenters for DAG and third datacenter is used (Azure Network.) for Witness server for DAG1. If you look carefully you will realize we used two different Active Directory Site for DC1 and DC2 and stretched the DAG1 on both datacenters. We placed Domain controller on the Azure network and created AD site. ( Enabling FSW on the DC  while possible it is not recommended configuration)

Organizations with only two physical locations now can also take advantage of automatic datacenter failover by using a Microsoft Azure file server virtual machine to act as the DAG’s witness server.

This configuration requires a multi-site VPN. It has always been possible to connect your organization's network to Microsoft Azure using a site-to-site VPN connection. However, in the past, Azure supported only a single site-to-site VPN. Since configuring a DAG and its witness across three datacenters required multiple site-to-site VPNs, placement of the DAG witness on an Azure VM wasn't initially possible

How to configure Azure network for FSW is documented here

In this configuration several things to be considered.

• Make sure your operational  requirements meets the usage of the Azure Network
• Initials configuration extending Azure network to your data centers will require addition network configuration and the work is  documented on the link provided above.
• You will need to pay as you go within the Azure Network. ( remember Cloud is not cheap)
• Having Domain Controller AND extending your network to Cloud could help you if your plans to move into Cloud at some point.
• Configure Multi Site VPN documented here

 

 

v/r

Oz Casey, Daedal  ( MVP North America)
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +
http://smtp25.blogspot.com/ (Blog)
http://telnet25.wordpress.com/ (Blog

Outlook Connectivity With Exchange 2013

 

There are major changes within Exchange 2013 compared to Exchange 2010. The way Outlook Client connect to Mailbox Server to get its mail data is  “simplified” there is no need for middle tier with Exchange 2013. The way I see,  as long as Exchange Server and its architecture requires less IOPS to operate, there will be more room for improvements and simplicity.

 

• User Logs into workstation, it authenticates to active directory with a valid user name and password.
• User opens Outlook at the first time, outlook performs AutoDiscover Lookup to figure out logged in user mailbox GUID.
• Outlook connects to CAS Server, and CAS Authenticates the request (Exchange 2013) using HTTP, it provides mailbox GUID as its endpoint to CAS array.
• CAS takes this information and performs Active Directory lookup
• AD will provide the user information back to CAS Server
• CAS server will make a query to Active Manager Instance, which runs inside the “Microsoft Exchange Replication Service” on all Mailbox Servers
• Active Manager Instance will pull information about requested user mailbox, the name of the mounted database (Active DB) and the Mailbox server name.
• CAS proxies the request to Mailbox Server hosting the active copy of database.
• The data rendering happens on the backed Mailbox Server
• The affinity for user connection is no longer needed on the CAS level.

Source:

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

Oz Casey, Dedeal  ( MVP North America)
MCITP (EMA), MCITP (SA)
MCSE 2003, M+, S+, MCDST
Security+, Project +, Server +
http://smtp25.blogspot.com/ (Blog)
http://telnet25.wordpress.com/ (Blog