OWA – jasoncoltrin.com

Using the ECP to Manage ActiveSync

In this post, we will be visiting the Exchange Control Panel (ECP) to see all the new administrative control we have been given with SP1, without having to work on a system with the EMC Management Tools installed. You may recall our first visit to the Exchange Mangement Console in Part 8 of this series.

To get to the Exchange Control Panel, log into your OWA site as an administrator. From here, you will see the options button in the upper right-hand corner of OWA, this contains the link to the ECP.

From within the Administrative Control Panel we can perform the following (new w/SP1) administrative tasks:

Manage default access for mobile devices

Configure email alerts when a mobile device is quarantined

Create personalized recognition or quarantined messages

List quarantined mobile devices

Create and manage device access rules

Allow/Block specific devices

Initiate password recovery or remote wipe of a user’s mobile device

To manage the default access for mobiles, go OWA as administrator, then go to options -> View all options -> Manage My Organization -> Phone and Voice:

Click Image to Enlarge

Here, when a device that isn’t managed by a rule or personal exemption connects to Exchange we can allow access, block, or quarantine (on a case by case basis) mobile devices. If we choose, we can send out notification warnings that will go out to administrators.

Under ActiveSync Device Policies, we have a duplicate of what is in the EMC, in that we have a default policy, and the ability to look at, and change, policy settings (Device Security, Sync Settings, Device Settings).

We can create additional activesync policies here as well. Polices created here will be replicated in the EMC. There are some options/tabs that exist only in the EMC however; Device Applications Tab and the “Other” tab: discrete management of Applications on Mobile Devices.

So this is a short post but I think is worthwhile looking at the new enhancements for the Exchange Control Panel in SP1.

A good majority of the content provided in my Blog’s Exchange series is derived from J. Peter Bruzzese’ excellent Train Signals Exchange Server 2010 Video Disk Series, as well as my own Exchange 2010 lab. Trainsignal.com is an invaluable source for accurate, easy to understand, IT information and training. http://www.trainsignal.com

A quick overview of the Exchange Management Console, or EMC; a very capable management console accessed via the OWA web interface.

We can access the EMC through Outlook Web App. On the Exchange Mailbox server itself, you can get to OWA through the address https://localhost/owa

Note: I encountered an issue here. When first logging into OWA I received the following error message: “Your mailbox appears to be unavailable. Try to access it again in 10 seconds. If you see this error again, contact your helpdesk.”

My first instinct when I receive a message like this is to check services. Yes, as I suspected, upon viewing my primary Exchange server services, the Microsoft Exchange Server Information Store Service was not started. I started the service manually, logged into OWA again, and found I could now completely log in and see my OWA inbox.

Once inside the administrator’s mailbox, you can manage the organization by clicking on the Options drop-down in the upper right-hand corner, and then on “See all options…”

Now that you’ve clicked into all of the options, you will want to change the Mail > Options: “Manage Myself” drop-down to “My Organization”. You are now in the Exchange Management Console.

Once inside the EMC you have the following Options:

Users and Groups – contains Mailboxes, Distribution Groups, and External Contacts
Roles and Auditing – contains Administrator Roles, User Roles, and Auditing. There are some nice Auditing controls available here including * Run a non-owner mailbox access report… * Run a litigation hold report… * Run an administrator role group report… * Export Mailbox Audit Logs… * Export the Administrator Audit Log…
Mail Control – contains Rules, Journaling, and Delivery Reports
Phone and Voice – contains ActiveSync Access (Quarantined Devices and Device Access Rules); and ActiveSync Device Policy

Take note that Multi Mailbox Search (which is under mail control in RTM). RVAC, even the admin is not able to see the Multi Mailbox Search; you have the add the administrator into the Discovery Management Role Group. Once added to that group, you will see MultiMailbox search in the Administrators EMC.

Tag: OWA

Exchange 2010 – Part 17 – Using the ECP to manage ActiveSync

Using the ECP to Manage ActiveSync

Exchange 2010: Exchange Management Console (EMC) – Part 8