Exchange 2007 front-end and back-end server?

[kizzle911]

Do you need to install a front-end and back-end server on Exchange 2007 OR can you just set up everything on one server?????

I need to somehow setup a front-end server for OWA and RPC over HTTP and then have our mailboxes on the back-end, is this possible to do so with Exchange 2007 and if it is, how do I go about doing so?

Thanks.

[cluberti]

It depends - how many users do you expect to hit this box? Sometimes it's easier to set up an all-in-one, and then migrate to a FE/BE setup later as your needs grow.

[kizzle911]

It depends - how many users do you expect to hit this box? Sometimes it's easier to set up an all-in-one, and then migrate to a FE/BE setup later as your needs grow.

How would you migrate to a FE/BE setup after Exchange has been fully set up?

Currently, my Exchange console has the mailbox, client access, hub transport servers.

[cluberti]

Well, technically in Exchange lingo for 2007 it's not front-end anymore, it's CAS. If you want to move from a one-server setup to a CAS server and Mailbox server setup, you simply add another 2007 server as the CAS role, and remove it from the mailbox server. It's in the documentation, I believe, on how to setup a CAS server.

[kizzle911]

Well, technically in Exchange lingo for 2007 it's not front-end anymore, it's CAS. If you want to move from a one-server setup to a CAS server and Mailbox server setup, you simply add another 2007 server as the CAS role, and remove it from the mailbox server. It's in the documentation, I believe, on how to setup a CAS server.

So I was able to to set up the front-end CAS and the back-end mailbox, thanks for that btw but now I am trying to figure out how I can get the incoming mail to arrive from CAS and then gets passed down to the Mailbox server.

Is that done through the hub transport server??

[cluberti]

So I was able to to set up the front-end CAS and the back-end mailbox, thanks for that btw but now I am trying to figure out how I can get the incoming mail to arrive from CAS and then gets passed down to the Mailbox server.

Is that done through the hub transport server??

Correct - CAS is for OWA and RPC over HTTP(s) and such, but not SMTP.

[kizzle911]

So I was able to to set up the front-end CAS and the back-end mailbox, thanks for that btw but now I am trying to figure out how I can get the incoming mail to arrive from CAS and then gets passed down to the Mailbox server.

Is that done through the hub transport server??

Correct - CAS is for OWA and RPC over HTTP(s) and such, but not SMTP.

Therefore I will have CAS and Hub transport on one server and Mailbox role only on the other server?

[cluberti]

Again, correct .

[amono2112]

I have been reading up on this using Microsoft's Technet site. It is looking like, but not clearly defined, that you can use either Edge Transport or Hub Transport services to get mail from the "front-end" server to the "back-end" server. Is this correct? And if so, from anyone's experience, are there any unforseen issues with using Edge Transport? To me it looks like Edge Transport is the more secure solution although it requires an additional box. I do have the hardware available. My plan would be to place the Edge Transport and CAS boxes on our DMZ and have the Mailbox server within the private LAN.