"Lab" Exchange installation

[gshaw]

This one is getting me at the moment, need some fresh eyes

 

As it stands we have our students (adult learners) on a physically separate network with its own mini Exchange installation. This works fine as the PCs have their own associated Exchange accounts and they just open Outlook as normal.

 

My original plan was to VLAN and merge the domain into our primary domain (staff) this summer to avoid duplicating servers and just generally be easier to manage. Only problem I have is that I don't want the "lab" accounts running from our "corporate" email server as I don't want classroom users viewing the GAL or sending emails via our primary domain (blacklisting etc)

 

Was thinking of setting up something like Zimbra for the student accounts but I don't think it can do the same single Exchange-style logon via Outlook (i.e. not having to enter passwords etc when Outlook starts). All student users are on mandatory profiles as well so can't save a profile with the password in.

 

Unless I've missed something blindingly obvious I could do with Exchange?

Edited July 21, 2011 by gshaw

[sukh]

1. Not sure what you mean? Have you got 2 Exch Org? 2 AD Forests?

2. How is your current setup?

[gshaw]

Currently 2 completely separate AD forests on physically separate networks.

 

Possibly moving to a single domain with machines on separate VLANs. As far as I understand it that means a single Exchange Org, but I that's not really ideal as I don't want people sending test emails in the classroom accessing the GAL and sending from our staff email server, hence looking for something else that can do the classroom machines...

[sukh]

1. Which version of Exch are you using, 2010? Not sure if you can wait for a while but SP2 for Exch 2010 will be coming out soon, I can try and find out when, then you ccan use GAL segentation.

2. These test emails whch you want to prevent, cant you setup restrictions or is that too much work? Who do you want to restrict sending from and to? Is it a simple case of students to teachers. You could use Delivery restrictions and transport rule.

[gshaw]

Currently 2007 but moving to 2010 soon, I remember seeing some sites stating GAL segregation isn't supported as it stands although as you say maybe it might change in SP2.

 

The main worry with the outbound mail is that users might send to personal accounts as part of the class but those messages could easily get marked down as spam and thus end up blacklisting the rest of the domain. If people were only using certain addresses it would be possible to use our FOPE outbound email filtering as well but the classes don't work like that.

 

Easiest way would be to use our secondary domain for the student accounts (currently with Live@Edu) but then you get popup boxes asking for login each time which is no good either. Shame the cloud-based services haven't got better integration with desktop Outlook at the moment

[sukh]

1. GAL segmenttion will be supported in SP2 for Exch 2010.

2. Sorry, im still little confused, do you want to restrict all students from sending outbound email externally? i.e so students can only send email to other students internally? Also prevent the students from sending email to staff?

[gshaw]

1. that solves one problem

2. it's an awkward one, it's not so much restricting them from sending but the fact that any emails coming out are from our primary domain (used by staff). Don't want a stray student email getting us on a blacklist

[sukh]

1. You can try and use a transport rule to stop email from leaving your Org if the message header contains the SMTP address of your students? Would that do it?

[gshaw]

Unfortunately not as students will probably be sending emails to personal Hotmail addresses as part of their course (it's a basic Internet \ email course), unless thinking about it I can send via a second email domain i.e. student accounts send from studentdomain.ac.uk but our main org sends as companyname.ac.uk

[sukh]

1. That may work.

2. Unless youre organised and as part of the course you have all their personal email addresses, then you could restrict student to send emails to only those address, via transport rule