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Configuring File and Data Access for Outlook Web Access

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Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 will reach end of support on April 11, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.

 

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP3

There are three methods for accessing files and data from inside Outlook Web Access. These data access methods include WebReady Document Viewing, direct file access, and access to Windows SharePoint Services document libraries and Windows file shares. You can allow or block these features as needed to meet the requirements of your organization.

WebReady Document Viewing

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 includes a new feature named WebReady Document Viewing. WebReady Document Viewing lets users view common file types in the Outlook Web Access Web browser without having the applications associated with those file types installed on the computer they are using. Users can view the following kinds of files by using WebReady Document Viewing:

  • .doc

  • .pdf

  • .ppt

  • .xls

Additionally, the supported MIME types are as follows:

  • application/pdf

  • application/vnd.ms-excel

  • application/vnd.ms-powerpoint

  • application/word

  • application/x-mspowerpoint

  • application/x-msexcel

For more information about how to manage WebReady Document Viewing for users, see How to Manage WebReady Document Viewing.

Direct File Access

You can control direct file access through Outlook Web Access by specifying the types of files that users can access and how the files can be accessed. You do this by using the Allow, Block, and Force Save options for direct file access in the Exchange Management Console, or by using the file access parameters available in the Set-OWAVirtualDirectory cmdlet. In addition to being able to specify Allow, Block, or Force Save for different file types, you can configure the file access options depending on whether the user clicks This is a public computer or This is a private computer when they log on to Outlook Web Access. For more information about how to manage file access, see How to Manage Public and Private Computer File Access and Set-OwaVirtualDirectory.

Data Access Using Outlook Web Access

Access to data that is stored in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file shares is a new feature in Outlook Web Access for Exchange 2007. Windows file shares are also known as Universal Naming Convention (UNC) file shares. The integration of Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file shares in Outlook Web Access gives users read-only access to documents on centralized or personal Windows SharePoint Services document libraries or Windows file shares. Users cannot change files that are stored on Windows SharePoint Services document libraries or Windows file shares when they retrieve them by using Outlook Web Access.

Windows SharePoint Services is the engine that lets an administrator create Web sites for information-sharing and document collaboration. Windows SharePoint Services document libraries offer file storage capabilities for saving files and sharing information. This functionality helps users collaborate on documents.

Important

The Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file share integration feature is available only in Exchange 2007 Outlook Web Access Premium and when either Basic or forms-based authentication is used.

You can use the Exchange Management Console and the Exchange Management Shell to perform the following administrative tasks related to Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file share integration:

  • Allow or block access to Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file share documents on specific servers.

  • Allow or block access to Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file share documents from public and private computers.

  • Create a list of host names to be treated as internal. Only documents on internal hosts can be accessed from Outlook Web Access.

  • Enable or disable document access to Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file shares by using segmentation. You can do this on individual Outlook Web Access virtual directories by using the Set-OwaVirtualDirectory cmdlet or on a per-user basis by using the Set-CASMailbox cmdlet. For more information, see Set-OwaVirtualDirectory or Set-CASMailbox cmdlet.

    Note

    By default, segmentation changes take effect after 60 minutes of inactivity for users who are logged on to Outlook Web Access or when a user logs on to Outlook Web Access. To force the changes to take effect immediately, restart Internet Information Services (IIS) by running the command iisreset/noforce on the Client Access server.

Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file share integration is configured separately for public and private computer logons.

Default Settings

The following table describes the default settings for the Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file share integration feature in Outlook Web Access.

Default settings for the Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file share integration feature in Outlook Web Access

Feature Default setting

Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file share integration features

Enabled

Block lists

None

Allow lists

None

Document access to Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file shares on unknown servers

Enabled

Windows SharePoint Services and Windows file share document access from public computers

Enabled

For more information about how to configure access to Windows SharePoint Services document libraries and Windows files shares, see the following topics: