OWA vs. Outlook?

[LadySlinger]

I'm just curious, what are the advantages/disadvantages of letting someone use their outlook while in a VPN session rather then Outlook Web Access?

I have a couple of users that use Outlook extensively and they complain because they cannot work from home in an efficient manner because of the limits of OWA. We currently do not allow anyone access to their emails without going through OWA.

Are there any disavantages to allowing someone full rights to their email through the software? Other then the obvious that the information is downloaded to the laptop.

btw, everyone uses a company provided laptop.

 

[ntinlin]

Not that I can think of if done through a VPN session, especially with OL2003 in cached mode.

If you wanted to use RPC over HTTPS rather than VPN then that is a whole different ballgame.

Neill

 

[kmcferrin]

RPC over HTTPS would seem to be the ideal solution. Security-wise, it's not really any different than using OWA. Functionality-wise, it's not really any different than being directly connected to the network. But from the standpoint of simplicity, it means that you don't have to bother with setting up VPN connections for the users, as well as making sure that their PCs (which become VPN endpoints) are also secured.

 

[LadySlinger]

awesome thanks!

We are going to keep everything done through the VPN. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything that I was missing.

 

[customgt]

we do vpn with openbsd.

RPC over HTTPS...what is this?

 

[TechCarnivore]

RPC over HTTPS

Is a way for remote users to access their exchange mailbox securely using the public internet instead of a VPN, all via Office Outlook. It's much like what your users experience now only without a VPN.

It's nice for me personally as I travel. RPC/HTTPS provides me the ability to fire up my laptop, and use Outlook to send/receive email, set appointments, assign tasks etc.

It's not too expensive to implement from a Time and Effort Perspective, and If I could figure out how to accomplish this task...nearly anyone can do it.

Here is Microsoft's explaination:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123622.aspx

This site helped me understand it all:

http://www.petri.co.il/configure_rpc_over_https_on_a_single_server.htm

 

[rliebsch]

delegates have no access to their charges folders through OWA.

Robert Liebsch
Systems Psychologist,
Network Sociologist,
Security Pathologist,
User Therapist.

 

[bustamove]

One biggest problem we have with VPN or OWA is large PST files or attachments.

The work around is Remote Desktop to office computer, through VPN or proper firewall protection.

 

[Zelandakh]

PST files? Why?

 

[bustamove]

How can you access archive PST file through OWA? Is there a way?

 

[Zelandakh]

No.