Deploying Edge Transport Server Role:

This article gives you the step by step procedure for installing the Microsoft exchange server 2007 – edge server role and configuring the connection with the hub transport server. As we now, edge server role is used as the front end security wall with antispam and antivirus protections and not parted of domain, which is basically hosted in the DMZ zone.

1. Basic server check-up likes recommended hardware resources and server 2003/2008 OS, latest SP and appropriate patches.

2. N/w Card configuration – Two NIC cards, one for public/external and the other for private/internal.

3. Check the Name resolution between hub transport and the edge server. Also configure the edge server for the external name resolution.

Set-TransportServer -Identity ExEdge01 –ExternalDNSAdapterEnabled $false –ExternalDNSServers

Note : If the name resolution b/w hub and edge server doesn’t work, then the edge synchronisation fails.

4. Installing ADAM SP1 : Active Directory Application Mode SP1 is the one which acts as a tunnel passage for passing the limited AD related i.,e Domain related information from Hub transport server to the edge server.

5. Install Core edge exe : Run the setup.exe from the exchange installation disk, go for the custom type installation, select the edge server and complete the installation.

6. Check the Edge related configuration EMC, will find option like antispam, accepted domains and others, I will leave this up to you for exploring.

7. Since Exchange 2007 rollup 4 has some important updates, install the rollup 4 package also.

8. Restart the edge server after completing the above and run the command “test-servicehealth” to check all edge related services are up and running.

9. Ports to be opened : Edge server used custom ports for communication with the hub server. If firewall is placed in b/w hub server and edge server, the following ports have to be opened.

• LDAP 50389/tcp
• Secure LDAP 50636/tcp
• SMTP 25/tcp
• RDP 3389/tcp (optional)

10. Creating the edge subscription file in Edge server,

New-EdgeSubscription -FileName "C:\EdgeSubscriptionInfo.xml"

11. Copy the xml file to the Hub server.

12. Mapping the edge subscription file in Hub Server,

New-EdgeSubscription -filename "C:\EdgeSubscriptionInfo.xml" -CreateInternetSendConnector $true -site "Default-First-Site-Name"

13. By Default, the edge synchronisation happens at four hour intervals. For immediate sync,

Start-EdgeSynchronization

14. Edge server is ready, just verify connectors in Edge EMC console, will show the current hub server related connectors.

Hope the above is informative.

Thanks
Logan
Logu_microsoft@hotmail.com | 971552596187