How Does Droid’s Exchange Connector Work?

[mharen]

Here's what I want to know:

I'm curious about how email flows into the Droid handset from my corporate MS Exchange server. If I run through the regular Exchange config wizard and configure it to talk directly to my company's server, does it flow directly from my server to my device or does it still (somehow) route through a third party first (e.g. Google or Verizon)?


Also, how can I tell if it is securely transmitted (e.g. SSL)? Is this all the same when sending mail from Droid, too?


+1 if you have references!


I posted this on Superuser.com, too, but I think I'll get better info here--this looks like an awesome group!

 

[keiichi25]

Here's what I want to know:

I'm curious about how email flows into the Droid handset from my corporate MS Exchange server. If I run through the regular Exchange config wizard and configure it to talk directly to my company's server, does it flow directly from my server to my device or does it still (somehow) route through a third party first (e.g. Google or Verizon)?


Also, how can I tell if it is securely transmitted (e.g. SSL)? Is this all the same when sending mail from Droid, too?


+1 if you have references!


I posted this on Superuser.com, too, but I think I'll get better info here--this looks like an awesome group!

Well, technically, it is both. Both in a sense that you are using a third party to connect to your exchange server, namely Verizon, but basically, using their network.

The Exchange Connector, to my understanding, does not go through anything. It will connect to whatever exchange server you have OWA running on and does it via the Mobile ActiveSync supported by Exchange, typically, through, through OWA.

OWA == Outlook Web Access or whatever Mobile Support portal you setup for Exchange to the rest of the world.

 

[mharen]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I realize it's not beaming it through space directly from the server to my handset--Verizon still has to route the packets to me.

I just want to confirm that the email isn't sitting on a Google or Verizon server somewhere to support `push`. It doesn't seem to be and I don't think it is, but my IT guy would like a reference to be sure.

I might get a unit to test with and do some network sniffing to confirm if I can't find a definitive reference.

Thanks!

 

[keiichi25]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I realize it's not beaming it through space directly from the server to my handset--Verizon still has to route the packets to me.

I just want to confirm that the email isn't sitting on a Google or Verizon server somewhere to support `push`. It doesn't seem to be and I don't think it is, but my IT guy would like a reference to be sure.

I might get a unit to test with and do some network sniffing to confirm if I can't find a definitive reference.

Thanks!

The Corporate Exchange Connector should not be using Google or Verizon server. The way it is setup, is using IMAP based connectors directly to the server to pull not just e-mail, but also your contacts and corporate calendar information as well as being able to push it back to that server. No third party server or application is done. One of the things you should look at with the Corporate Account settings, is that it also has a 'E-mail Frequency Check' which means that the Exchange server isn't pushing, it is you actively retrieving it via your phone.

To my understanding of it, this process is not carried out by another server, this is your phone that is making the link.

Only the Blackberry Enterprise Server, which is a third party server, would actively ping the Exchange server for information and when finding it, pushes it out to your Blackberry by the nature of how they designed the system. Given that the Droid is not receiving a 'push' update, but a pull, it does not rely on a third party server to connect to the Exchange server.

 

[mharen]

That all makes sense with just one exception--I think the Exchange support, direct from phone to server, supports push. This must behave differently than the BlackBerry devices.

Thanks for your help!

 

[sterdroids]

Is it just me or can we NOT forward attachments from an exchange server? I cannot and its driving me crazy. I DL Docs2go no help there. Is it just a problem on my end can someone else confirm?

thanks

 

[keiichi25]

That all makes sense with just one exception--I think the Exchange support, direct from phone to server, supports push. This must behave differently than the BlackBerry devices.

Thanks for your help!

I believe that is only if the server is setup to do Push. But if you look under the Corporate Account settings, you will see it has a frequency check for mail, so it won't 100% Push mail like what Blackberry does with a BES server. BES servers poll almost religiously to push your e-mail to your device, I do not believe Exchange does that natively, but I will have to look.

Is it just me or can we NOT forward attachments from an exchange server? I cannot and its driving me crazy. I DL Docs2go no help there. Is it just a problem on my end can someone else confirm?

thanks

I believe, at the moment, this is a known issue.

 

[Droids]

One of the things you should look at with the Corporate Account settings, is that it also has a 'E-mail Frequency Check' which means that the Exchange server isn't pushing, it is you actively retrieving it via your phone.

To my understanding of it, this process is not carried out by another server, this is your phone that is making the link.

Only the Blackberry Enterprise Server, which is a third party server, would actively ping the Exchange server for information and when finding it, pushes it out to your Blackberry by the nature of how they designed the system. Given that the Droid is not receiving a 'push' update, but a pull, it does not rely on a third party server to connect to the Exchange server.

Under Corporate Account Settings on my Droid, it's set to Automatic (Push). My phone is not pulling email from anywhere, not exchange, not gmail. It's all push. An while it uses either a Wi-Fi connection or the 3G network to get delivered, it's never stored on Verizon's servers. And I have SSL enabled. Exchange admins do not have to fear the Droid.

 

[joemoore3]

ActiveSync

The push feature is enabled on the Exchange Server by activating ActiveSync Server. This is part of Exchange 2003 and up. As long as you have an SSL cert associated with it, it is a secure PUSH and works well. I would suggest looking at Touchdown in the market if you really want a replacement for WinMo e-mail.