Multi-domain Autodiscover with a shared name spaces

We had a situation where we needed to get autodiscover to go to a totally different url from the root domain, AND not modify the DNS records for the Root domain where the primary SMTP domain exists.

I want to STRESS that these solutions are for very specific cases and not for the purpose of replacing the primary AutoDutodiscover mechanisms.

 

Details of the environment:

• Exchange 2010 Domain for child company = Parent.child.com (not a typo)
• Exchange 2007 Domain for parent company = parent.com
• smtp email address for all clients = user@parent.com
• all mail is sent to parent.com and then if not resolved on parent.com and if unresolved forwarded to parent.child.com
• Mail Flow works fine
• Issue is with AutoD connecting to parent.com and unable to get parent.child.com AutoDiscover urls.

2 Solutions

1. If it’s a 2007\2010 server you can use a contact with the child domain as the target
• in the parent domain create a contact for user@parent.com with a target address of user@parent.child.com
2. Use a local autodiscover.xml file (highlighted values indicate values that may need changing)

Outlook 2007 checks for a Local Autodiscover file based on a registry setting. You can check by using the following information:

1. Open regedit, and browse to(or use one of the reg files below):
• Outlook 2007 Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\Autodiscover
• Outlook 2010 Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook\Autodiscover
2. Add the Dword: PreferLocalXML
• Value = 1
3. Add the STRING: parent.com
• Value: %programfiles%\Microsoft Office\Office\parent.xml

1. MODIFY the xml below with your servern names and URLS
2. Save the text below as %programfiles%\Microsoft Office\Office\parent.xml

 

****************************************Copy Below  and save as parent.xml************************************************************

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Autodiscover xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/autodiscover/responseschema/2006">
  <Response xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/autodiscover/outlook/responseschema/2006a">
    <Account>
      <AccountType>email</AccountType>
      <Action>settings</Action>
      <Protocol>
        <Type>EXCH</Type>
        <Server>internalhost.Parent.child.com</Server>
        <ServerDN>/o=Parent/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Configuration/cn=Servers/cn=ExServer</ServerDN>
        <ServerVersion>720280FE</ServerVersion>
        <MdbDN>/o=Parent/ou=Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/cn=Configuration/cn=Servers/cn=ExServer/cn=Microsoft Private MDB</MdbDN>
        <PublicFolderServer>internalhost.Parent.child.com</PublicFolderServer>
        <AD>internalhost.amer.Parent.child.com</AD>
        <ASUrl>https://mail.Parent.child.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx</ASUrl>
        <EwsUrl>https://mail.Parent.child.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx</EwsUrl>
        <OOFUrl>https://mail.Parent.child.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx</OOFUrl>
        <UMUrl>https://mail.Parent.child.com/UnifiedMessaging/Service.asmx</UMUrl>
        <OABUrl>https://mail.parent.com/oab</OABUrl>
      </Protocol>
      <Protocol>
        <Type>EXPR</Type>
        <Server>mail.Parent.child.com</Server>
        <SSL>On</SSL>
        <AuthPackage>Basic</AuthPackage>
        <OABUrl>Public Folder</OABUrl>
      </Protocol>
      <Protocol>
        <Type>WEB</Type>
        <External>
          <OWAUrl AuthenticationMethod="Fba">https://mail.Parent.child.com/owa</OWAUrl>
          <OWAUrl AuthenticationMethod="Fba">https://mymail.Parent.child.com/owa</OWAUrl>
        </External>
        <Internal>
          <OWAUrl AuthenticationMethod="Basic, Fba">https://internalhost.Parent.child.com/owa</OWAUrl>
          <Protocol>
            <Type>EXCH</Type>
            <ASUrl>https://mail.Parent.child.com/EWS/Exchange.asmx</ASUrl>
          </Protocol>
        </Internal>
      </Protocol>
    </Account>
  </Response>
</Autodiscover>

**************************************************************************** Copy above******************************************************

 

****Outlook 2010 Autodiscover.Reg********************************************************************************************

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook\AutoDiscover]
"PreferLocalXML"=dword:00000001
"parent.com"="%programfiles%\\Microsoft Office\\Office\\parent.xml"

***************************************************************************************************************************

 

****Outlook 2007 Autodiscover.Reg********************************************************************************************

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\AutoDiscover]
"PreferLocalXML"=dword:00000001
"parent.com"="%programfiles%\\Microsoft Office\\Office\\parent.xml"

***************************************************************************************************************************

 

 

Reference locations

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc837949(office.12).aspx

http://www.exchange-genie.com/2007/07/exchange-2007-autodiscover-service-part-1/

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb332063(EXCHG.80).aspx