Enabling forms-based authentication

You must enable Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) on the server before you enable forms-based authentication.
To enable forms-based authentication in Exchange 2003, follow these steps.

Note In a front-end/back-end server environment, you must enable forms-based authentication only on the front-end server. Do not enable forms-based authentication on the back-end server. In an environment where you do not use a front-end server, enable forms-based authentication on the mailbox server.
1. Start Exchange System Manager.
2. If administrative groups are enabled, expand Administrative Groups.
3. Expand Servers, and then expand your front-end server.
4. Expand Protocols, expand HTTP, right-click Exchange Virtual Server, and then click Properties.
5. Click the Settings tab, and then click to select the Enable Forms Based Authentication check box.
6. In the Compression list, click the level of compression that you want.

Note We recommend that you do not enable compression in a single-server environment because compression in a single-server environment places an additional load on the server.
7. Click OK.
8. If you receive a message that states that the IIS service must be restarted, click OK. To restart IIS, type the following command at a command prompt: iisreset

If you enabled forms-based authentication on a front-end server, follow these steps on your back-end servers:
1. Start Exchange System Manager.
2. If administrative groups are enabled, expand Administrative Groups.
3. Expand Servers, and then expand your back-end server.
4. Expand Protocols, expand HTTP, and then expand Exchange Virtual Server.
5. Right-click the Exchange virtual directory that appears under the Exchange Virtual Server container, and then click Properties.
6. Click the Access tab, and then click Authentication.
7. If it is not already selected, click to select the Basic authentication check box.
8. Enter a backslash (\) in the Default Domain box.
9. Click OK two times to close the property windows.