University Computer Help Desk

Setting up Full Exchange

This article outlines the steps for setting up Full Exchange.

The Full Exchange option means you will use Exchange for both calendar and email. This option implies the following:

  • Exchange Calendar and Email - You will use an Exchange client like Outlook to access your calendar and email. You can access your Exchange calendar through Outlook Web App (OWA) at https://owa.illinoisstate.edu and on a mobile device like an iPhone. A complete list of supported Exchange clients is shown below. 
     
  • You will not connect to the IMAP mail server. You can still log in to iCampus, but you will not use RedbirdMail. Likewise, you cannot use an IMAP mail client like Thunderbird. You cannot have your email forwarded to anywhere except Exchange.

If you are interested in Exchange Calendar Only, which means will use the Exchange calendar and IMAP email, refer to 1265: Setting up Exchange Calendar Only.

Consult with Your Local Support Staff

The first thing you should do is contact your department's technical support staff. Your department or college may have already determined the best option (i.e. Exchange Calendar Only or Full Exchange) for your area.

Request an Exchange Account

If you do not yet have access to Exchange, you can request an Exchange account using the Support & Requests section of the Help Desk website.

Enable Full Exchange Access

You must enable Full Exchange through ULID Account Management on the Help Desk website.

Connecting to Exchange

You have several options for connecting to Exchange. You can use OWA exclusively if you wish, or you can use an Exchange client like Outlook or Mail. You can also connect using a mobile device like an iPhone. As mentioned above, you should discuss these options with your department's technical support staff.

Outlook Web App (OWA)

Outlook Web App (OWA) at https://owa.illinoisstate.edu/ offers the same core features available in Outlook and works in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and other modern browsers on both Windows and Mac OS X.

You should consider using OWA to access your Exchange calendar and email, rather than an Exchange client like Outlook. OWA works equally well on Windows and Mac OS X.

Exchange on Windows

For instructions on configuring your Exchange client on Windows, refer to the following:

Exchange on Mac OS X

For instructions on configuring your Exchange client on Mac OS X, refer to the following:

Exchange on Mobile Devices

You can also connect to Exchange using a mobile device. The following mobile devices are supported by the Help:

Migrating from IMAP Mail to Full Exchange

If you have been using IMAP mail and are now migrating to Full Exchange, you should consider moving your email from the IMAP mail server to the Exchange server. Before migrating any email, you should see how much disk space you are using for email right now. Go to ULID Maintenance web page and click on Email Quota. Log in to see how much disk space you are using for email.

Your Exchange account might have a limit on the amount of disk space it is allowed to use. This is known as your Exchange quota. If you exceed your quota, you might begin receiving warning messages. Before copying a large amount of data into your Exchange account, we recommend consulting with your Exchange administrator.

Important: Copy email. Do not move email. We strongly recommend you copy email from IMAP to Exchange, rather than moving email. If you move email and there is a problem, you may be unable to recover email that was lost, whereas if you copy email and there is a problem, you should still have the original emails in your IMAP account.

The easiest way to migrate email to Exchange is by setting up Outlook or Apple Mail with two accounts: one for IMAP and one for Exchange. Then just copy mailboxes from the IMAP account to the Exchange account.

Switching from Exchange Calendar Only to Full Exchange

If you have been using the Exchange Calendar Only option and are now migrating to Full Exchange, make sure you remove the Exchange "Calendar Only" server-side rule. This rule is designed to delete all non-meeting emails from your Exchange Inbox and is intended for use only by Exchange Calendar Only users.

To remove the "Calendar Only" server-side rule using Outlook or OWA, do the following:

  • Outlook 2010: Click File > Manage Rules & Alerts. Delete the rule named Calendar Only.
  • Outlook 2007: Click Tools > Rules and Alerts.... Delete the rule named Calendar Only.
  • OWA: Click Options > See All Options... > Organize E-Mail > Inbox Rules. Delete the rule named Calendar Only.