The SSL Exchange test assures SSL VPN users that a particular SSL gateway system will work correctly as a front end for Microsoft Exchange Outlook Web Access (OWA). To pass, the SSL gateway system has to correctly allow a user outside the corporate firewall to correctly use OWA from both Exchange 2000 and Exchange 2003. This involves rewriting the URLs that appear in email messages so that the remote user's experience is similar to an internal users experience reading the same messages from OWA.
Correct operation is defined as proper display of the OWA introductory page; proper display of messages from the inbox; and properly rewriting URLs in messages so that the remote user can follow links that point to external HTTP and HTTPS sites.
The body of the email message in the user's mailbox contains the following:
<html><body> <p>Here are links to try for the basic tests <p>Go to <a href="http://www.vpnc.org/dns-redir-start.html">VPNC external HTTP test, with redirection</a> <p>Go to <a href="https://ssl-test.vpnc.org/">VPNC external SSL test</a> </body></html>
Note that the first link goes to a page that automatically redirects to a second page; this tests whether the SSL gateway properly handles redirected pages (which are common). Also, both the sites have a server-side include that shows the current time to be sure that no pages were cached in the browser.
If you have comments or questions about VPNC's testing, please feel free to send them to Paul Hoffman, VPNC's director, at paul.hoffman@vpnc.org.
