Most organizations find that the default Exchange Web Services virtual directory that's created during installation of the Exchange 2010 Client Access server role is sufficient. However, you can remove, create, and modify the settings of an Exchange Web Services virtual directory.

For the functionality provided by Exchange Web Services to work, you must keep the information in the following locations in sync:

• Internet Information Services (IIS)
  
  
• Active Directory
  
  
• The Exchange Web Services web.config file
  
  

If there's a discrepancy between what you've configured in IIS for the Exchange Web Services virtual directory, what's configured in the web.config file, and what's is stored in Active Directory, Exchange Web Services won't initialize and calendaring sharing and other functionality won't work.

When Exchange Web Services doesn't initialize, an event is logged with the following error code: ServiceActivationException. If you get this error, it's a best practice to remove and then re-create the Exchange Web Services virtual directory. For more information about the cmdlets and parameters you need to use to perform these actions, see Remove-WebServicesVirtualDirectory and New-WebServicesVirtualDirectory.

SSL is enabled by default on Exchange Web Services virtual directories. If you want to enable SSL offloading, you must disable SSL on each Client Access server in your organization.

If you don't have an SSL offloading device and you want to maintain secure communication between client and server, SSL must be enabled on each Client Access server in your organization.

Important:
You can't disable or enable SSL using the Shell. If you disable or enable SSL on an Exchange Web Services virtual directory, you must make the configuration change in both IIS Manager and the Exchange Web Services web.config file.

For more information about how to manage SSL on Exchange Web Services virtual directories, see Enable or Disable SSL on Exchange Web Services Virtual Directories.