The Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange allows Ximian Evolution clients to access accounts on Microsoft Exchange 2000 servers. It is available for a fee from the Ximian online store at store.ximian.com. Unlike the regular Ximian Evolution client, it is proprietary software and source code is not available. The Ximian Connector offers a significant price advantage over other Exchange access methods for Linux and UNIX systems: Dual Computer Installation: The purchase of a second computer for each client imposes a very heavy expense burden and is exceptionally inconvenient. Dual Boot or Virtual Machine: Installation of multiple operating systems in a dual boot or virtual machine configuration (such as VMWare) also increases licensing and administration costs. Users often complain that such a system is inconvenient, slow, and not integrated with the rest of their operating system. Outlook Web Access: Outlook Web Access is a web interface for Exchange servers, but works best in Microsoft Internet Explorer, is not integrated with the rest of the host operating system, and offers only limited groupware functionality. The Ximian Connector offers a low cost, fully integrated, option for Exchange 2000 server access in heterogeneous client networks. This chapter will explain how to install, configure, and use it. Each user will need a valid Microsoft Exchange 2000 server account and license. Ximian Connector supports numerous features of Microsoft Exchange: General Remote Exchagne Information Store Allows you to access mail, address book, and calendars, and task folders on an Exchange 2000 server from Evolution. Palm synchronization Supported for Contacts and Calendars on Exchange. Mail Viewing Mail in Exchange Folder Sending Email via Exchagne Protocols If your Exchange server does not support SMTP: Choose "Microsoft Exchange" as the transport when configuring the account. Calendar Meeting Request/Proposal Allows Evolution users to schedule meetings and view attendee availability for other users (Evolution/Outlook) on Exchange. Adding iCalendar Meeting Requests to Calendar If you receive an iCalendar meeting request and add it to your calendar, it will be saved to your Exchange calendar. Contacts Address Completion Supported for your Exchange Contacts folder. Not yet supported for the Global Address List. Adding vCards to Address Book If you receive a vCard attachment and click Save in Address Book, it will be saved to your Exchange address book. New Address Book entries can be created on Exchange from received email messages with a single click Features Not Implemented for 1.0 Sharing Information under Exchange No support for public folders, delegate access, and shared folders for 1.0 Journal and Notes folders Offline or Disconnected Status Support for offline or disconnected status in mail and calendar not supported Out-of-Office Replies, Recalling Messages, and other such features Such features which only Exchange supports are not yet supported. To install the Ximian Connector, run Ximian Red Carpet by selecting SystemGet Software. Subscribe to the Ximian GNOME channel, select the Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange 2000, and click the Install button. You can also install the Connector by downloading the individual packages from ftp.ximian.com if you wish. Once you have installed the software, you will also need to install a license file. The license file is the verification that you have paid for a license to use the Ximian Connector. You can get the license file from the the Ximian online store at store.ximian.com. You will need a browser with strong (128-bit or greater) encryption to access the store. When you purchase a Ximian Connector license, the store will mail you the license file with instructions for installation. Once installed, the license file unlocks the Ximian Connector functionality and you may connect to an Exchange server. Once you have installed the Connector, you need to set up access for your Exchange account on both the Exchange server and within Evolution. Check with your system administrator to ensure that: You have a valid account on the Exchange server. You are permitted to access the account with WebDAV. This is the default setting for the Exchange server, so unless your system administrator has specifically turned it off, no changes should be necessary. The Ximian website knowledge base, at support.ximian.com, has additional information about checking to make sure that your Exchange server will accept connections from Ximian Evolution. Once you know that your server is ready for you to connect, start Ximian Evolution and select Tools Mail Settings from any mail view. If you have an existing account, and want to convert it to use for Exchange, do the following: Select the account you want to convert and click the Edit button. Under the Receiving Mail tab, select Microsoft Exchange as your server type. Enter your name of your server next to Host, and the user name for your account next to Username. If your server uses a Secure Socket Layer connection, click the Use Secure Connection (SSL) checkbox. Under the Sending Mail tab, select Microsoft Exchange as your server type, and enter the server name as the Host. You do not need to use the Exchange server to send mail if you prefer to use another server or server type. Click the OK button. Make sure the account is active. It should have a check mark in the Enabled column of your accounts list. If it doesn't, select the account and click the Enable button. If you would like to create a new account for your Exchange server, click the Add button in the accounts list. The account creation assistant will guide you through the process, which is described in . Like IMAP and LDAP data, information for Exchange accounts is stored on the server, not on your desktop computer. This means that you can access it from multiple locations. It also means that your Microsoft Exchange account information is in a seperate folder tree from the Local tree in your folder bar. You'll see it below the local tree, with the name you gave the account. If you have multiple accounts, you will have multiple folder trees. Click on any of the folder tree items to visit them; you may have to enter your server password. You can now create contact cards, send and receive email as you would normally. If there are items in your local calendar or addressbook that you'd like to add to your Exchange stores, you can copy and paste them over, or just drag items from one folder to another as you would with two local stores. In addition, when you schedule a meeting with your calendar on the Exchange server, you can check when other local Exchange users are busy according to their Exchange calendars. To do so: Open a new appointment in the calendar. Choose Actions Schedule Meeting in the meeting editor window. Add attendees, either by entering their email address into the list, or by clicking the Invite Others button. Choose Options and then Update Free/Busy to check participant schedules and, if possible, update the meeting in all participants' calendars.