path: root/help/C/usage-exchange.sgml

<chapter id="usage-exchange">
  <title>The Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange</title>
  <para>
    The Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange allows Ximian
    Evolution clients to access accounts on Microsoft Exchange 2000
    servers. It is available through Ximian Red Carpet in its own
    channel, but cannot be used without a license file.  The license
    file may be purchased from the Ximian online store at <ulink
    url="http://store.ximian.com">store.ximian.com</ulink>. Unlike the
    regular Ximian Evolution client, the Ximian Connector for
    Microsoft Exchange is proprietary software and source code is not
    available.
  </para>
  <para>
    The Ximian Connector offers a significant price advantage over
    other Exchange access methods for Linux and UNIX systems:
    <variablelist>

      <varlistentry>
    <term>Dual Computer Installation:</term>
    <listitem>
      <para>
             The purchase of a second computer for each client imposes
             a very heavy expense burden and is exceptionally
             inconvenient.
          </para>
    </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry>
    <term>Dual Boot or Virtual Machine:</term>
    <listitem>
      <para>
             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.
          </para>
    </listitem>
      </varlistentry>

      <varlistentry>
    <term>Outlook Web Access:</term>
    <listitem>
      <para>
            Outlook Web Access is a web interface for Exchange
            servers, but works best in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
            Outlook Web Access also is
            not integrated with the rest of the host operating system
            and offers only limited groupware functionality.
          </para>
    </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </para>
  <para>
   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.
  </para>
  <warning id="licensing">
    <title>Exchange Client Licenses</title>
    <para>
      Each user will need a valid Microsoft <application>Exchange</application>2000 server
      account and license.
  </para>
  </warning>

  <sect1 id="features">
    <title>Connector Features</title>
    <para>
      <application>Ximian Connector</application> supports the most
      often used features of <application>Microsoft
      Exchange</application>:
      <itemizedlist>
    <listitem>
      <para>
        General
      </para>
      <variablelist>
        <varlistentry>
          <term>Remote <application>Exchange</application> Information Store</term>
          <listitem>
        <para>
          Allows you to access mail, address 
          book, and calendars, and task folders on an <application>Exchange
            2000</application> server from <application>Evolution</application>. 
        </para>
          </listitem>
        </varlistentry>

        <varlistentry>
          <term>Palm synchronization</term>
          <listitem>
        <para>
          Supported for Contacts and Calendars on Exchange.
        </para>
          </listitem>
        </varlistentry>
      </variablelist>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
      <para>
        Mail
      </para>
      <variablelist>
        <varlistentry>
          <term>Viewing Mail in <application>Exchange</application>Folder</term>
          <listitem>
        <para></para>
          </listitem>
        </varlistentry>
        <varlistentry>
          <term>Sending Email via Exchange Protocols</term>
          <listitem>
        <para>
          You may use the Microsoft Exchange mail transport
          protocol to send email.
        </para>
          </listitem>
        </varlistentry>
      </variablelist>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
      <para>
        Calendar
      </para>
      <variablelist>
        <varlistentry>
          <term>Meeting Request/Proposal</term>
          <listitem>
        <para>
          Allows <application>Evolution</application> users to
          schedule meetings and view attendee availability for
          other users
          (<application>Evolution</application>/<application>Outlook</application>)
          on <application>Exchange</application>.
        </para>
          </listitem>
        </varlistentry>
        <varlistentry>
          <term>Adding iCalendar Meeting Requests to Calendar</term>
          <listitem>
        <para>
          If you receive an iCalendar meeting request and add it
          to your calendar, it will be saved to your
          <application>Exchange</application> calendar.
        </para>
          </listitem>
        </varlistentry>
      </variablelist>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
      <para>
        Contacts
      </para>
      <variablelist>
        <varlistentry>
          <term>Address Completion</term>
          <listitem>
        <para>
          Supported for your <application>Exchange</application>
          Contacts folder.  Not yet supported for the Global
          Address List.
        </para>
          </listitem>
        </varlistentry>
        <varlistentry>
          <term>Adding vCards to Address Book</term>
          <listitem>
        <para>
          If you receive a vCard attachment and click
          <guibutton>Save in Address Book</guibutton>, it will
          be saved to your <application>Exchange</application>address book.
        </para>
          </listitem>
        </varlistentry>
        <varlistentry>
          <term>New Address Book entries can be created on
        <application>Exchange</application> from received email
        messages with a single click</term>
          <listitem>
        <para>
        </para>
          </listitem>
        </varlistentry>
      </variablelist>
    </listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</para>

<para>
There are, however, some features which are not available:
<itemizedlist>

          <listitem>
        <para>
          Access to shared and public folders
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
                Journal and Notes components
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
        Work Offline (disconnected mode) support
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
               "Recall Message"
          </para>
        </listitem>

        <listitem>
          <para>
               Creation of an automatic "out-of-office" reply message
          </para>
        </listitem>

      </itemizedlist>
    </para>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="install">
    <title>Installing the Connector</title>
    <para>
       To install the Ximian Connector, run Ximian Red Carpet by
       selecting <menuchoice><guimenu>System</guimenu><guimenuitem>Get
       Software</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.  Subscribe to the Ximian
       Connector for Microsoft Exchange channel, select the Ximian
       Connector for Microsoft
       <application>Exchange</application>2000, and click the
       <guibutton>Install</guibutton> button.  You can also install
       the Connector by downloading the individual packages from
       ftp.ximian.com if you wish.
   </para>
   <para>
       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 <ulink
       url="http://store.ximian.com">store.ximian.com</ulink>.  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 <application>Exchange</application>server.
    </para>
 </sect1>

  <sect1 id="configure">
    <title>Configuration</title>
    <para>
      Once you have installed the Connector, you need to set up access
      for your <application>Exchange</application>account on both the <application>Exchange</application>server and within
      Evolution.
    </para>

       <sect2 id="config-server">
       <title>Exchange Server Configuration</title>
        <para>
      Check with your system administrator to ensure that:
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para> 
          You have a valid account on the <application>Exchange</application>server.
        </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para> 
          You are permitted to access the account with
          WebDAV. This is the default setting for the <application>Exchange</application>server,
          so unless your system administrator has specifically turned
          it off, no changes should be necessary.
        </para>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
      </para>
      <para>
    The Ximian website knowledge base, at <ulink type="http"
                             url="http://support.ximian.com">support.ximian.com</ulink>, has additional information about checking to make sure that your <application>Exchange</application>server will accept connections from Ximian Evolution.
      </para>
    </sect2>
    
    <sect2 id="config-client">
      <title>Evolution Settings for Connecting to an <application>Exchange</application>Server</title>
      <para>
    
    Once you know that your server is ready for you to connect, start
    Ximian Evolution and select
    <menuchoice>
      <guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
      <guimenuitem>Mail Settings</guimenuitem>
    </menuchoice>
    from any mail view.  If you have an existing account, and want
    to convert it to use for Exchange, do the following:
    <orderedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Select the account you want to convert and click the
          <guibutton>Edit</guibutton> button.
        </para>
      </listitem>
      
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Under the <guilabel>Receiving Mail</guilabel> tab, select
          <guilabel>Microsoft Exchange</guilabel> as your server
          type. Enter your name of your server next to
          <guilabel>Host</guilabel>, and the user name for your
          account next to <guilabel>Username</guilabel>.  If your
          server uses a Secure Socket Layer connection, click the
          <guilabel>Use Secure Connection (SSL)</guilabel> checkbox.
        </para>
      </listitem>
      
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Under the <guilabel>Sending Mail</guilabel> tab, select
          <guilabel>Microsoft Exchange</guilabel> as your server
          type, and enter the server name as the
          <guilabel>Host</guilabel>. You do not need to use the
          <application>Exchange</application>server to send mail if you prefer to use another
          server or server type.
        </para>
      </listitem>
      
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Click the <guibutton>OK</guibutton> button.
        </para>
      </listitem>
      
      <listitem>
        <para>
          Make sure the account is active. It should have a check
          mark in the <guilabel>Enabled</guilabel> column of your
          accounts list. If it doesn't, select the account and
          click the <guibutton>Enable</guibutton> button.
        </para>
      </listitem>
    </orderedlist>
      </para>
      
      <para>
    If you would like to create a new account for your Exchange
    server, click the <guibutton>Add</guibutton> button in the
    accounts list. The account creation assistant will guide you
    through the process, which is described in <xref
                             linkend="usage-mainwindow-starting">. 
      </para>
    </sect2>
  </sect1>
  
  <sect1 id="access">
    <title>Accessing the <application>Exchange</application>Server</title>
    <para>
      Like IMAP and LDAP data, information for <application>Exchange</application>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 <application>Exchange</application>account information is in a
      seperate folder tree from the <guilabel>Local</guilabel> 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.
    </para>
    <para>
      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 <application>Exchange</application>stores, you can copy and paste them
      over, or just drag items from one folder to another as you
      would with two local stores.
    </para>
    <para>
      In addition, when you schedule a meeting with your calendar on
      the <application>Exchange</application>server, you can check when other local Exchange
      users are busy according to their <application>Exchange</application>calendars. To do so: 
      <orderedlist numeration="arabic">
    <listitem>
      <para>
            Open a new appointment in the calendar.
          </para>
    </listitem>

    <listitem>
      <para> Choose <menuchoice>
          <guimenu>Actions</guimenu>
          <guimenuitem>Schedule Meeting</guimenuitem>
        </menuchoice> in the meeting editor window.
          </para>
    </listitem>

    <listitem>
      <para> Add attendees, either by entering their email address
            into the list, or by clicking the <guibutton>Invite
            Others</guibutton> button. 
         </para>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
      <para>
          Choose <guilabel>Options</guilabel> and then
          <guilabel>Update Free/Busy</guilabel> to check participant
          schedules and, if possible, update the meeting in all
          participants' calendars.
         </para>
    </listitem>
      </orderedlist>
    </para>
  </sect1>
</chapter>