Sun Java Communications Suite 5 Release Notes

Known Limitations and Issues in Connector for Microsoft Outlook

This section describes the limitations and known issues that exist in this release of Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook.

Limitations in Connector for Microsoft Outlook

Some limitations exist in this release of Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook. The key limitations are:

Every distinct identity in the Directory Server (for example, users, resources, conference rooms) must have an email address.
Rich text in the appointment and meeting description field is lost once the same calendar event is modified in the Communications Express client.
Message recall functionality is not available.
Description of events is not available when checking availability.
Free/Busy lookup does not display TENTATIVE or OUT-OF-OFFICE color coding.
The properties for Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook cannot be modified using the Tools->Services option from the Outlook menu. To modify the properties:
1. Exit Outlook.
2. Right click the Outlook icon and select Properties.
  
  The Properties dialog appears.
3. Select Folders - < your user name> from the list of services.
4. Click Properties.
Free/busy lookup using SSL is not supported.
Installing Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook on Exchange servers is not supported.
The installer will not run if Outlook is in Internet Mode. In Outlook 2000, the Internet Mail Only mode can contain both a POP and IMAP profile. Those profiles are not upgraded or converted in to the Connector for Microsoft Outlook 7.2 version.
Recurring tasks are not supported.
Offline limitations:
- During an offline session, if any item in a Calendar, Task, mail, or Contact folder is modified using Outlook, and then another client on the server is used to modify the same item, the changes made offline are lost when the user returns to online mode in Outlook. The changes made by the other client on the server remain.
- When creating a new event in offline mode, the invitation is saved to the user's Outbox. If, while still in offline mode, the user opens the invitation, the invitation disappears from the Outbox once it is closed.
Junk Mail Filter does not work for Outlook 2003.

The “Junk Email” feature available in Outlook 2003 (select Tools->Option) does not function with Connector for Microsoft Outlook. This is a known limitation for Microsoft Outlook. Senders that are set to be filtered using this tool are not filtered.

Because Outlook's “Junk Email” feature relies on the client to filter unwanted messages, Sun recommends using a server-side solution. In client filters, like the one Outlook utilizes, the messages arrive in the user's Inbox, which is then moved to the Junk folder. This could potentially create unnecessary network traffic and slower response time.

Users may use the Tools->Mail Filter option, which utilizes the server-side filtering function. A more efficient solution would be to use a server-side virus or junk mail filter that is compatible with Sun Java System Messaging Server. Unsolicited email may be rejected at the MTA (message transfer agent) level and never arrive in the user's Inbox, saving resources and disk space. For a list of third-party partners, see http://www.sun.com/software/products/communications/partner_library/index.xml

Known Issues in Connector for Microsoft Outlook

This section describes the known issues at the time of this release of Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook. If known, IDs are included in parentheses.

The categories of issues discussed in this section are:

General Issues in Connector for Microsoft Outlook

2144539, 6492342

GAL over SSL causes Outlook to hang

When SSL is enabled on the LDAP corporate directory, clients using Connector for Microsoft Outlook are unable to access the Global Address List from their systems.

Workaround: None.

4938665

For converting or creating a user profile in silent installation mode, it is mandatory to have a default profile.

Workaround: None.

5053786

User unable to open Outlook for the first time without administrative rights.

Workaround: None.

5107345

If previously converted user profiles exist, the Deployment Configuration Program will not create a new profile when the “Convert/Upgrade or create” option is selected in the User Profiles tab.

Workaround: The administrator must create a profile using the “Create new user profiles without conversion/upgrade” option.

6212865

Contacts forwarded as attachments are not saved in the Contacts folder (Outlook 2000).

Workaround: None.

Installation and Upgrade Issues in Connector for Microsoft Outlook

4930092

Unauthenticated Shared Drive Path Displays Warning.

For fields requiring a shared drive path, or UNC (Universal Naming Convention) be entered (for example, the shared path to the location for Microsoft Web Publishing Wizard on the Processes Tab of the Deployment Configuration Program), a validation warning is displayed that states the path does not exist if the user is not authenticated for the specified shared drive.

Workaround: The specified shared drive should be accessible by anonymous authentication, allowing anybody to access the shared drive.

6253840, 6254598

Unable to install if Outlook is upgraded.

If a user with a current Connector for Microsoft Outlook profile upgrades the user's current version of Outlook to Outlook XP or Outlook 2003, the existing profile fails to open. Attempting to install a fresh profile also fails.

Workaround: When the Outlook version is upgraded or changed, please uninstall and reinstall Connector for Microsoft Outlook.

6381401

New profile cannot be created when number of .pst files reach 100.

The .pst files are located under local file settings\Application Data\Sun\Outlook Connector\SJOC*.pst, where * can be a number from 0 to 99.

Workaround: Some or all of the unused .pst files should be manually deleted in order for the installation to succeed.

No ID

Upgrade defaults to previous servers and ports.

When upgrading from the Connector for Microsoft Outlook 6 2004Q2 version to the Connector for Microsoft Outlook 7.2 version, if the server names and port numbers have changed, the upgrade only takes into consideration the old server names and port numbers.

Workaround: None.

Calendar Issues in Connector for Microsoft Outlook

The following issues relate the calendar portion of Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook only:

5104189

Creating a new calendar profile brings up the old calendar reminders.

When logging in for the first time to a newly created calendar profile in Outlook that is set to your default Calendar Server, Outlook alarms pop up for old events as well as for future events. This applies only for recurring events where the entire series does not take place in the past.

Workaround: None.

6190293

Names of subscribed calendars not visible in Calendar view.

When you first subscribe to a calendar, the calendar name is labeled as “Calendar”, not the name of the subscribed calendar.

Workaround: To see the name of the subscribed calendar, log off Outlook and then log back into Outlook. The subscribed calendar’s name should be displayed.

6292026

Opening a shared calendar link does not hook into subscription (Outlook 2003).

In Outlook 2003, clicking the calendar icon at the bottom of the left pane, displays the calendar view. Within that calendar view, clicking “Open a Shared Calendar” displays a dialog that allows the user to enter the user name of a shared calendar. When the user name of a known shared calendar is entered, the error “Unable to display the folder. Your profile is not configured to support this operation for this user.” is displayed. This occurs also with contacts and tasks.

Workaround: To view a shared calendar, select the shared calendar folder in the folders list.

6409671

Unable to remove attachment from an instance of a recurring event.

If a user creates a recurring event that includes an attachment, then attempts to remove the attachment from a single instance of the recurring event, the attachment is not deleted.

Workaround: None.

No ID

The following are additional issues related to the calendar portion of Connector for Microsoft Outlook that do not have IDs:

If delegate accepts or declines an invitation from the organizer’s Shared Inbox, the calendar event is added to delegate’s calendar, but not to the organizer’s calendar.
Microsoft TNEF messages are sent when sending calendar attachments. iTIP and iMIP calendar attachments are not supported.
All Day events may become a non-All Day events (one event scheduled from 12:00am until 12:00pm) if the desktop time zone is different from the Calendar Server calendar time zone.
Changing permissions of a calendar requires restarting Outlook for the new permission setting to take effect for the Calendar folder in the Shared Calendar.
Tasks displayed in Shared Calendars are the login user’s tasks, not the subscribed user’s tasks. The calendar view always shows the login user’s tasks.
If you create a recurring invitation in Outlook, but delete a single instance of that event, the recipients (attendees) will not see the deleted invitation if Calendar Server has not processed the initial recurring invitation before the deletion.

Mail Issues in Connector for Microsoft Outlook

The following issues relate the mail portion of Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook only:

2142968 and 6482360

Message recall does not work.

When a sender attempts to recall a message that was sent, the recall attempt fails. The recalled message is not deleted from the receiver's mailbox.

Workaround: None

5099436

If a user’s mailbox contains over 16,000 messages in the inbox, Outlook does not download all messages.

Workaround: The “Large Table” support flag must be manually set. To do this:

Open the Folders Properties dialog by right-clicking on “Folders - your user name” and select Properties for “Folders - your user name.”.
In the Folder Properties dialog, click Advanced... .
Select the Advanced tab in the Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook dialog.
Click the Personal Folders button and check the box next to “Allow upgrade to large tables” in the Personal Folders dialog.
Click OK to all open dialogs and restart Outlook.

6227085

Cannot move a message resulting from a search to another folder.

In Outlook XP, if a user searches for a message and then attempts to move a message resulting from that search to another folder, an error occurs.

Workaround: None.

Address Book Issues in Connector for Microsoft Outlook

The following issues relate to the Address Book portion of the Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook.

6225049

Deleting a contact from Communications Express does not delete it from Outlook.

The Communications Express configuration parameter delete_perm in the db_config.properties file needs to be set to false in order for Outlook to capture contact entries which have been deleted from Communications Express. The entry should be:

delete_perm=false

The default is true. The entry can be found at /var/opt/SUNWuwc/WEB-INF/config/ldapstore/db_config.properties .

Workaround: Manually fix the entry.

6228253

Login to Address Book server fails through Outlook.

Users are unable to log into the Address Book server though Outlook if the Address Book (in Communications Express) is in SSL mode.

Workaround: Open Communications Express within Internet Explorer and permanently accept the self-signed certificate.

6267180

Shared contact not removed from Address Book after unsubscribing.

After unsubscribing to a shared contact, it is not removed from the “Show Names from the” list of the Address Book.

Workaround: Two workarounds exist:

If the subscribed contact has been added to the “Show Names from the” list of the Address Book,” the user should uncheck the “Show this folder as an email Address Book” option from the “Outlook Address Book” property page before unsubscribing from the contact.
Remove the contact directly from the address book properties.

In Outlook XP:
1. Select Tools>Email account.
2. Then choose “View or change existing directories or address books.” and select “Microsoft Outlook Address Book” to change.
3. Select the item to remove from your address book.
In Outlook 2000:
1. Select Tools>Services..., from the Outlook menu.
  
  The Services window is displayed.
2. Select the “Services” tab.
3. Select “Outlook Address Book” from the list of services set up in your profile and click “Properties.”
  
  The Microsoft Outlook Address Book properties window is displayed.
4. Select the item to remove from your address book and click Close.
Note that user must logout and logon again to take the effect.

6315910

Login to Address Book Server fails if the proxy configured in the default web browser is down.

Workaround: None.

Localization Issues for Connector for Microsoft Outlook

The following issues affect the localized versions of Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook:

6309523

Setup Wizard dialog corrupted.

The Setup Wizard dialog in the Outlook 2000 on Windows 2000 Japanese and Chinese versions is corrupted for “Sun Communication Server.”

Workaround: None.

6313321

Cannot convert IMAP profile name in Japanese.

If an IMAP profile already exists, and this profile has never been used by Outlook, the conversion fails.

Workaround: None.

Communications Express Interoperability Issues for Connector for Microsoft Outlook

The following issues relate to the interoperability between Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook and Sun Java System Communications Express:

4949659

Address change in From: header.

The name in the From: header changes if an attendee replies to an event invitation and attaches the winmail.dat calendar invitation. For example, Joe (using Outlook) sends an invitation to an event to Bob. Bob replies to Joe, using an email client that automatically sends the original winmail.dat calendar attachment back to Joe. When Joe opens the reply, the From: header is changed to Joe.

Workaround: None.

4969029

Email ID is a must for Outlook.

If a person with a calendar ID but no email ID is invited to an event in Communications Express, this person is not displayed as an attendee in Outlook. An email ID is required for Outlook.

Workaround: None.

5032872

Unsubscribing to a calendar does not remove the calendar from the folder list.

If you subscribe to or unsubscribe from a calendar in Communications Express, the information is updated in Outlook only after Outlook has been restarted. Additionally, if the LDAP configured for lookup is a replica, the subscription list is not updated until the replica is updated.

Workaround: None.

6175103

Error generated when Outlook synchronizes with server.

If a task is created (either in Outlook or Communications Express) while Outlook is synched with the server, then the task is deleted and the user attempts to switch to the Tasks folder in Outlook, an “Unable to display all cells due to low memory” error is generated.

Workaround: Switch to another folder and then back again to the Tasks folder.

6229276

Configuration parameter needs to be set in order for address book server contacts to be properly synchronized.

Workaround: The Communications Express configuration parameter delete_perm in the db_config.properties file needs to be set to false in order for Outlook to capture contact entries which have been deleted from Communications Express. The entry should be:

delete_perm=false

The default is true. The entry can be found at /var/opt/SUNWuwc/WEB-INF/config/ldapstore/db_config.properties .

6268483

Folders with the same name but different case cannot both be displayed.

Only one folder is displayed. If a user creates a folder in Outlook (for example, TEST) and then later in Communications Express creates a folder with the same name but different case (for example, Test ) only the first folder created ( TEST) is displayed in Connector for Microsoft Outlook.

If the user then deletes the existing folder TEST in Communications Express and keeps (or creates) the folder of the same name but different case ( Test), when the user first logs onto Outlook, the folder TEST is deleted but the folder Test is not shown until the user exits and logs back into Outlook.

Workaround: None.

6351914

Limitations in calendar alarms.

Because of the difference in how Outlook and Communications Express handle alarms and reminders, changes in one interface are not reflected in the other. Outlook utilizes popup windows as alarms, while Communications Express (Calendar Server) sends email reminders. In order to not replicate alarms when both interfaces are used (having both a popup and email reminder sent), Connector for Microsoft Outlook allows alarm synchronization upon creation of events in a single direction only. For example, when a new event is created using Communications Express, the alarm is copied to the Outlook event (as a popup). But when creating an Outlook event, the alarm is not set on the server.

Workaround: To allow the synchronization to work from Outlook to Communications Express, a registry value can be set in outlook: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Sun Microsystems\Outlook Connector\Sync Cal To turn this on, set the value to 1, and to turn it off, set the value to 0 (or remove the key. Note that setting the registry value will only have effect when creating new events. Modifying existing events only affects the alarm type associated with the client performing the modification.

6433788

Menu option Insert>Item is disabled when event body is modified.

If a new event is created in Outlook 2003, then later the event body is modified using Communications Express, the Insert>Item menu option is disabled when Outlook syncs with Communications Express.

Workaround: None.

No ID

The following are additional issues related to Communications Express interoperability that do not have IDs:

RTF formatting in Outlook is not preserved if the description text is edited using Communications Express.
Differences exist in privacy classes between Outlook and Communications Express.

Outlook has two privacy classes (Private and Public), while Communications Express has three classes (private, Date and Time only, and Public). In Outlook, a private event is created as a “Date and Time only” event in Communications Express. A public event in Outlook maps to the public event in Communications Express. Similarly, a Communications Express “Date and Time Only” event maps as a private event in Outlook, and a public event maps as a public event in Outlook. A Communications Express private event also maps to Outlook as a private event. To create a private event in Outlook so it appears as a private event in Communications Express, select “Free” from the “Show time as:” field. The Communications Express private event cannot be seen in a shared Calendar folder by another user.
There are differences in the way free/busy is implemented in Outlook and Communications Express.

The default private event is free in Communications Express. If the event is to be included for free/busy lookup, then it should manually be set to busy. In Outlook the default events are busy for both private and public events.
If you export an event from Communications Express to a file in Outlook format, you cannot import the event from the same file into Outlook.
Incompatibilities exist in how recurring tasks are implemented in Outlook and Communications Express.

Recurring tasks in Outlook do not conform to RFC 2445 while Communications Express is specifically designed to work with RFC 2445-compliant information. This causes problems when recurring task information is passed between Outlook and Calendar Server.

Information stored locally by Outlook does not always match information which is stored on the Calendar Server. Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook, for example, does not transfer any information dealing with the recurrence of a task to the Calendar Server. Any tasks created in Outlook (recurring or non-recurring) appears in Communications Express as single tasks. A task that is created in Communications Express only uses the recurring information from the Calendar Server when that task is written for the first time in the Outlook client and not during any modification of any existing task on Outlook.

For these reasons, recurring tasks viewed in Outlook and tasks viewed in Communications Express appear different in many cases. We recommend that users who work with recurring tasks choose either Outlook or Communications Express and not attempt to work with recurring tasks in both clients interchangeably.
If a message is sent from Outlook in Rich Text format, the message contains a plain text body with no formatting and a WINMAIL.DAT attachment.

The WINMAIL.DAT attachment contains the Rich Text message along with any other attachments that may have been added. Because the format is Microsoft proprietary, only Outlook can read the WINMAIL.DAT attachment. Communications Express (and any other client) sees only the unformatted text message and a WINMAIL.DAT attachment. It is recommended that HTML format be used instead of Rich Text format to send messages.
If contacts groups in Outlook contain external SMTP mail recipients or other contacts groups, they are not seen by Communications Express.

Communications Express cannot send mail to these recipients.
Communications Express cannot decode and display Microsoft TNEF format.

Outlook saves calendar events and tasks (any calendar folder not under the Calendar folder tree), contacts (any contacts folder not under the Contacts folder tree), notes, and journals in the Messaging Server. Because the data is saved as Microsoft TNEF format, Communications Express cannot decode and correctly display them.

Microsoft Exchange Interoperability Issues

The following issues relate to the interoperability between Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange:

6174201

Free Busy Proxy for Exchange does not return complete Free/Busy information.

Workaround: None.

6194768

Tab is inserted within a long subject.

If a message from an Exchange server is sent to a server using Connector for Microsoft Outlook and Sun Java System Messaging Server with an exceedingly long subject, the message is sent with a tab inserted within the subject line.

Workaround: None.

6200399

Rules are not working correctly.

Email filters (rules) which are created using LDAP GAL entries do not work in Outlook 2000. If the same procedure with an Exchange profile (adding an LDAP GAL and using one of the LDAP entries directly in a mail filter/rule) shows the same results in the Exchange profile. That is, in Outlook 2000, the filter will not work. In Outlook XP (and Outlook 2003), the filter does work.

Workaround: Add to your personal address book any contacts that you want to use in an email filter/rule. Then, use the local contact in the rule instead of the LDAP entry.

6203018

Rules from people or distribution lists do not work.

If a distribution list from a personal address book (in the contacts folder) is added to an email rule/filter, a dialog from the rules wizard appears asking if the distribution list should be expanded. The rules/filter requires that the rule contain the expanded list of email addresses. If an LDAP group (from an LDAP GAL) is added to a rule/filter, the rules wizard does not ask to expand the group and simply uses the email address of the group itself. Rules which are created using LDAP groups do not work. This same behavior can be observed in profiles which connect to Exchange (and which have LDAP directories configured as services).

Workaround: Add the individual group members to your personal address book and use them in the email filter.

6255190

Cannot recover deleted items.

After selecting “Empty Deleted Items Folder,” Connector for Microsoft Outlook does not allow for recovery of deleted items.

Workaround: None.

No ID

Receipt of a message with embedded OLE objects and HTML in RTF from Exchange (versions 5.5, 2000, and 2003) to Connector for Microsoft Outlook does not work.

Workaround: None.

Microsoft Outlook Issues

The following are issues with Microsoft Outlook:

Note –

These issues are general issues with Microsoft Outlook, and are not specific issues with Connector for Microsoft Outlook.

4946488

Saving attached files inside a forwarded message.

When an attachment is received as part of a forwarded message, the attachment cannot be saved after double-clicking on the attachment.

Workaround: To save the attachment, right-click on the attachment, then chose “Save As.”

6214643

Using the web tool bar crashes Outlook.

Entering the URL only along with the port number in Outlook's web tool bar causes Outlook to crash. For example, entering www.sesta.com:90 causes Outlook to crash. However, entering http://www.sesta.com or www.sesta.com does not cause Outlook to crash.

Workaround: None.

6365369

Limitations for non-default calendars.

Limitations exist when attempting to perform operations on a non-default calendar with Outlook:

Free/Busy information is not displayed.
Reminders cannot be set on an event.
Attendee responses to invitations from non-default calendars are not tallied.

Workaround: None.

6446169, 6447068

SMIME messages sent from Outlook 2000 lose formatting.

If a signed and encrypted SMIME HTML message is sent from Outlook 2000, the fonts and formatting may be lost when it is viewed by another Outlook 2000 client or Communications Express.

Workaround: The latest Microsoft Office updates should be applied.

6453420

Unable to view application objects properly in Outlook when sender creates objects from Outlook.

A message is sent following this scenario:

The sender's mail format is set to rich text.
An application is inserted into a new message using the Insert->Object->Create New->application option.
Another application object of the same type is inserted into the message.

When this message is received, only one application object is visible within the message.

Workaround for recipient: The recipient of the message can copy the received object and paste it to another location. Once copied, the option is named Scrap.

Workaround for sender: The sender should avoid sending objects directly created from within Outlook using the Insert->Object->Create New->application. Instead, the object should be created directly from the standalone application, saving it, and sending it as an attachment.