| Oracle® Calendar Resource Kit, Release 2 (9.0.4.2) Part Number B10894-04 |
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View PDF |
| Oracle® Calendar Resource Kit, Release 2 (9.0.4.2) Part Number B10894-04 |
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View PDF |
Oracle Connector for Outlook is a calendaring and messaging service provider that extends and improves Outlook's functionality with real-time calendaring, advanced group and resource scheduling capabilities and unified messaging functionality by providing one central Inbox for your e-mail, voice mail and fax messages.
A key advantage to using Oracle Connector for Outlook is that you can continue to use the familiar Outlook interface on your desktop while accessing Oracle's calendar server and e-mail server instead of Microsoft Exchange Server.
The Oracle Calendar server stores all users' calendars together in a single database. Each time you look at another user's free/busy time, you are viewing up-to-the-minute information about their schedules, including unconfirmed meetings. Similarly, each time you open a meeting in your Calendar folder, you are getting the latest version directly from Oracle's calendar server, instead of opening a copy of an e-mail describing a meeting that may have been moved or changed without your knowledge.
Calendaring with Microsoft Exchange Server, by contrast, is message-based: all meetings are created, stored, forwarded and retrieved as e-mail messages. There are a number of limitations with this method. For example, between the time you create the meeting and the time your co-worker accepts it, nobody else can know when that meeting exists by looking at your co-worker's calendar. In fact, nobody else can tell that the meeting exists at all, because it doesn't exist in your co-worker's Calendar folder until he or she accepts it.
This section contains the following topics.
Table 2-1 Oracle Connector for Outlook System Requirements
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Operating system |
Administrative privileges are required to install Oracle Connector for Outlook on Windows NT, 2000, and XP. |
| Disk space | Free disk space equivalent to the approximate size of the user's IMAP4 mailbox |
| RAM | Refer to the RAM requirements of your Microsoft Outlook client. |
| Outlook |
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| Calendar server |
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| E-mail servers | SMTP server for outgoing mail included with Oracle Connector for Outlook
Oracle IMAP4 Server 9.0.3 and above Other e-mail servers whose implementations are based upon the open standards of SMTP and the IMAP4 reference implementations Cyrus and University of Washington. |
| Conduits for PDA synchronization |
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| Devices | The following devices have been certified with Oracle Connector for Outlook. Similar devices may work but the end-user experience may vary.
Pocket PC
Palm
Blackberry 6710 - Wireless Handheld |
A supported Outlook version must be installed on a supported platform.
To install Oracle Connector for Outlook on Windows NT, 2000, and XP, you must have administrative privileges.
Outlook 98 and Outlook 2000 must be installed in Corporate/Workgroup mode. Verify the Outlook configuration by selecting Options from the Tools menu, then select Mail Services, and click Reconfigure Mail Support.
To avoid losing information, Oracle Corporation recommends that you synchronize your offline folders before upgrading.
To manually install Oracle Connector for Outlook:
Exit all Windows applications before installing Oracle Connector for Outlook.
If you are upgrading from a previous version and want to add or change the languages installed, run con_outlook_904x.exe followed by the switch /Lang. Otherwise, just double-click the con_outlook_904x.exe file. Follow the on-screen installation instructions.
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Note: To avoid conflict between POP3 and IMAP4 protocols, do not set up Microsoft's Internet Mail or Exchange service providers in the same profile as Oracle Connector for Outlook. |
It is recommended that you disable Outlook Add-ins that are specific to Microsoft Exchange to avoid conflicts with Add-ins installed with Oracle Connector for Outlook. For details, see the Configuring Add-ins section of the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help.
If you upgrade your Outlook installation, you must reinstall Oracle Connector for Outlook after the upgrade. See Installing Oracle Connector for Outlook for installation instructions.
This section contains the following topics:
This section contains the following topics:
When creating a new profile using the Oracle Connector for Outlook service, you will need to provide a variety of information to connect to your mail and calendar servers.
Close Outlook.
From the Windows Start button, select Settings.
Select Control Panel from the pop-up list, and double-click the Mail icon.
Click Show Profiles.
Click Add.
Select the Use the following information services option and select the Oracle Connector for Outlook check box.
Enter a name for the profile in the Profile Name field and click Next.
The Setup Wizard opens:
On the first screen of the Oracle Connector for Outlook setup wizard, select the Corporate option to connect to your organization's calendar server over a LAN or VPN connection. Select the ASP option if your calendar and mail services are provided by a third-party reseller. Select the I do not have an Oracle Calendar account yet check box to skip configuring your calendar server connection and move on to your e-mail server connections. Click Next to proceed.
If you selected the Corporate option, you will have to provide the network name or address of your server, followed by a comma, followed by the node-ID or alias of your calendar server node, in the Server name field. If you are using a master node configuration, enter the master node server name only. A node-ID is not required. Specify the user name and password of your calendar account in the other boxes of this screen. In a master node configuration, your user name must be your user ID. Consult your system administrator for the necessary information. Click Next to proceed.
If you selected the ASP option, you will have to provide the Domain ID used by your service provider to identify your company, as well as the host name or names of your provider's calendar domain service hosts. Your service provider contact should be able to provide you with this information. Enter the user name and password for your calendar account in the other boxes on this screen. Click Next to proceed.
Configure your IMAP4 server connection for incoming mail. If you do not have an account or wish to skip this step, select the I do not have an IMAP4 account yet check box. Otherwise, enter the host name of your IMAP4 server in the Server name field. You can select the Use same settings as my Oracle Calendar Server check box if your mail and calendar accounts have the same user name and password. Click Next to proceed.
If you did not select the Use same settings as my Oracle Calendar Server check box, you will have to enter the user name and password for your incoming e-mail account. Click Next to proceed.
Configure your SMTP server connection for outgoing mail. If you do not have an account or wish to skip this step, select the I do not have an SMTP account yet check box. Otherwise, enter the host name of your SMTP server in the Server name field. If your outgoing e-mail server requires a user name and password, select the The server requires authentication check box. You can select the Use same settings as my IMAP4 server check box if your outgoing and incoming e-mail accounts have the same user name and password. Click Next to proceed.
If you specified that your SMTP server requires authentication and not to use the same settings as your IMAP4 server, you will have to provide the user name and password for your SMTP server. Click Next to proceed.
Enter the name and e-mail address that you want displayed in your outgoing e-mail. Click Next to proceed.
If you want to enable the offline capabilities of Oracle Connector for Outlook, select the I will use this computer while not connected to the network check box. Select the Choose a connection type next time you log on using this profile check box to select at startup whether you want Outlook to connect to your mail and calendar servers or to work offline. Click Next to proceed.
Confirm that all the information you have entered is correct, and click Next to proceed.
Specify the location of your personal folder file, or choose a new location if you do not yet have a personal folders file. Click Next to proceed, and click Finish to complete your Oracle Connector for Outlook setup.
When adding Oracle Connector for Outlook to an existing profile, the setup wizard is not available. Instead, you will enter the information outlined earlier directly in the Oracle Connector for Outlook Profile Settings dialog box.
Close Outlook.
From the Windows Start button, select Settings.
Select Control Panel from the pop-up list, and double-click the Mail icon.
Click Show Profiles.
Select the appropriate profile and click Properties.
Select Oracle Connector for Outlook and click Properties. The Oracle Connector for Outlook Profile Settings dialog box opens.
Follow step 10 in Creating a new profile in the Managing your profiles using Outlook 2002/2003 section .
This section contains the following topics:
When you create a new profile using the Oracle Connector for Outlook service, you must use the Oracle Connector for Outlook Profile Settings dialog box to enter a variety of information to connect to your mail and calendar servers.
Close Outlook.
From the Windows Start button, select Settings.
Select Control Panel from the pop-up list, and double-click the Mail icon.
Click Show Profiles.
Click Add.
Enter a name for the profile you are creating and click OK.
Select the Add a new e-mail account option.
Select the Additional Server Types option.
Select Oracle Connector for Outlook from the Additional Server Types list and click Next.
Enter the following information in the Oracle Connector for Outlook Profile Settings dialog box:
If you do not have an Oracle Calendar account yet, select the I do not have an Oracle Calendar account yet check box on the Calendar tab to skip configuring your calendar server connection.
On the Calendar tab, enter the name or address of your server followed by a comma, followed by the node-ID or alias of your calendar server node, in the Server name field. If you are using a master node configuration, enter the master node server name only. A node-ID is not required. Specify the account name and password of your calendar account in the other boxes on Calendar tab. In a master node configuration, your user name must be your user ID.
If you do not have an IMAP4 account yet, select the I do not have an IMAP4 account yet check box on the IMAP4 tab to skip configuring your IMAP4 server connection.
On the IMAP4 tab, enter the host name of your IMAP4 server in the Server name field You can select the Use same settings as my Oracle Calendar server check box if your mail and calendar accounts have the same account name and password. If they are not the same, enter your account name and password for the IMAP4 server.
If you do not have an SMTP account yet, select the I do not have an SMTP account yet check box on the SMTP tab to skip configuring your SMTP server connection.
On the SMTP tab, enter the host name of the SMTP server in the Server name field. If your outgoing e-mail server requires a user name and password, select the The server requires authentication check box. Click Settings. You can select the Use same settings as my incoming mail server check box if your outgoing and incoming e-mail accounts have the same account name and password. If they are not the same, enter your SMTP account name and password.
If you want to enable the offline capabilities of Oracle Connector for Outlook, select the Enable offline use check box on the Startup tab. Select the Choose a connection type check box to select at startup whether you want Outlook to connect to your mail and calendar servers or to work offline.
Click OK to create your profile.
The procedure for adding Oracle Connector for Outlook to an existing profile is very similar to creating a new profile. The only difference is that you must select an existing profile in the Oracle Connector for Outlook Profile Settings dialog box instead of adding a new one.
Close Outlook.
From the Windows Start button, select Settings.
Select Control Panel from the pop-up list, and double-click the Mail icon.
Click Show Profiles.
Select the appropriate profile and click Properties.
Click E-mail Accounts.
Select the View or change existing e-mail accounts option.
Click Next.
Select Oracle Connector for Outlook and click Change. The Oracle Connector for Outlook Profile Settings dialog box opens.
Follow step 10 in the Creating a new profile section.
The calendar server provides Oracle Connector for Outlook with your calendar, tasks, contacts, notes and journals.
To configure a calendar server connection:
Select the Calendar tab on the Oracle Connector for Outlook Profile Settings dialog box.
Enter the following information:
You can select the I do not have an Oracle Calendar account yet check box to use Oracle Connector for Outlook for mail only.
You can specify your calendar server using either a Calendar Domain Service host name and Domain ID (for installations using a third-party service provider) or a host name and Node-ID (for corporate installations). If you are using a master node configuration, enter the master node server name only. A node-ID is not required. Consult your system administrator for the necessary information.
To use the third-party service provider (ASP) sign-in mode, click the This server Requires a Domain Service check box. Click Settings to specify a Domain ID and a list of Calendar Domain Service hosts.
Clear the This server Requires a Domain Service check box to use the corporate sign-in mode. Specify your server host name and node-ID, separated by a comma, in the Server name field.
Click the Save this password in your password list check box to avoid having to provide your calendar server password each time you connect.
The Advanced button provides the ability to specify a port for your calendar server if required, and your preferred display format for the names of calendar server users. For details, see the Choosing a name format section of the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help.
The IMAP server receives and stores your incoming mail.
To configure an IMAP server connection:
Select the IMAP4 tab on the Oracle Connector for Outlook Profile Settings dialog box.
Enter the following information:
You can select the I do not have an IMAP4 account yet check box to use Oracle Connector for Outlook without the ability to access incoming mail.
Specify the IMAP server name in the Server Name field.
Specify your account name and password in the fields provided. Click the Use same settings as my Oracle Calendar Server check box to use the same user name and password you provided for your calendar server. Click the Save this password in your password list check box to avoid having to provide the password each time you connect.
Click Advanced to provide a port number for the IMAP server or specify a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection.
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Note: If you specify that the server requires an SSL connection, the port is changed to the default SSL port. |
If Transport Layer Security (TLS) is set up on your IMAP server, Oracle Connector for Outlook will take advantage of it automatically unless you specify an SSL connection. If you do, Oracle Connector for Outlook will use SSL instead of TLS.
The SMTP server sends your outgoing mail.
To configure an SMTP server connection:
Select the SMTP tab on the Oracle Connector for Outlook Profile Settings dialog box.
Enter the following information:
You can select the I do not have an SMTP account yet check box to use Oracle Connector for Outlook without the ability to send outgoing mail.
Specify the SMTP server name in the Server Name field.
If your SMTP server requires a user name and password, select the The server requires authentication check box. Click Settings to specify your user name and password. You can click the Use same settings as my incoming mail server check box to automatically use the same account name and password you provided for your IMAP server. Select the Save this password in your password list check box to avoid having to provide the password each time you connect.
Enter your display name and e-mail address. You may also specify an organization and a reply-to address you would like to include in your outgoing mail. These two fields are optional, and will not be prompted for if left blank.
Click Advanced to provide a port number for the SMTP server, specify a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection, and configure how often the SMTP server will automatically attempt to resend undelivered messages for you.
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Note: If you specify that the server requires an SSL connection, the port is changed to the default SSL port. |
If Transport Layer Security (TLS) is set up on your SMTP server, Oracle Connector for Outlook will take advantage of it automatically unless you specify an SSL connection. If you do, Oracle Connector for Outlook will use SSL instead of TLS.
Oracle Connector for Outlook includes a number of other configuration options. See the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help for more information.
How does Oracle Connector for Outlook change the Outlook user experience?
Why are there two online help systems included with Oracle Connector for Outlook?
Can Oracle Connector for Outlook users schedule with other Oracle Calendar users?
Using Oracle Connector for Outlook, can I use the Contacts I previously had in Outlook?
How can I control the order in which Address Lists are searched?
Why do meetings disappear from my Calendar after I decline invitations?
Can I respond to multiple meeting requests with a single command?
How can I prevent my entire day from appearing busy when I accept all day events?
Can I schedule Oracle Web conferences using Oracle Connector for Outlook?
How do I specify which folders I want available for offline use?
How does Oracle Connector for Outlook change the Outlook user experience?
Working with Oracle Connector for Outlook is very similar to working with Microsoft Outlook/Exchange. To benefit from the added functionality of the Oracle Calendar server, you must sometimes use new menu options and features that are documented in the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help. While the core functionality of Outlook is not affected, certain Outlook features like message recall, mail merge and setting send options are currently not supported.
What are the main differences between the desktop clients, Oracle Connector for Outlook and the Oracle Calendar Web client?
For an overview of similarities and differences between these three clients, see Which Calendar client should I use?.
Why are there two online help systems included with Oracle Connector for Outlook?
Since Oracle Connector for Outlook does not change the core functionality of Microsoft Outlook, the procedures documented in Outlook's online help are still applicable to Oracle Connector for Outlook. Features that are specific to Oracle Connector for Outlook are documented in the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help.
How are server-side rules and client-side rules different?
Similar to the Client-Side Rules Wizard available in Outlook, Oracle Connector for Outlook enables you to set server-side rules. Server-side rules are performed directly on the server. Client-side rules are only performed when you are logged in to your mail client. The use of client-side rules often slows down the performance of Outlook.
Since server-side rules are performed on the server, the mail messages associated with rules you set are transferred into the appropriate folders before you even log in to Outlook.
Can Oracle Connector for Outlook users schedule with other Oracle Calendar users?
Yes. Oracle Connector for Outlook connects directly to Oracle calendar server's database so that you can schedule with other Oracle Calendar users and benefit from real-time calendaring. Outlook users gain all the benefits of the Oracle Calendar solution, including interoperability with the full range of Oracle Calendar clients (Windows, Mac, Unix, Linux and Web), wireless connectivity and PDA synchronization tools.
Using Oracle Connector for Outlook, can I use the Contacts I previously had in Outlook?
In order to use your previous Contacts you must add your Outlook Address Book to your Services.
Outlook 98/2000:
From the Tools menu, select Services.
From the Services tab, select Outlook Address Book.
Click Add.
Outlook XP/2003:
From the Tools menu, select E-mail Accounts. The E-mail Accounts dialog box opens.
Select the Add a new directory or address book option.
Click Next.
Select the Additional Address Books option.
Click Next.
Select Outlook Address Book from the list.
Click Next.
How can I control the order in which Address Lists are searched?
You can do the following to change the order in which Address Lists are searched:
From the Tools menu, select Address Book.
From the Tools menu, select Options. The available Address Lists are displayed in the When sending mail, check names using the address lists in the following order list.
Use the up and down arrows to change the order in which Address Lists are searched.
Why do meetings disappear from my Calendar after I decline invitations?
When you decline a meeting, Outlook automatically transfers the invitation to the Deleted Items folder. The Oracle Calendar desktop client handles declined meetings differently. You can set your preferences to show declined meetings in your agenda. If you do, these entries are displayed with the declined meeting icon.
If I am using Oracle Connector for Outlook, can I use ActiveSync with my PocketPC device to synchronize with Oracle Calendar, as I was doing with Microsoft Exchange?
Yes. Oracle Connector for Outlook synchronizes with a variety of PDAs through third-party conduit software. See System requirements for information on the sync conduits are certified with this release of Oracle Connector for Outlook.
Can I create recurring tasks and meetings?
You can create recurring meetings but you cannot create recurring tasks.
Can I respond to multiple meeting requests with a single command?
You can respond to multiple meeting requests with a single command if your response is the same for all of them. However, you can only respond to instances of recurring meetings one at a time.
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Note: This feature is not available if you are using Outlook 98. |
Select all the meeting requests you want to respond to.
Right-click any of the selected meeting requests and select Respond to all.
In the pop-up list, select Accept, Decline or Tentative.
How can I prevent my entire day from appearing busy when I accept all day events?
You can show time as free, tentative, busy or out of office for all day events and meetings in your calendar.
Right-click the Day Event in your calendar and select Show Time As.
In the pop-up list, select Free.
In addition to showing your time as free, you can also choose to show time as Tentative, Busy or, Out of office.
Can I set my folder counts to automatically refresh?
Yes, you can choose to have your mail folder counts automatically refreshed when you log in to Outlook. In addition, you can specify how often your mail folder counts should be refreshed during an Outlook session. You cannot set a refresh rate that is lower than five minutes. This information must be set in the Other tab of the Oracle Connector for Outlook Profile Settings dialog box.
See the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help for more detailed instructions on automatically refreshing your folder counts.
Can I schedule Oracle Web conferences using Oracle Connector for Outlook?
Yes, you can schedule and join Web conferences from Oracle Connector for Outlook. The Oracle Connector for Outlook online help describes how to perform these functions.
Can I work offline using Oracle Connector for Outlook?
Yes, you can configure Oracle Connector for Outlook to download specified mail and calendar folders to your hard drive so you can work with them when you are not connected to the mail and calendar servers. See the Configuring offline support section of the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help for step-by-step instructions.
How do I specify which folders I want available for offline use?
The Offline synchronization and capabilities section of the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help provides detailed instructions on selecting folders for offline use.
Why does the setup procedure fail when I attempt to install Oracle Connector for Outlook?
Why aren't the personal notes I added to a meeting displayed?
How do I optimize performance over slow network connections?
Why can't I install Oracle Connector for Outlook?
To install Oracle Connector for Outlook on Windows NT, 2000, XP or 2003, you must have administrative privileges on your computer.
Why does the setup procedure fail when I attempt to install Oracle Connector for Outlook?
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Note: This issue applies only to Microsoft Outlook 98 or 2000. |
This problem occurs because Microsoft Outlook was installed in Internet Only mode. To successfully install Oracle Connector for Outlook, you must install Microsoft Outlook in Corporate/Workgroup mode.
For Outlook 2000:
Start Outlook.
From the Tools menu, select Options.
Select the Mail Delivery tab.
Click Reconfigure Mail Support.
Select the Corporate or Workgroup option.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
Your e-mail configuration is now compatible with Oracle Connector for Outlook.
For Outlook 98:
You must re-run the Outlook setup program. Refer to the Outlook 98 documentation for further instructions.
Refer to Installation instructions for instructions on installing Oracle Connector for Outlook.
I created a new profile but my previous settings and files (personal address book, local mail messages) are not included. How can I add them to this new profile?
These items are stored locally and will be different for each profile you create. However, you can add your personal folders and address book to each profile. See Microsoft Outlook's online help for instructions on how to do this.
I have added my Outlook Address Book to my Services but many Contacts do not appear in my Contact list when I access it via the Address Book. What is the reason for this?
Contacts without e-mail addresses do not appear in your Address Book. You can only access those Contacts by selecting the Contacts folder.
Why aren't the personal notes I added to a meeting displayed?
If you added personal notes to a recurring meeting and that recurring meeting is rescheduled, your personal notes will be deleted.
I cannot select the folders I want synchronized for offline use. Why are all the folders in the list are disabled?
This issue is likely due to the fact that you have not enabled Oracle Connector for Outlook for offline use. See the Configuring offline support section of the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help for instructions on enabling Oracle Connector for Outlook for offline use.
How do I optimize performance over slow network connections?
To optimize performance over slow network connections, Oracle Connector for Outlook can disable certain features such as automatic folder refreshes, offline synchronization and client-side rules. For instructions on automatically detecting slow network connections, see the Configuration section of the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help.
The Slow Connection Detection dialog box appears when I launch Oracle Connector for Outlook. What should I do?
If you set Oracle Connector for Outlook to detect slow network connections and select the Prompt option, the Slow Connection Detection dialog box appears when a slow network is detected when the IMAP4 and calendar server are polled at startup.
If you click Yes, some features that require more bandwidth, such as automatic folder refreshes, synchronization on exit and client-side rules will be disabled.
You can set Oracle Connector for Outlook to detect slow network connections and disable network-intensive features without displaying the Slow Connection Detection dialog box at startup. See the Configuration section of the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help for instructions.
How do I skip a server connection at log on?
Skipping server connections at log on enables you to avoid connecting to a server you do not have an account for, or that is unavailable. Click Skip when the server name appears in the sign-in dialog box.
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Note: The dialog box that enables you to skip a server connection will only be displayed if you enter an incorrect user name or password, or if a server is unavailable. |
Why isn't my Out-of-Office reply working?
When you set an Out-of-Office reply, you must specify an expiry date. Verify that the expiry date you set hasn't already passed (From the Tools menu, select Out of Office Assistant). You can extend your Out-of-Office reply by changing the expiry date in the Out of Office dialog box.
Why can't I view attendee availability and response?
If you cannot view attendee availability or attendee response (for meetings and events that you have created), it is possible that the Oracle Calendar Appointment Form is not correctly installed.For instructions on installing the Oracle Calendar Appointment form, see the Oracle Connector for Outlook online help.
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