| Oracle® Beehive Deployment Guide Release 1 (1.4) Part Number E13795-02 |
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| Oracle® Beehive Deployment Guide Release 1 (1.4) Part Number E13795-02 |
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|
View PDF |
The Oracle Beehive platform provides a unified client implementation model that supports deployments with a variety of end-user clients and devices. This chapter discusses the considerations related to deploying supported clients and devices, and includes the following topics:
Oracle Beehive Deployments with Oracle Beehive Integration for Outlook (OBIO)
Oracle Beehive Deployments with Oracle Beehive Integration for Zimbra
Oracle Beehive Integration for Outlook (OBIO) is a Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) service provider for Microsoft Outlook. OBIO extends the functionality of Microsoft Outlook by providing Outlook users with unified access to Oracle Beehive-based collaborative features and data in a familiar environment. OBIO requires installation on the computers of individual users.
This section provides the following topics:
Considerations for Deploying Oracle Beehive Integration for Outlook
How Oracle Beehive Integration for Outlook Communicates with Oracle Beehive
To access, download, and install OBIO on users' computers, Oracle Beehive provides a download agent, which is accessible from the following location:
$ORACLE_HOME/beehive/bootstrap/obio/setup
Administrators can make the download agent available to users from internal websites. Upon execution, the download agent connects users to Oracle Beehive, challenges them for their credentials, and enables them to download and install OBIO. Users can delete the download agent once they complete the OBIO installation.
Note:
In addition to the download agent distribution model, administrators can manage and distribute the OBIO installation package through Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP 2 for Windows Terminal Services. OBIO can also leverage Windows Terminal Services once it is installed.Oracle Beehive also provides a language pack application module for OBIO, which can be accessed by administrators in the same location as the OBIO download agent. Administrators can modify the application module by adding or removing one or more languages. The module can be deployed to users through the Device Management Application Repository or another preferred method, such as by download from an intranet.
By default, Oracle Beehive provides OBIO as a zip file (.zip) in the Device Management Application Repository. The contents of the zip file include a Windows executable installation program (.msi) and an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file that describes the installation program. The structure of the file follows the XML-based metadata schema mandated by the Device Management Service.
To ease the transition to Oracle Beehive Integration for Outlook, Oracle Beehive provides a migration tool in the download agent. The Oracle Beehive Integration for Outlook migration tool enables users to:
Migrate existing personal folder data files (*.pst) from previous profiles
Migrate LDAP settings from previous profiles
Add new LDAP settings
Add new personal folder data files
To present users these options requires administrators to enable the migration tool with the /migrate option. Administrators must also configure and specify the migration .ini file (migrateinifile.ini) provided with Oracle Beehive. If the migration tool initialization file is not specified, the dowload agent will only allow users to migrate personal folder data files and LDAP settings from previous profiles. For more information, please refer to Oracle Beehive Installation Guide for Microsoft Windows.
Note:
Using the profile migration tool is an advanced deployment option. If you intend to use this tool, Oracle recommends that you plan for and test it accordingly.Administrators can upgrade existing OBIO versions simply by deploying newer packages to the Device Management Application Repository using beectl. Administrators can also remove existing packages and replace them with newer ones, as needed. After installation on user computers, OBIO automatically detects newer versions that are made available through the Device Management Service. Users can receive updates automatically upon Outlook startup or manually by clicking the update option in the About OBIO dialog window.
OBIO communicates with Oracle Beehive through the Beehive Transport Infrastructure (BTI) and the proprietary MX protocol that the BTI provides. Thus, OBIO users can either connect directly to an Oracle Beehive deployment or they can be tunneled through standard HTTPS ports.
Oracle Beehive Integration for Zimbra (OBIZ) is a Web-based client that enables Oracle Beehive users to access, view, and manage their e-mail, calendars, and address books.
Oracle Beehive Integration for Zimbra supports the following Web browsers in the Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X operating systems:
Mozilla Firefox 2.0
Mozilla Firefox 3.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0
Deploying Oracle Beehive Integration for Zimbra requires installation on an Oracle Beehive server instance, in an Oracle home designated for Zimbra only. The Oracle Beehive Integration for Zimbra installation is bundled with the Oracle Beehive installation and can be performed as part of the latter's installation procedure. Once installed and configured on an Oracle Beehive server instance, users can access and leverage Oracle Beehive Integration for Zimbra simply by launching a supported Web browser and entering the URL configured for the client.
Oracle Beehive Central is a Web-based client that provides users a central location to download supported clients and set their preferences for Oracle Beehive functionality. This includes the ability to delegate privileges for users' e-mail, calendars, tasks, notes, journals, and contacts.
Oracle Beehive Central provides both a public and private home page. The public home page is accessible to all users and does not require them to provide authentication credentials. Typically, the public home page is used to allow users to download supported clients. The private home page is accessible only to users that provide their authentication credentials. The private home page is where users can set their preferences for Oracle Beehive functionality, in addition to downloading supported clients.
Oracle Beehive Central is automatically deployed during the Oracle Beehive installation process. To access Oracle Beehive Central, users need only to launch a supported Web browser and enter the URL designated for Oracle Beehive Central for their deployment. Oracle Beehive Central supports Mozilla Firefox 2.0 in the Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and Solaris operating systems, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 in the Windows operating system only.
Oracle Beehive Conferencing requires a client installation on the computers of individual users. Administrators can make the Oracle Beehive Conferencing client installation package available to users through internal websites or Oracle Beehive Central. Users can then download and install the Oracle Beehive Conferencing client on their computers.
Oracle Beehive supports several standards-based protocols, enabling organizations to deploy commonly-available and custom clients with the platform. Standards-based clients can provide a wide array of Oracle Beehive functionality, such as e-mail, time management, and instant messaging.
Deploying standards-based clients typically requires the following steps:
Deciding on which standards-based clients your organization wants to deploy. For the list of clients supported by Oracle Beehive, please refer to "Standards-based Clients Supported by Oracle Beehive" in Oracle Beehive Concepts.
Making available for download the installation packages of the standards-based clients that your organization wants to deploy. Typically, this can be accomplished by posting the installation packages on your organization's intranet or from another internally accessible location.
Opening firewall ports for any standards-based services required by the clients that you plan to deploy, such as SMTP (for e-mail clients) or XMPP (for instant messaging clients). This step should be completed if you expect to support remote users, although it might not be required in cases where remote users access Oracle Beehive through virtual private networks (VPNs).
Installing the selected clients on users' computers and devices. For details on how to install a particular standards-based client, please refer to the documentation provided with the client that you want to install.
Configuring the installed client applications based on the settings of your Oracle Beehive deployment. For details on how to configure a supported standards-based client for Oracle Beehive, please refer to "Using Standards-based Clients" in Oracle Beehive End-User Information.
Note:
For additional considerations related to deploying standards-based clients on mobile devices, please refer to "Oracle Beehive Deployments with Mobile Devices".
Oracle Beehive enables users of supported mobile devices to send and receive collaborative data, such as e-mail, calendar synchronization, and instant messages. Deploying mobile devices with Oracle Beehive typically requires completion of the following tasks:
Deciding on which mobile devices your organization wants to deploy. For the list of devices and device-specific features that Oracle Beehive supports, please refer to "Mobile Devices Supported by Oracle Beehive" in Oracle Beehive Concepts.
Deciding on which client applications, if any, your organization wants to deploy on users' mobile devices. For the list of clients that Oracle Beehive supports, please refer to "Oracle Beehive End-User Clients" in Oracle Beehive Concepts.
Uploading the selected client applications to the Device Management Application Repository. You perform this step using the upload_client_application command in the beectl utility. For more information, please refer to the Oracle Beehive Administrator's Guide.
Opening firewall ports for any services and protocols required by the devices and clients that you plan to deploy, as follows:
Table 8-1 Recommended Ports for Mobile Device-related Services and Protocols
Registering the selected mobile devices with Oracle Beehive and configuring them based on the settings of your deployment. For details on how to register and configure supported devices for Oracle Beehive, please refer to "Configuring Mobile Devices" in Oracle Beehive End-User Information.
Installing the selected clients on users' devices. For details on how to install a particular client, please refer to the documentation provided with the client that you want to install.
Configuring the installed client applications based on the settings of your Oracle Beehive deployment. For considerations on deploying standards-based mobile clients, please refer to "Configuring Mobile Clients" in Oracle Beehive End-User Information. For considerations on deploying Microsoft Windows Mobile-based clients, please refer to "Deploying Microsoft Windows Mobile-based Clients Supported by Oracle Beehive".
Enabling the Oracle Beehive SMS Delivery Channel, if your organization wants to leverage the network of a Short Message Service (SMS) service provider. For more information, please refer to "Enabling the Oracle Beehive Short Message Service (SMS) Delivery Channel".
For Microsoft Windows Mobile devices, Oracle Beehive provides a plug-in for Microsoft Windows Mobile Outlook that enables real-time push mail. To install, provision, and manage the plug-in, Oracle Beehive provides the Mobile Management Console. Users must first install the Mobile Management Console, provided as a cabinet file (.cab), on their mobile devices through one of the following methods:
Over-the-air (OTA): Users open a pre-assigned Web page or URL from their mobile devices, or they receive a Short Message Service (SMS) message that contains the URL, enabling them to access, download, and install the .cab file. For more information on these options, please refer to "Over-the-Air Configuration Using SMS" and "Over-the-Air Configuration Without SMS" in Oracle Beehive End-User Information.
Active synchronization (ActiveSync): Users download the .cab file to their computers through a Windows-based utility provided with Oracle Beehive. Users then synchronize their mobile devices with their computers to install the .cab file. For more information on this option, please refer to "Configuration Using ActiveSync" in Oracle Beehive End-User Information.
Storage card: Administrators or support personnel download the .cab file to their computers through a Windows-based utility provided with Oracle Beehive. Then, they run the utility from the command line to install the .cab file on storage cards. Users can then insert the storage cards into their devices.
After the Mobile Device Management Console is installed, it automatically starts up, connects to the Oracle Beehive Mobile Device Management Service, and requests a list of all available mobile software for the user. This list contains the default Mobile Outlook plug-in but it can also contain other third-party mobile software managed by Oracle Beehive. The user may then choose which software to install on the mobile device, including the Mobile Outlook plug-in.
To upgrade the Mobile Outlook plug-in or other third-party mobile software managed by Oracle Beehive, users can periodically check for updates on their mobile devices or they can wait for their Oracle Beehive administrators to provide alerts informing them of available updates.
The Oracle Beehive SMS Delivery Channel is the component of the SMS Service that enables delivery of SMS messages. The SMS Delivery Channel supports the Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP) protocol, which is a telecommunications industry standard supported by most SMS service providers.
By default, the Oracle Beehive SMS Delivery Channel is configured to use the Verisign Intelligent Messaging Network. However, organizations may choose to leverage the network of any SMS service provider that supports SMPP, such as Clickatell. Organizations may also leverage the Oracle iAS Wireless XMS interface, which was the default interface for Oracle Collaboration Suite 10g and is also supported by Oracle Beehive.
The steps required to configure and enable the SMS Delivery Channel depend on which SMS service provider you choose. For example, if you choose the Verisign Intelligent Messaging Network, you must first subscribe to it (to request a free trial, please contact Verisign). Once you activate your Verisign subscription, you will need to configure and enable the Oracle Beehive SMS Delivery Channel for it. This includes configuring your SMPP settings, setting your SMS mode to "SMPP", and enabling the SMS Delivery Channel. To perform these tasks you use the beectl utility.
For more information on the specific steps required to configure the SMS Delivery Channel for your chosen SMS provider, please refer to the section entitled "Configuring SMS using SMPP" in the Oracle Beehive Administrator's Guide.
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