Tuning Communications Express to Work With Connector for Microsoft Outlook

Mapping System Folders

This section describes the differences and interoperability issues in system folder definitions between Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook and Sun Java System Communications Express. This section also describes how to define the system folders for both clients.

Comparing the System Folder Names

While IMAP protocol defines only one system folder for incoming mail (INBOX), mail clients such as Outlook and Sun Java System Communications Express define their own system folders for drafts, sent mail, and deleted mail. The mail clients have no way of distinguishing those system folders. These system folders are created by different preferred names and localized names according to locale and client software. This causes multiple physical IMAP folders to be created for a system folder if a single email account is accessed by more than one email client (or same email client, but accessed by a different locale machine).

In Outlook the folder naming is:

Deleted Items=Deleted Items
Drafts=Drafts
Sent Items=Sent Items

In Communications Express the folder naming is:

Deleted Items=Trash
Drafts=Drafts
Sent Items=Sent

Defining the System Folders for Outlook

A new Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook mail system mapping file is available to provide better interoperability between Outlook and Communications Express. This solution allows the administrator to configure how system folders are mapped. The uwc_folders.map file contains the system folder mapping definitions for Communications Express. The outlook_folders.map file contains the system folder mapping definitions for Connector for Microsoft Outlook.

You can choose one of the mapping folders files to use as the default system folder mapping definition files in the Deployment Configuration Program (under the Mail tab). Select either Outlook style or Communications Express style to indicate which of these two standards the user program should use to name users’ IMAP folders. Your style selection determines which of the map files, outlook_folders.map or uwc_folders.map, is used to map users’ IMAP folder names. Before running this program, an administrator can edit these files to suit local requirements, as long as the original file names remain the same.

Defining the System Folders for Communications Express

Next, define the system folders for Communications Express. The i18n.js file defines the system folder names for Communications Express. This file is located in the /var/opt/SUNWmsgsr/config/html/lang directory, where lang is the specific localized language (for example, fr for French). This file needs to be modified so that the mapping entries are similar to the entries in the sjoc_folders.map file.

For example, by default folder mappings in the French i18n.js file are:

i18n[’INBOX’] = ’Inbox’
i18n[’trash folder’] = ’trash’
i18n[’draft folder’] = ’draft’
i18n[’sent folder’] = ’sent’
...
fldr[’INBOX’] = ’French Inbox’
fldr[’trash’] = ’French Trash’
fldr[’draft folder’] = ’French Draft Folder’
fldr[’sent folder’] = ’French Sent Folder’

The values for i18n['system-folder-name '] are used to create system folders in the IMAP store. For example, if i18n[’trash folder’]= ’trash’, a folder with the folder name trash is created in the IMAP store. The values for fldr['system-folder-name'] are used for displaying the system folder names in the client interface.

In the sjoc_folders.map file, the similar folder mappings are:

[fr]
INBOX=’Boîte de réception’
Deleted Items=’Éléments supprimés’
Drafts=’Brouillons’
Sent Items =’Éléments envoyés’

Modify the French i18n.js folder mappings to match the sjoc_folders.map file:

i18n[’INBOX’] = ’Boîte de réception’
i18n[’trash folder’] = ’Éléments supprimés’i18n[’draft folder’] = ’Brouillons’
i18n[’sent folder’] = ’Éléments envoyés’
...
fldr[’INBOX’] = ’Boîte de réception’
fldr[’trash’] = ’Éléments supprimés’
fldr[’Drafts’] = ’Brouillons’
fldr[’Sent’] = ’Éléments envoyés’

Modify each language represented by an i18n.js file.

Note –

Because the i18n.js files are written in UTF8 code, use an editor that preserves the UTF8 code.

This new folder mapping definition is only effective for new users.

Before users log into Communications Express, the users' preferred language needs to be set. To do this, set the preferredLanguage or preferredLocale attribute using the ldapmodify command.

New users should see only one set of system folders, except in the following case:

A user logs into Outlook with the locale set to French. Later, the same user logs into Communications Express with the preferred language set to English. This user sees system folders in English and French in both Outlook and Communications Express.