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Controlling the Synchronization Exceptions Button In the Filter Records Tab

The Exclusions List allows the user to exclude an individual record from synchronization even if this record matches a defined filtering criteria. Siebel CRM Desktop does the following work:

1. It uses the following filters to identify the records that it must synchronize from the Siebel Server:
   • User filters. Filters that the user creates.
   • Master filters. A master filter is a type of predefined filter that the user cannot change. For example, a master filter can cause CRM Desktop to not synchronize a contact that includes an inactive status from Siebel CRM to Outlook.
2. Excludes the records that are in the Exclusions List. It excludes each record in the list only if some other record does not reference this record.
3. If the Exclusions List includes a record, and if no other record references this record, then CRM Desktop removes it from Outlook.

To control the Synchronization Exceptions button in the Filter Records tab

1. Use an XML editor to open the connector_configuration.xml file.
2. Locate the following features tag:

   </features>

3. Make sure the following attribute that resides in the features tag that you located in Step 2is set to true:

   enable_sync_exclusions

   This configuration displays the Synchronization Exceptions button on the Filter Records screen of the Synchronization Control Panel.

Examples of How Siebel CRM Desktop Uses the Exclusions List

Assume the following:

• Contact 1 references account 1.
• Contact 1 matches a filter but account 1 does not match a filter.

In this example, Siebel CRM Desktop synchronizes account 1 because contact 1 references it.

For another example, assume the following:

• Contact 1 references account 1.
• Contact 1 matches a filter and account 1 matches a filter.
• Outlook displays contact 1 in the Contacts folder of the CRM and Personal Contacts view and account 1 in the Accounts folder of the Siebel Accounts view. It does this after the first synchronization finishes.
• The user deletes account 1 and then CRM Desktop displays a prompt that is similar to the following:

  Are you sure you want to delete record(s) from Siebel and Microsoft Outlook?

• The user clicks No and then CRM Desktop moves account 1 to the Exclusions List. At the next synchronization, CRM Desktop synchronizes account 1 because contact 1 references it.

How Siebel CRM Desktop Adds Accounts, Contacts, and Opportunities to the Exclusions List

If the user deletes an account, contact, or opportunity in the Explorer view, then Siebel CRM Desktop displays a prompt that is similar to the following:

Are you sure you want to delete records from Siebel CRM and Outlook? Click Yes to delete records from Siebel CRM and Outlook. Click No to delete records from Outlook only and to not synchronize updates from Siebel CRM."

The user can choose one of the following values:

• Yes. CRM Desktop deletes the record in Outlook and then deletes it from the Siebel database on the Siebel Server during the next synchronization. If you enable delete confirmation, then it requests the user to confirm the deletion before it deletes the record from the Siebel database. For more information, see Controlling How Siebel CRM Desktop Deletes Records During Synchronization.
• No. CRM Desktop deletes the record from Outlook and adds it to the Exclusions List. If this record is associated with another record in Outlook through the lookup field, then Outlook displays it the next time the user synchronizes. A lookup field is a field that CRM Desktop uses to look up an object and then associate it with the current record. The account field on the activity record is an example of a lookup field. For example, assume the following:
  • A contact references a primary account.
  • The user deletes the account from the Explorer view and then clicks No at the confirmation prompt.
  • CRM Desktop removes the account from the Accounts folder, the Accounts field on the Contact form, and from the Accounts MVG dialog box.
  • The user synchronizes and then Outlook displays the record in the Accounts Lookup dialog box and in the Account field on the Contact form.