3.3 Planning for Free/Busy Searching between GroupWise and Exchange

The GroupWise Free/Busy service Installation program helps you install the GroupWise Free/Busy service on an Exchange server. The Free/Busy Configurator helps you configure the service to communicate with your GroupWise and Exchange systems.

Use the GroupWise Free/Busy Service Installation Worksheet to record the information that you need to know as you perform the installation and configure the service.

3.3.1 Gathering GroupWise System Information

In order to configure the GroupWise Free/Busy service, you need to gather certain information about the GroupWise system where users regularly need free/busy calendar information about Outlook users.

GroupWise POA

The GroupWise Free/Busy service accesses your GroupWise system by communicating with a Post Office Agent (POA). The selected POA must be configured for SOAP, as described in Supporting SOAP Clients in Post Office Agent in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide. The selected POA can obtain information about all users in all post offices in your GroupWise system.

This POA can be an existing POA or a new POA set up specifically to handle requests for the GroupWise Free/Busy service. It can be inside your firewall or outside your firewall, depending on your network security requirements.

The Free/Busy Configurator needs the IP address or DNS hostname of the server where the POA is running. In addition, it needs the POA SOAP port, which is 7191 by default. Typically, the same port number is used regardless of whether the POA is configured for a secure SSL SOAP connection. The Free/Busy service needs to know if the connection is secure, because it uses one of the following URLs to communicate with the POA:

Non-Secure SOAP URL:

http://poa_server_address:soap_port/soap

Secure SOAP URL:

https://poa_server_address:soap_port/soap

GROUPWISE FREE/BUSY INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under GroupWise POA Server, specify the IP address or DNS hostname of the server where a POA configured for SOAP is running.

Under GroupWise POA SOAP Port, specify the SOAP port number.

Under Use HTTPS for GroupWise Server Access, mark Yes or No depending on whether the POA requires a secure SSL SOAP connection.

GroupWise Authentication Credentials

The GroupWise Free/Busy service needs to authenticate to the POA as a specific GroupWise user. This user logs in to the POA that is configured to communicate with the Free/Busy service. This POA then performs SOAP requests to obtain users’ free/busy calendar information whenever GroupWise users perform Busy Searches on Exchange users.

You should create a new, dedicated Free/Busy service user specifically for this purpose, rather than using an existing GroupWise user. You must create the Free/Busy service user on the POA that you configure the Free/Busy service to communicate with.

IMPORTANT:To ensure permanent access, set up the Free/Busy service user to be exempt from password expiration rules.

The Free/Busy Configurator needs to know the user name and password for the Free/Busy service user.

GROUPWISE FREE/BUSY INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under GroupWise Account for Busy Searches, specify the user name for the Free/Busy service to use when logging in to the POA for Busy Searches.

Under GroupWise Password, specify the password for the Free/Busy service user.

IMPORTANT:Create the Free/Busy service user now by following the instructions in Creating a Single GroupWise Account in Users in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide, so that the user is available when you run the GroupWise Free/Busy service Installation program.

GroupWise Internet Domain Names

Messages passing between GroupWise users and Exchange users pass through the GroupWise Internet Agent (GWIA). Your GroupWise system has one or more Internet domain names configured for it, as described in Configuring Internet Addressing in Internet Agent in the GroupWise 2012 Administration Guide. The Free/Busy Configurator needs to know all of the Internet domain names that might follow the at-sign (@) in GroupWise users’ email addresses where those GroupWise users want to exchange free/busy calendar information with Exchange users.

GROUPWISE FREE/BUSY INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under GroupWise Internet Domain Names, list the Internet domain names associated with your GroupWise system.

3.3.2 Gathering Exchange System Information

In order to configure the GroupWise Free/Busy service as you run the Installation program and Configurator, you need to gather certain information about the Exchange system where users regularly need free/busy calendar information about GroupWise users.

Exchange Server

The GroupWise Free/Busy service must be installed on an Exchange server that meets the system requirements listed in Exchange System Requirements. The Free/Busy Configurator needs to know the IP address or DNS hostname of the Exchange server that the GroupWise Free/Busy service will communicate with.

GROUPWISE FREE/BUSY INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under Exchange Server, specify the IP address or DNS hostname of the Exchange server where you plan to install the GroupWise Free/Busy service.

IMPORTANT:For a complete installation, the GroupWise Free/Busy service must be installed on all Exchange servers in your Exchange system. Initially, you install the Free/Busy service on one Exchange server, as described in Section 3.5.1, Installing the First Instance of the Free/Busy Service. After you test the first instance, you follow the instructions in Section 3.5.2, Installing Additional Instances of the Free/Busy Service for the remaining Exchange servers in your Exchange system.

Exchange Authentication Credentials

The GroupWise Free/Busy service needs to authenticate to your Exchange system as a specific user.

You should create a new, dedicated Free/Busy service user specifically for this purpose, rather than using an existing Exchange user. The Free/Busy service user needs sufficient rights to obtain free/busy calendar information on all Exchange users. By default, all users have this level of mailbox access.

IMPORTANT:To ensure permanent access, set up the Free/Busy service user to be exempt from password expiration rules.

The Free/Busy Configurator needs to know the user name and password for the Free/Busy service user, as well as the Exchange domain that the user authenticates to.

GROUPWISE FREE/BUSY INSTALLATION WORKSHEET

Under Exchange User, specify the user name for the Free/Busy service to use when logging in to the POA.

Under Exchange Password, specify the password for the Free/Busy service user.

Under Exchange Domain, specify the domain that the Free/Busy service user authenticates to.

IMPORTANT:Create the Free/Busy service user in your Exchange system now, so that it is available when you run the GroupWise Free/Busy Service Installation program.

3.3.3 GroupWise Free/Busy Service Installation Worksheet

Installation Program Field

Value for Your GroupWise or Exchange System

Explanation

GroupWise POA Server:

GroupWise POA

GroupWise POA SOAP Port: Default: 7191

GroupWise POA

GroupWise Account for Busy Searches:

GroupWise Authentication Credentials

GroupWise Password:

 

GroupWise Authentication Credentials

Use HTTPS for GroupWise Server Access:

  • Yes

  • No

GroupWise POA

GroupWise Internet Domain Names:

GroupWise Internet Domain Names

Exchange Server:

Exchange Server

Exchange User:

Exchange Authentication Credentials

Exchange Password:

Exchange Authentication Credentials

Exchange Domain:

Exchange Authentication Credentials