Microsoft Outlook | MCSA[s]MCSE

Microsoft Outlook fits into several application categories. It is a personal information manager (PIM) because it functions as a personal calendar, scheduler, contact manager, and task manager. It is also a messaging application because it includes a powerful e-mail program and forms program. And finally, it is a groupware application because it can access Exchange Server public folders and enables calendars, schedules, contact information, and task information to be used in a group context. All of this functionality exists through a single, integrated, desktop environment.

Outlook 2003 is part of the Microsoft Office 2003 suite and as such is tightly integrated with the other Office applications, though it can also be purchased as a stand-alone product. Outlook is fully MAPI compliant.

Note ‚

Recall that each client, whether it be an Outlook client or any other client, will require a Microsoft Exchange Client Access License (CAL) to legally access Exchange Server. This CAL is over and above the server license you need to install Exchange Server 2003 in the first place.

Some of the improvements in Outlook 2003 over previous versions of the Outlook client include:

Cache mode operation When configured, allows Outlook 2003 to work from a local cache of the user ‚ s Exchange mailbox, which is stored in an OST file on the local computer. The Offline Address List is also made available. The local cache is refreshed periodically from the Exchange server.

RPC over HTTP Provides a means for Outlook 2003 users to make secure connections over the Internet to an Exchange organization without the need for a VPN.

Smart change synchronization Allows for changes to an item to require only synchronization of the changes, versus the entire item as with previous versions of Outlook.

Incremental Change Synchronization (ICS) check-pointing Using this method of synchronization prevents the resending of data that was successfully sent if network connectivity is interrupted during a synchronization event. In this event, Outlook 2003 will simply continue the synchronization event where it left off once connectivity is restored.

Skip Bad Items To prevent the failure of the synchronization process, as occurred in previous versions of Outlook, Outlook 2003 will skip and log all bad or malformed items that are found on the server during a synchronization event. Items that are marked as infected by a virus scanner that integrates with Exchange Server 2003 will also be skipped .

Pre-synchronization reporting MAPI compression Using MAPI compression allows for much faster communication between server and client. This compression is applied to the message header, message body, and any attachments.

PST/OST enhancements As mentioned previously, PST and OST files now use the Unicode format and can exceed the previous size limit of 2 GB.

Send/Receive groups improvements Additional configuration and customization options have been provided for users using Send/Receive groups to enhance their Outlook experience.

Architectural Design

Microsoft Outlook is designed to be a desktop information manager. This means it integrates personal and groupware tools, as well as their information, in a unified manner. This goal was achieved by including the following design features:

Single application, multiple functionality From a single interface, users can execute numerous programs such as e-mail, calendar, contact list, and task list.

Integrated user interface All the tools in Outlook are seamlessly integrated. For example, Outlook includes a feature called the Outlook Bar. This is a navigation tool that creates shortcuts to a user ‚ s e-mail Inbox, calendar, contacts, tasks , and folders. Outlook, as a MAPI program, provides a single address book that can be used for e-mail, phone dialing, faxing, and other functions. The Outlook interface permits users to access both local file folders and Exchange public folders.

Custom forms using Office 2003 One example of Outlook ‚ s tight integration with Office 2003 is its ability to create and send forms that include objects created in any of the Office 2003 applications. For instance, an expense report form that includes an Excel spreadsheet can be created. Because of Microsoft object technology (see note below), the spreadsheet contained in the form will not be merely rows and columns but will include the Excel code to execute the functions of the spreadsheet. The form ‚ s users can enter their numbers , have the spreadsheet calculate them, and then have the form automatically sent to a designated person. Outlook, along with Microsoft Office 2003, enables the creation of instant groupware applications.

Note ‚

ActiveX is an object technology developed by Microsoft. It is an extension of the earlier OLE technology. ActiveX allows programs to exchange objects that include both presentation data (i.e., what you see on the screen) and native data (i.e., the executable code to manipulate the presentation data).

Features of Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook includes some very powerful messaging, groupware, and personal productivity features. Tables 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3 describe many of those features.

Table 7.1: Messaging Features of Microsoft Outlook
Main Function	Features	Description
E-mail	AutoNameCheck	Outlook checks the name typed in message headers against the address book as soon as the user tabs out of the entry fields.
‚	Message recall	A user can recall a sent message, assuming the recipient has not already opened it.
‚	Voting	Users can create messages that include voting buttons in the message when received. Recipients can click one of the button choices and submit their choice back to the sender. The sender can automatically track responses to a question or issue.
‚	Delegate access	Users can grant other users the right to send and receive messages using their mailbox.
‚	Message tracking	All the information about delivery, receipt, recall, and voting notifications is tabulated on the original message in the sender ‚ s mailbox.
‚	AutoPreview	The first few lines of each message can be displayed without requiring the user to open the message in a separate window. This allows users to quickly view the contents of messages.
‚	MessageFlags	Users can place flags (i.e., notices) on messages to aid in sorting and prioritizing messages. Flags include reply, read, ‚“for your information, ‚½ or any custom text.
‚	Hyperlinks to URLs	If a message includes a web URL (Uniform Resource Locator) address, Outlook will recognize that address. If the user clicks the address, Outlook will start the user ‚ s web browser and connect to that location.
‚	Retrieve deleted items	Users can retrieve deleted items from their mailboxes through the Recover Deleted Items command. Recovered mailbox items are placed in the Deleted Items folder. This functionality is made possible by the Exchange Information Store and is configured through the private folder store and individual mailboxes.

Table 7.2: Groupware Features of Microsoft Outlook
Main Function	Features	Description
Group scheduling	Browsing free/busy information Meeting request processing Delegate access	Users can browse other users ‚ free/busy schedule information. If a user sends another user a meeting request, that request is automatically copied from the Inbox to the calendar as a tentative meeting. Users can grant other users the right to read and modify their schedules.
Group calendars, contact lists, and task lists	Public folder use	Calendars, contact lists, and task lists can all be published to public folders to allow group access to that information.
Group task management	Task tracking	Users can send tasks to other users, and the status of those tasks can be automatically tracked.
‚	Status reports	An automatic status report on a task (containing details such as whether the task has been started, the percentage completed, the hours spent working on the task, and the task owner ‚ s name) can be sent as a mail message.
Forms and Office 2003 objects	Inclusion of Office 2003 objects	Microsoft Office 2003 applications can be used to create both presentation material and executable material for Outlook forms. For instance, Microsoft Word can compose the text of a form, and Microsoft Excel can add a spreadsheet to a form.

Table 7.3: PIM (Personal Information Manager) Features of Microsoft Outlook
Main Function	Features	Description
Functional integration within Outlook	Outlook Bar	This navigation tool permits the creation of shortcuts to a user ‚ s e-mail Inbox, calendar, contacts, tasks, and folders.
‚	AutoCreate	Outlook can automatically convert one Outlook item into another. For example, if an e-mail message represents a task a user needs to complete, the user can drag and drop the e-mail message into the Task folder, and Outlook will automatically convert it to a task.
Document browsing and retrieval	Outlook Journal	This feature maintains a log of users ‚ actions, what they did, and when they did it. Users can then search for items based on when they were created, not just on what they are named or where they were saved.
‚	Outlook Views	Outlook comes with dozens of standard views of information, and users can create their own customized views.
Calendar/Schedule features	AutoDate	Outlook understands natural language input for dates and can convert loosely worded dates into discrete calendar dates. For example, if a user types ‚“the third Wednesday of November at 5:00 p.m., ‚½ Outlook will automatically convert that to ‚“Wednesday 11/17/04 5:00 PM. ‚½
Contact Manager features	Single address book	The lists of contacts in Contact Manager can be used to address e-mail or a fax and even jump to a website or dial a phone.
Functions for portable computer users	Local replication	Information that users enter into Outlook while on the road with the portable computer can later be replicated back to their Exchange server.
‚	Time switching	Outlook can change the system time and time zone as mobile users move from one location to another.
Microsoft Office 2003 integration	Office 2003 interface	Outlook shares many user interface elements with the other Office 2003 applications, such as command bars, menus, shortcut menus , tabbed dialog boxes, and toolbars .
‚	Single address book	The other Office 2003 applications can use the Outlook Contact Manager address book.
‚	Attachments	Users can attach any Office 2003 document to any Outlook item, such as an e-mail, contact, or task.
‚	Mail merge	Users can perform a mail merge between the Outlook Contact Manager and Microsoft Word.
‚	Word 2003 and e-mail	Word can be used as the text editor for creating e-mail content.
‚	Drag-and-drop	Users can drag and drop information between Office 2003 applications and Outlook modules.
‚	Outlook Journal	Office files can be located using Outlook Journal.
‚	Office 2003 objects	As stated earlier, objects created in Office 2003
‚	and forms	applications can be included in Outlook forms.
Importing and exporting data	Import and export of data	Microsoft Outlook can import and export data from and to all Microsoft calendar and mail products, as well as many third-party PIM and messaging products.
Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)	VBA integration	Outlook includes Microsoft object technology and therefore can be used with Microsoft ‚ s Visual Basic for Applications to create compound applications.

Installing and Configuring Outlook 2003

As with most other Windows programs, Outlook 2003 is installed using a fairly intuitive wizard that lets you choose the specific components of the program that you want installed (see Figure 7.14).

Figure 7.14: Choosing components in an Outlook 2003 installation

In addition to the new look that Outlook 2003 sports (seen in Figure 7.15), it has some nice new features that you will need to be aware of. First and foremost is the ability of Outlook 2003 to operation in a cache mode , where the Outlook client does not require constant connectivity to its Exchange server. While you may, at first, be tempted to think this is nothing new and is in fact just a new name for the familiar offline mode of operation, this is not the case. The plot thickens when you learn that both cache mode and offline mode use OST (offline storage files) to facilitate their operation.

Figure 7.15: The new Outlook 2003 interface

The difference between the new cache mode and the existing offline mode is that users who are working in cache mode automatically have their OST file updated through a synchronization process to the user ‚ s mailbox server. As well, all standard Exchange features, such as mail, calendaring, free/busy information, and address lists, are available to a user when the user is using cache mode. A status indicator in the bottom of the Outlook window shows the current status of Outlook, as seen in Figure 7.15. By clicking on the status, you can configure the mode of operation that Outlook will use, as seen in Figure 7.16.

Figure 7.16: Configuring the Outlook operational mode

Note ‚

You must be using Outlook 2003 with Exchange Server 2003 in order to configure and use cache mode.

Because the cache mode of operation is new to Outlook 2003 when paired up with Exchange Server 2003, your users will likely want some help in getting it set up correctly on their client workstations. The default state for all newly created Outlook 2003 accounts is the cache mode of operation, thus improving the user ‚ s experience and reducing the load placed on the Exchange servers. Messages are still available on the Exchange server, but they are cached locally for the user. You do, however, when creating the account to connect to the Exchange server, have the option to configure how Outlook is initially configured, as seen in Figure 7.17.

Figure 7.17: Configuring Outlook for cache mode during account creation

Note ‚

The OST file used for the local cache is located in the C:\Documents and Settings\%USER%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook directory, assuming that your operating system is installed on Volume C.

The configuration options available when using Outlook 2003 in cache mode are explained in Table 7.4.

Table 7.4: The Outlook 2003 Cache Mode Settings
Option	Description
Download Headers And Then Full Items	When this option is selected, all message headers are downloaded first, followed by all message bodies and any attachments. This is the default selection when cache mode is used.
Download Full Items	When this option is selected, Outlook downloads the header, body, and any attachments of each message sequentially. This option is typically used when the client has a good connection to the Exchange server, such as when the client resides on the same internal network as the Exchange server.
Download Headers	When this option is selected, Outlook downloads only the headers for new messages. When a message is selected for viewing, Outlook then downloads the message body and any attachments to the message. Since this setting uses the least amount of bandwidth, it is typically recommended when connectivity between client and server is poor or slow.
On Slow Connections Download Headers Only	When this option is selected, Outlook controls its behavior depending on the network connection status it detects. This option causes the Offline Address List (OAL) to not be downloaded to the client.

Configuring RPC over HTTP

Another of the new features of Outlook 2003 when combined with Exchange Server 2003 is RPC over HTTP , which allows Outlook 2003 clients to connect securely to an Exchange Server 2003 organization over the Internet, which was previously impossible without the creation of a VPN tunnel before making the Outlook-to-Exchange connection. By configuring Outlook 2003 and Exchange Server 2003 to use RPC over HTTP, you allow users to connect to the Exchange organization over the Internet using Outlook instead of Outlook Web Access. As part of the configuration, you configure SSL for the HTTP connection to the front-end server. SSL is required because RPC over HTTP uses Basic authentication to authenticate users.

Although RPC over HTTP is a powerful new feature, it is not without cost and burden . Unlike most configurations in Exchange Server 2003, configuring RPC over HTTP is not necessarily a simple process, because you will need to configure both the Exchange servers and the Outlook clients to make it work properly. In order to use RPC over HTTP, you must meet the following requirements:

Client computers must have Outlook 2003 installed.
Client computers must be running Windows XP with Service Pack 1 and hot fix Q331320.
Front-end servers must be running Exchange Server 2003 on Windows Server 2003.
Back-end servers must be running Exchange Server 2003 on Windows Server 2003.
Public folder servers must be running Exchange Server 2003 on Windows Server 2003.
All Global Catalog servers must be running Windows Server 2003.

If your network meets these stringent requirements and you have a need for RPC over HTTP, you can configure it by performing the following basic steps:

Configure the Exchange computer to use RPC over HTTP.
Configure the RPC virtual directory in Internet Information Services.
Configure the RPC proxy server to use specific ports.
Configure the Outlook 2003 computer to use RPC over HTTP.

Verify that the connection can be made using RPC over HTTP.

Note ‚

Users will likely ask why it is necessary to create an additional Outlook profile to use RPC over HTTP. This is done so that users can quickly choose between connection methods when starting up Outlook, depending on how they will be connecting to the Exchange organization. By configuring the profile ahead of time, you can prevent users from making the complicated configuration changes in Outlook and save some calls to the help desk.

Note ‚

The process to configure and implement RPC over HTTP is not likely to be an exam item and is also very lengthy and complex. For these reasons it is not discussed in its entirety here. If you need the complete procedure to configure RPC over HTTP, be sure to see Knowledge Base article 833401, located at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;833401 .

The Office Custom Installation Wizard

As an administrator, you can customize the setup of Outlook in a few ways, including running the setup program with command-line options or using a settings file to answer various setup questions automatically instead of making the user answer them. However, the easiest and most powerful way to customize an installation of Outlook is with the Office Custom Installation Wizard , shown in Figure 7.18. This wizard is available as part of the Office 2003 Resource Kit, but it can also be freely downloaded from the Microsoft website as part of the Office 2003 Resource Kit Tools.

Figure 7.18: Using the Office Custom Installation Wizard

The Office Custom Installation Wizard works with Windows Installer to let you tweak almost every detail of the installation process. You can do the following:

Define the path where Outlook is installed on client computers.
Set the installation options (Run From Hard Drive, Install On First Use, Don ‚ t Install) for individual features of Outlook 2003.
Define a list of network servers for Windows Installer to use if the primary installation server is unavailable.
Specify other products to install or other programs to run on the user ‚ s computer when the Outlook installation is done.
Hide selected options from users during setup.
Add custom files and Windows Registry settings to the installation.
Customize Desktop shortcuts for Outlook 2003.
Set user default options.
Use Office Profile settings created with the Profile Wizard for Office 2003 to preset user options.

To accomplish all of this, the Windows Installer uses two types of files to install Outlook: an installer package (MSI) file and an installer transform (MST) file . The package contains a database that describes the configuration information. The transform file contains modifications that are to be made as Windows Installer installs Outlook. The package file never changes; it is essentially a database that helps Windows Installer relate various features to actual installation files. The transform file is what the Custom Installation Wizard helps you create. This means that you can create unique setup scenarios that all use the same installation files. In other words, you could create different installation routines for different departments but use only one network installation point for everyone to share.