Synchronizing GroupWise with a PDA Device


Novell provides a PDA synchronization engine called PDA Connect. This program sits between your GroupWise mailbox and the PDA Synchronization software, such as Microsoft's ActiveSync or Palm's HotSync Manager. This allows you to use the PDA's native synchronization program in conjunction with the PDA Connect program. Several third-party programs also provide enhanced synchronization methods such as over-the-air (OTA) synchronization. Check with your GroupWise administrator to see what handheld sync utility your organization uses.

The following sections discuss how to use the GroupWise PDA Connect program with a Pocket PC PDA. If you use a Palm OS PDA, the concepts are similar except that you need to use Palm's HotSync Manager instead of Microsoft's ActiveSync program.

Prerequisites

Before installing the GroupWise PDA Connect program, you need to meet the following prerequisites:

  • Ensure that Microsoft ActiveSync is installed for the Pocket PC 2000, 2002, or 2003 or Palm's HotSync Manager is installed for the Palm OS 4.x or 5.x.

  • Ensure that the GroupWise 6.5.3 or newer or GroupWise 7.x client is installed on the workstation. You can check your GroupWise version by choosing Help, About GroupWise.

  • Ensure that you are not synchronizing any mail item types in Microsoft Outlook (such as email, calendar, tasks, or notes) with ActiveSync, PocketMirror, or Palm Desktop. You can set ActiveSync to sync files to your handheld. (You do not even need to have the Microsoft Outlook program installed for the GroupWise PDA Connect program to work.)

Installing GroupWise PDA Connect

Before synchronizing GroupWise with your PDA device, you must first obtain the GroupWise PDA Connect program. This program ships with the GroupWise 7 client and is also available from Novell's website. First, check with your GroupWise administrator to see whether your organization has a standard deployment method for this utility or where to obtain this utility.

Alternatively, you can download the GroupWise PDA Connect program from http://download.novell.com. Search for "GroupWise PDA Connect" to locate and download this free utility.

NOTE

The PDA Connect program is updated periodically. You can find the latest version on Novell's download page.


After you have downloaded and extracted the program, you can run setup.exe to begin the installation. Follow these steps to complete the installation:

1.

Agree to the license agreement and select the desired destination folder.

2.

Select the needed translator components for your device. You can select between Palm OS Devices and Pocket PC Devices. If the dependent ActiveSync or HotSync Manager is not installed, you will be warned that the installation cannot continue.

3.

Select whether you plan to synchronize your PDA with your GroupWise account from a single PC or multiple PCs. If you select a single PC, the synchronization process will be faster each time you sync. If you select multiple PCs, a full synchronization must occur during each sync session. Single PC is usually the recommended option to select.

4.

Review the summary screen and click Next to begin the file copy process. When this process is complete, click Finish to close the installation for the GroupWise PDA Connect program.

Now that you have installed the GroupWise PDA Connect program, you can configure it to synchronize your GroupWise information with your handheld device.

Launching and Configuring GroupWise PDA Connect

Installing the PDA Connect program places an icon labeled GroupWise PDA Connect on your Windows desktop. The first time you launch the GroupWise PDA Connect program, you need to configure it. Figure 12.1 displays the GroupWise PDA Connect program interface.

Figure 12.1. The GroupWise PDA Connect interface.


Under the General tab, you can set the following preferences:

  • Current Profile The PDA Connect program uses profiles to store all the information detailing how to synchronize your PDA with GroupWise. You can create multiple profiles as discussed later in this chapter. The current profile is listed in this window.

  • Available Items This section lists which components will be synchronized with the PDA.

  • Synchronize Clicking the Synchronize button initiates a sync of the selected items in the Available Items list.

The main menu contains the File, Profile, Tools, and Help menu options. From the File menu, you have the following options:

  • Force Full Synchronization This menu option expands to reflect each item type that you can synchronize. In a full synchronization, all information about the selected item type(s) is synchronized. This is in contrast to the default synchronization, which includes a specific date range of information to sync. (The default is seven days.) A full synchronization will take longer to complete because all items are being compared and synchronized.

  • Confirm Record Deletions This toggle option allows you to confirm record deletions that may occur. This option, which is enabled by default, allows you to make sure that items are not deleted without your confirming them first. It is recommended that you leave this option on until you are comfortable with what may be deleted. You can then disable this option to save time.

  • Synchronize This option initiates a sync of the selected items from the Available Items list on the main screen.

The Tools menu provides access to the log files. You can configure log settings and schedule automatic synchronization to occur at defined intervals.

The Help menu contains in-depth information about each component in the PDA Connect program.

Working with Profiles

Profiles contain all the settings relevant to the way information is synchronized between the PDA and GroupWise. You manage profiles through the Profile menu option on the main menu. From the Profile menu, you can create a new profile, edit profiles, manage the current profile settings, rename the current profile, remove the current profile (if multiple profiles are defined), or select which profiles will be active. So what exactly does a profile contain? The best way to answer this question is to edit a profile and go through each of the available options. Figure 12.2 shows a profile called Pocket PC and GroupWise settings.

Figure 12.2. Settings of a Pocket PC and GroupWise profile.


AUTO SYNCHRONIZE

A profile's Auto Synchronize tab allows you to specify that synchronization will take place as soon as the PDA Connect program is run. After you have defined and configured your settings, you will probably want to enable this setting.

OPTIONS

The Options tab defines the type of synchronization and the way conflict resolution is handled. Figure 12.3 shows the Options interface.

Figure 12.3. The Options tab of a profile.


You can choose from the following options:

  • Synchronization Type You can select between Two-Way and One-Way synchronization for each item type (contacts, calendar, tasks, email, and notes). Two-Way sync will sync updated items in GroupWise and on the PDA in both directions. One-Way sync will take only items on either the GroupWise or PDA and sync them in one direction. When you select One-Way sync, you can define what side (GroupWise or PDA) records will sync from. Remember that you can define the synchronization type for each item type, allowing you to sync contacts in Two-Way mode but email in One-Way mode.

  • Synchronization Conflict Settings If an item type is set to Two-Way sync, you can define what happens when a particular record has been modified on both sides. You can choose to be prompted or to have the GroupWise or PDA side override the other side. Select your desired action from the drop-down list.

  • One-Way Synchronization Settings If One-Way sync is selected for an item type, this interface is displayed. From here, you can define what side is authoritative and whether changes on the other side will be ignored or overwritten.

NOTE

A full synchronization will override your one-way settings. This also applies to the full synchronization that takes place the first time you sync your device. You should not use filters when using one-way sync because duplicate records may occur. Filters are discussed later in this chapter.


TRANSLATORS

The Translators tab allows you to configure each translator setting. A translator is the software component that translates the data between the Pocket PC or Palm OS device and the GroupWise PDA Connect program. Figure 12.4 shows a Pocket PC and GroupWise translator.

Figure 12.4. The Translators tab from within a Pocket PC profile.


If you highlight the Pocket PC translator and click Configure, you can leave deleted email on your PDA device. If you select this option, be aware of the additional space required on your PDA to store all your email. There are no translator settings to configure for GroupWise, so the Configure button appears dimmed.

MAPPING

The Mapping tab allows you to control which fields in GroupWise map to the PDA fields and vice versa. This powerful feature ensures that as new fields are added to GroupWise or the PDA, you can map them appropriately. Mappings exist for each item type that can be synchronized. To manage the mappings, select the desired item type and then click the Mapping button. Figure 12.5 displays the contacts' mappings.

Figure 12.5. Available mappings for contacts.


You can manage all the mappings if desired, including creating and editing mappings. Clicking the Show Data button at the bottom displays the data in each field. This makes it easy to see the types of data contained in each field. For detailed information on managing mappings, click the Help button.

FILTERS

The Filter tab allows you to define filters for each item type. Filters allow you to sync only the data that you want for each item type. For example, if you care only about phone and email addresses for contacts, you can create a filter that synchronizes only this information for you. Filtering can speed up the sync process as well as save memory on the PDA. The types of filters you can use depend on the item type you have selected. Figure 12.6 displays the Filter interface.

Figure 12.6. You can filter information from synchronizing to or from the PDA.


A common filter that you may want to modify is the age limit of email to synchronize. To access this filter, select the Email item type and click on the Translator-Defined Attributes link to the right. You can then set filters on your Inbox, Sent Items, and Drafts (Work In Progress) folders. For more information about the use of filters, click the Help button.

DATA SOURCES

The Data Sources tab allows you to set the GroupWise source folder that corresponds to each item type in GroupWise. For example, if you want to synchronize a personal folder into your mailbox on the PDA, you could define the source for the GroupWise mail to your personal folder. Figure 12.7 displays the Data Sources interface. For more information on modifying the data sources, click the Help button.

Figure 12.7. You can modify the source of data for the various components that will synchronize with a PDA.


You can now begin synchronizing data with your PDA device. Remember that to sync your PDA, the GroupWise client and your sync software (ActiveSync or HotSync Manager) must be running.

Next, we show you how to access your mailbox from a PDA or wireless device.




Novell GroupWise 7 User's Handbook
Novell GroupWise 7 Users Handbook
ISBN: 0672327899
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 213
Authors: Eric Raff

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