Understanding Resource Objects

A GroupWise resource is nothing more than a mailbox used to represent a physical entity, such as a conference room or a data projector. Resources are typically used to allow GroupWise users to schedule the use of these physical entities such as a conference room in the GroupWise calendar. TheResource Identification property page, with the Identification tab displayed, is shown in Figure 5.10.

Figure 5.10. The resource object Identification property page

The fields this page presents include the following:

• Distinguished Name: This is the eDirectory name of the resource object, complete with the object's context. This field is not editable, but the resource can be moved to another eDirectory context using the eDirectory console view.

• Post Office: This shows the GroupWise domain and post office that contain the resource. You cannot change the post office that a resource is a member of from this window. But if you go to the GroupWise view, you can right-click the resource and use the Move option. Resource moves are very similar to (and every bit as complex as) user moves. Chapter 13 talks about moving users.

• Owner: This is the GroupWise user ID of the owner of this resource. This user is responsible for assigning proxy rights for the resource, managing the resource's calendar, and responding to mail received by the resource. All of these tasks will be performed through the GroupWise client's proxy function. The owner of the resource automatically has proxy rights to the resource object.

  A resource owner should be someone who is comfortable using GroupWise, and who has responsibility over the actual physical entity. For instance, the secretary who keeps the overhead projector at his desk should own that projector's resource object.

• File ID: This is the three-character string that uniquely identifies this resource's USER database in this post office directory. In the example in Figure 5.10, the File ID is gqi, which means that the database for Conference Room 1 is in USERGQI.DB.

• Description: This description field is unlike several of the others discussed in this chapter in that it is actually very useful to your user community. The text entered here will appear in the Comments field in the GroupWise address book's entry for this resource. For instance, for a conference room resource, you could populate this field with directions to the room, descriptions of the seating and white-board arrangements, and the telephone number of the individual with the key to the room.

• Visibility: This field works exactly as it does for the user object. Restricting visibility prevents the resource from appearing in some users' address books. This is a good way to prevent users from trying to schedule a resource that they should not have access to.

• Resource Type: There are two possible entries in this field:

  • Resource: Used to denote all types of physical objects that can be checked in or out by employees, from handheld radios to company cars.

  • Place: Used to denote conference rooms or other locations at your physical plant. When you schedule an appointment for a group of people and include a place resource, the appointment's Place field will be populated with the name of the resource.

• Phone: If the resource is a location, such as a conference room, you can put the phone number for the conference room in this field, and it will display in the GroupWise address book. You might also put the phone number of the resource owner, particularly if the resource type is not a place.

The best thing you can do is ensure that the Identification property page is completely filled out. This will ensure that users can schedule the correct resource, and do so more quickly.

The Resource Distribution Lists Property Page

Just as in the user object details window, the Distribution Lists tab provides a list of the GroupWise distribution lists that this resource is included in. (See "The User Distribution Lists Property Page" earlier in this chapter.) The resource can be added to or removed from a mailing list using this tab.

The Resource Nicknames Property Page

The Nicknames property page also works exactly like the nicknames interface for the user object. (See "The User Nicknames Property Page" earlier in this chapter.)

The Resource Internet Addressing Property Page

Internet addressing exceptions can be configured at the domain, post office, and resource level. On the resource object details window, the Internet Addressing tab enables you to make exceptions at the resource level. Most particularly, you can even change the RESOURCE ADDRESS portion of the RESOURCE ADDRESS@INTERNET DOMAIN NAME. With the sample object shown in Figure 5.11, the resource's Internet address will be known as [e-mail].

Figure 5.11. The resource object Internet Addressing window

If the override had not been specified, the resource's Internet address would have been [e-mail].

Or worse yet, if the default Internet addressing scheme for the GroupWise system were FIRST.LAST@INTERNET DOMAIN, the default Internet address for the Conference Room would be [e-mail].