Chapter Summary

CDO is a powerful technology that allows you to add messaging, Exchange 2000 Server management, or workflow functionality to your business applications. CDO for Exchange 2000 Server provides programmable objects for messaging solutions. Similar to ADO, CDOEX is based on the ExOLEDB provider and the Web Storage System and can only be used directly on the server.

If you are planning to develop custom management solutions for Active Directory, you should consider CDO for Exchange Management. This technology deals with Configuration objects of Exchange 2000 Server in Active Directory. You can mailbox-enable user accounts, define mailbox properties, create and delete mailbox and public stores, build public folder hierarchies, and so on. For full-featured Active Directory solutions, you may combine CDOEXM with ADSI.

CDO for Workflow gives you the means to design workflow applications based on the Web Storage System architecture. Similar to CDOEX, CDO for Workflow must run on an Exchange 2000 server. You typically install workflow solutions in public folders, but mailbox folders are also supported. To register a workflow process definition, you need to be the folder owner and have the rights to register workflow with the Workflow Event Sink COM+ package. You can grant restricted or privileged author permissions to your users on a per-server basis.