GroupWise Modes

The GroupWise client can be run in three different modes (a mode is what defines how the GroupWise client functions). Each of the following three modes provides various benefits:

• Online

• Cache

• Remote

Each is discussed in the sections that follow.

Online Mode

Online mode is the default mode that the GroupWise client operates in when first loaded. When in online mode, your GroupWise client establishes a network connection with the GroupWise server. (The GroupWise server hosts a GroupWise post office, which your client actually connects to.) This session is always connected, and as you compose, read, or send items, the client communicates in real time with the GroupWise post office. Online mode depends on the GroupWise post office being accessible all the time. If the GroupWise post office becomes inaccessible, your client will lose its connection, and you will not be able to run the GroupWise client.

Cache Mode

In cache mode, the GroupWise client loads and runs against a local copy of your mailbox. This means that when the GroupWise client is running in cache mode, it does not depend on the GroupWise post office being accessible 100% of the time. Cache mode implies that the GroupWise client does have a readily available connection to the GroupWise post office whenever it needs to connect. Therefore, the GroupWise client in cache mode can connect at any time and synchronize the local mailbox with the online mailbox. Such is the case when you send a messageit is sent immediately.

NOTE

When you are using GroupWise in cache mode, as you send messages, the number of unsent messages appears in red parentheses next to the Sent Items folder for a brief moment. If the client can connect to the GroupWise post office, this number will appear for only a few seconds, whereupon the message is sent. If you see a number in red next to your sent items in cache mode for several minutes, this could indicate that the GroupWise post office is not responding. Usually, you can simply wait, and the messages will be automatically sent when the post office is available. During this time, you can continue to read and compose other messages as you normally would.

The benefit of cache mode is that your GroupWise client can continue to function and stay up even if the GroupWise server becomes temporarily inaccessible. When the GroupWise server is once again accessible, the GroupWise client automatically establishes a connection, and the user is not interrupted.

Remote Mode

Remote mode is similar to cache mode in that the GroupWise client loads and runs against a local copy of your mailbox. In remote mode, however, the GroupWise client may not have a readily available connection to the GroupWise server whenever it needs to connect. Therefore, when in remote mode, the GroupWise client will queue up any outgoing mail and synchronize it only when a scheduled or manual Send/Retrieve operation is issued. Additionally, in remote mode, some features such as Proxy and Busy search are not available. Remote mode also allows you to have very granular control over what you choose to synchronize between your local mailbox and the online mailbox.

Identifying Your Client Mode

There are two ways to identify what mode the GroupWise client is running in. The first is to look under the Mailbox tab to see the mode currently in use.

Figure 3.1 shows the client in online mode.

Figure 3.1. Identifying the current mode of the client.

The second way to identify the mode is to display the Main menu and then choose File, Mode. Then the current mode of the GroupWise client will be checked.