Introduction

Overview

Microsoft Outlook calendar integration with the IM and Presence Service allows users to incorporate their calendar/meeting status in Microsoft Outlook into their availability status on the IM and Presence Service server. This integration can be accomplished by connecting the IM and Presence Service to an on-premises Microsoft Exchange server or a hosted Office 365 server.

Deployment

Exchange Web Services

Exchange Web Services (EWS) allows interaction with Microsoft Exchange mailboxes and contents over HTTP. EWS provides access to much of the same data that is made available through Microsoft Outlook. EWS moves several responsibilities from the client computer to the server.

Figure 1. Microsoft Exchange Integration with the IM and Presence Service over EWS


Microsoft Outlook Calendaring States on the IM and Presence Service

Microsoft Outlook integration with the IM and Presence Service via Microsoft Exchange or Office 365allows users to incorporate their calendar/meeting status in Microsoft Outlook into their availability status on the IM and Presence Service. The table below shows the reachability mappings, and how the IM and Presence Service correlates the status of meetings (as shown in Microsoft Outlook calendar) in the availability status of users on the IM and Presence Service.

Table 1. Aggregated Availability State Based on Calendar State

Microsoft Outlook State

IM and Presence Service State

Free/Tentative

Available

Busy

In a meeting

Out-of-Office1

Away

Away2

Away

1 Microsoft Outlook 2007 and Microsoft Outlook 2010 desktop client.

2 Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA) 2010.

Restrictions and Limitations

The following are restrictions and limitations for integrating the IM and Presence Service with Microsoft Exchange:

  • You can add, update, or delete one or more EWS servers with no maximum limit. However, the Troubleshooter on the Presence Gateway Configuration window is designed to only verify and report status of the first 10 EWS servers that you configure.
  • This release of the IM and Presence Service does not support the Exchange autodiscover service. The autodiscover service assumes that a load-balancing mechanism is already in place across the Client Access Server (CAS) or servers.

  • Upon configuring Exchange server or an Office 365 server as Presence Gateway the Jabber Clients will not be able to set 'In a meeting’ status when they have a meeting received from their local Outlook. The 'In a meeting' status can only come via the Presence Gateway. If the Presence Gateway goes down for any reason the clients will not be able to set 'In a meeting' status .


    Note
    In order to have a ‘In a meeting' status set you must restore service for the Presence Gateway.