Implementing MAPI for Outlook
A subscription is required to enjoy this feature.
Introduction
Syncing Outlook with BlueMind 4.0 no longer requires a connector to be installed on client workstations. However, a few operations must be performed on the server to allow the network's Outlook software to connect to BlueMind.
MAPI for Outlook is in production with many BlueMind clients. However, it is still in a reliability phase. It is disabled by default. Please get in touch with your usual contact person or contact us to discuss how this functionality can be enabled for your installation or project.
We recommend that you work on virtual machines and use snapshots so that you can go back if an error occurs.
Compatibility
Outlook for Windows
Check whether your versions of Outlook are supported in our Compatibility page.
Outlook for Mac
As communication protocols vary, BlueMind only supports versions of Outlook for Windows.
BlueMind is unable to guarantee compatibility with Outlook for MacOS.
Outlook.com for smartphones
The Outlook.com application for smartphones isn't recommended. The email flow goes through Microsoft servers that store your BlueMind mail account data.
Features
Inbox sub-folders
In versions 4.0.x of BlueMind (4.0.x), folders created under the Inbox by Outlook are not mail folders but virtual folders.
BlueMind 4.1 supports inbox subfolders.
Update from 4.0.x to 4.x
Warning: when you update from BlueMind 4.0.x to 4.x, virtual folders are not migrated and will be deleted.
To prevent this, you can move virtual folders out of the inbox before the update to save them. They can then be restored and created again as mail folders.
Calendar event attachments
In addition to the BlueMind Calendar web application, version 4.1 allows you to attach files to calendar events from Outlook.
Prerequisites
- Having BlueMind version 4.0 installed
- The following BlueMind addresses must be accessible via HTTPS from client workstations:
- external server URL (external-url), (e.g. https://mail.bluemind.loc)
- autodiscover URL - typically replacing the first part of the external URL with "
autodiscover" (e.g. https://autodiscover.bluemind.loc) which must also point to the BlueMind external-url
Outlook in MAPI mode cannot run without a properly configured autodiscover service. On startup, the MAPI service checks that autodiscover is configured for the domain or at least one of its aliases; failing that, the MAPI service will not start.
To make sure that the server is configured properly and accessible, make sure that DNS records are enabled for the bm-mapi service to start, then you can use Microsoft's online diagnostic tool: https://testconnectivity.microsoft.com/.
- When accessing these addresses from a web browser, no security warnings regarding the SSL certificate should be displayed.
Autodiscover
The MAPI service requires autodiscover records to be enabled on all mail domains hosted on the server. Otherwise, you can circumvent autodiscover record checks by creating an empty file /etc/bm/non.blocking.checks and restarting bm-mapi.
Implementation
Quick implementation of an evaluation environment.
Find out how you can quickly set up an evaluation environment in our blog article: BM 4.0 beta + Outlook: step by step
To install MAPI:
- Deploy the subscription
- Install the required packages: Note: BlueMind doesn't have to be restarted.
- Debian/Ubuntu
- Redhat/CentOS
$ aptitude install bm-mapi$ yum install bm-mapi
Then, please refer to the following page to configure Outlook workstations: Synchronizing with Outlook.
Configuring Windows for an organization
Configuration of Windows workstations using GPOs
If your organization has an Active Directory, the following GPOs can be applied to deploy Microsoft Outlook more easily:
| Police | Attribute | Value | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block authentication with Office 365 servers | signinoptions | 3 | admx.help link |
| Force the advanced configuration interface | disableoffice365simplifiedaccountcreation | 1 | admx.help link |
| Force manual account configuration | disableaccountsettingsdetectionservice | 1 | admx.help link |
| Force autodiscover on the "on-premise" instance | enableoffice365configservice | 1 | admx.help link |
| Set up autodiscover for Bluemind | excludelastknowngoodurl | 1 | admx.help link |
| excludescplookup | 1 | admx.help link | |
| excludehttpsrootdomain | 1 | admx.help link | |
| excludeexplicito365endpoint | 1 | admx.help link | |
| disableautodiscoverv2service | 1 | admx.help link | |
| excludehttpsautodiscoverdomain | 0 | admx.help link | |
| excludehttpredirect | 0 | admx.help link | |
| excludesrvrecord | 0 | admx.help link | |
| Force use of MAPI protocol exclusively (disable IMAP fallback) | disablerpctcpfallback | 1 | admx.help link |
| Disable personal Microsoft accounts | disableexchangeconsumeraccounts | 1 | admx.help link |
| Force MAPI to use one account per profile only | maxnumexchange | 1 | admx.help link |
| Set offline cache settings | cache mode | 1 | admx.help link |
| Turn on conflict logging | enableconflictlogging | 3 | admx.help link |
Configuring workstations using registry keys
To facilitate the deployment of Outlook with Bluemind, save the following registry keys on user workstations:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
;Outlook 2013
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\AutoDiscover]
"ExcludeExplicitO365Endpoint"=dword:00000001
"ExcludeHttpsAutoDiscoverDomain"=dword:00000000
"ExcludeHttpsRootDomain"=dword:00000001
"ExcludeScpLookup"=dword:00000001
"ExcludeSrvRecord"=dword:00000001
;Outlook 2016 et Office365
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\AutoDiscover]
"ExcludeExplicitO365Endpoint"=dword:00000001
"ExcludeHttpsAutoDiscoverDomain"=dword:00000000
"ExcludeHttpsRootDomain"=dword:00000001
"ExcludeScpLookup"=dword:00000001
"ExcludeSrvRecord"=dword:00000001
;; CACHE MODE ALL, DISABLE MULTIPLE EXCHANGE ACCOUNTS
;Outlook 2016 et Office365
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\outlook\cached mode]
"DisableMultipleExchange"=dword:00000001
"SyncWindowSetting"=dword:00000000
;Outlook 2013
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\policies\microsoft\office\15.0\outlook\cached mode]
"DisableMultipleExchange"=dword:00000001
"SyncWindowSetting"=dword:00000000
;; SHARED MAILBOX CONFIGURATION
;Outlook 2016 et Office365
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Preferences]
"DelegateSentItemsStyle"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Options\General]
"DelegateWastebasketStyle"=dword:00000004
;Outlook 2013
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Preferences]
"DelegateSentItemsStyle"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook\Options\General]
"DelegateWastebasketStyle"=dword:00000004
;Outlook 2016 -> 2021
; Disables Outlook from requesting and using Search results from Exchange for
; cached and non-cached mailbox items. Instead, it will use search results from
; Windows search service.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Search]
"DisableServerAssistedSearch"=dword:00000001
Save this content in a file named mapi-bluemind.reg and deploy the file on the Windows workstations.