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Calendar Connector Troubleshooting part 2

  • Article

I wanted to add to that blog with a methodology to help augment the existing documentation and process when working with the Calendar Connector.

 

 

1. Misconceptions

  • I wanted to clear up a common misconception and most frequently asked question, the Calendar Connector is for Free Busy Queries between Domino and Exchange, it does not transfer or share Calendar entries, the Microsoft Exchange Connector for Lotus/Domino is responsible for the messaging and calendar transport.

 

  • The second most frequently asked question is can I use the Calendar Connector over SMTP instead of installing and using the Connector for Lotus/Domino? The answer is no. The code which the Calendar Connector is built on requires Notes proxy addresses, calendar domain document and fields, and exchange.box and to be present as you will see below in the troubleshooting section.

 

  • The third is the common misconception of requiring a mailbox for the Calendar Connector to work. The key is the proper setup of the Lotus Notes Connection Document. This typically occurs when a user does not choose to setup a Domino server during the Lotus Notes Client setup once the install is complete. This is the first screen when you setup the Lotus Notes Client on your connector server. Your Notes Client must be in Office mode in your connection document. Some customers do configure their Lotus Notes client to connect to a mailbox to aid in their troubleshooting but this is not a requirement for the Calendar Connector to function.

 

2. Read the pre-requisites for the latest Calendar Connector

     Ensure that the Exchange server on which you install Calendar Connector meets the following requirements:

  • The server is running Microsoft® Exchange Server 2003 Server Pack 2.
  • The server is part of the same routing group as the server running Connector for Lotus Notes.
  • You have the permissions of an Exchange Administrator, and are a member of the Administrators group on the computer on which you install Calendar Connector.
  • You have installed and configured the Lotus Notes 6.x client software.
  • You have network connectivity to the server running Lotus Domino.
  • You have to install the Connector for Lotus Notes/Domino.

 

     In addition, the Lotus Domino server to which Calendar Connector connects must meet the following prerequisites:

  • The operating system must be either Microsoft Windows® 2000 Server or Windows Server™ 2003.
  • The name of the Lotus Domino server must be the same as the hostname of the server running Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003.
  • The server must use an x86-based processor.

 

3. Double check the list above against what has been deployed. Many calls are generated and even onsite visits from our engineers when individuals miss a critical step in the list above.

 

4. Common Mistakes

  • The most common mistake at this point is that the Domino Server Name does not match the NetBIOS Name of the Windows Server. Typically the Windows Server name is changed to match the Domino Server and then is restarted. The field in the calendar connection tab must have the Netbios name of the Windows server in the section called NT Server hosting the Notes server. It should not be in Domino canonical format.
  • Not populating the Calendar Domain on the Foreign Domain Document.
  • Not populating the Calendar Domain on the synchronized person documents from Exchange, check the miscellaneous tab, Calendar domain section.
  • Wrong Target Address on AD Objects synchronized from Domino, they must be Notes: type. This is found on the AD Objects’ Exchange General Tab.
  • Not configuring a Default Recipient Policy for a Notes Proxy Address. This Default Proxy Address stamps everything with Mailnickname=*, this stamps the Microsoft Exchange System Attendant with a Notes proxy address. This is important for the Calendar Connector to function properly.
  • You must have a Schedule+ Free Busy Public folder replica from the Administrative Group of the Exchange Server you installed the Calendar Connector. You may choose to host other replicas of the F/B folder from other administrative groups to speed the response time.
  • Not specifying the full ini path in the Calendar Connections section, you need for example: c:\Program Files\lotus\notes\notes.ini, not c:\Program Files\lotus\notes\.
  • Configuring ExCalcon on a Domino cluster, this has not been tested and isn’t supported.
  • Location document on the Lotus Notes client is not configured to connect to the Domino server. Typically this occurs during setup when the box is unchecked in the beginning of the Lotus Notes Client setup. You will need to configure the Location Document in Office mode and ensure the Home/Mail server is populated with the correct Domino server.

 

5. Recommendations

  • Set the Calendar Connector servers’ databases to use Circular Logging.
  • Scheduling- Ensure there is a minimum of a 15 minute buffer once Directory Synchronization Completes, set the schedule on the Calendar Connector to use a timed interval.
  • Topology- One Calendar Connector per Routing Group. Depending on your Domino Domain Architecture, if they all connect to the same Routing Group, you could have a single Calendar Connector with three copies of ExCalcon running on the Domino Servers, one per Domino Domain. If you have legal requirements to keep them separate you could have 1:1 mapping between the Domino Domains and the Exchange Routing Groups for Calendar Connector connectivity.
  • Patience- Free/Busy isn’t instant. Create appointments on each respective server via their respective clients and wait. You can log off the clients and log back on to force it.

6. Troubleshooting

- Lou