How to: Integrate a Hosted Email Solution into the Common Dashboard Tasks

 

Applies To: Windows Server 2012 Essentials

Like any other add-in, you can integrate your hosted email solution by adding tasks to the Common Tasks list and add links to the Community Links section in the home page of the Dashboard. Such activities are performed in the same way as you would with other add-ins: by creating an *.Home XML file that contains the text and links that you wish to add to the page. You can also create a .resx file that contains localized versions of those strings. These files are deployed in the same way you would deploy a normal .home file: by placing the file in the appropriate \Addins\Home folder on the targeted system. For more information, see Extend Setup, Quick Status, and Help.

Example

The following XML file describes the tasks to add on to the Dashboard UI. The strings are localized, and defined in an associated .resx file. For the complete sample that includes the .resx file, see the ContosoHostedEmailHomepageAddin project in Quickstart: Creating a Hosted Email Adapter

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>  
<Tasks version="2.0">  
  <MailServiceTasks>  
    <Task  
       name="HE_Sample_Service_GS_Task_Name"  
       description="HE_Sample_Service_GS_Task_Description"  
       id="3983E9AC-B6D1-4A2A-881C-4B1CEFCA5266">  
      <Action  
        name="HE_Sample_Service_GS_Action_Learn_More"  
        image="LearnMore"  
        type="url"  
        exelocation="https://www.contoso.com"/>  
      <Action  
        name="HE_Sample_Service_GS_Action_Name"  
        image="Logo"  
        type="exe"  
        exelocation="%ProgramFiles%\Windows Server\bin\Wssg.HostedEmailConfigureWizard.vbs"/>  
    </Task>  
  </MailServiceTasks>  
</Tasks>