Quick Setup

Sharing outlook data in a network

OLfolders is a client/server system which allows you to share data in a network within Outlook. It works similar like file sharing in Windows: One computer shares some data, other computers access the data via the network. Like in file sharing, data is modified via the wire at the server computer. Sharing a disk drive does not mean, that the whole disk from the server is copied to the client computer replying the clients data, instead you get a new disk drive which can be accessed via the explorer and other programs. Similar in OLfolders, if you share a file, it will not replace the data from any client but will be visible additionally.

In contrast to file sharing, OLfolders sends commands via the wire and waits for a response from the server. This way it is able to modify the data on the way, for example creating a RTF body on the fly or storing view data differently for each client.

Server installation

The server part sets it up nearly automatically.

In general, the server part needs two information in order to start sharing:

• It must know the user name and password in order to check if the user has access.
• It must know where the data files are.

User names and passwords

After installation of the program, you can go to the client and connect to any data file in any profile at the server, given any Windows user name and password. If any client is connecting to OLfolders and there is no user account, OLfolders asks Windows if this combination of user name and password is a correct, if yes, it imports the user name into the OLfolders users database.

Note: For security reason, we recommend turning this feature off after all user accounts have been entered, otherwise you are sharing all Outlook data to all users on which Windows thinks it is a correct combination of user name and password.

In order to import users from the NT directory (all Windows versions except 95/98/ME) open the user manager by selecting "Users", then click on import. If you do not assign a password, the Windows password is taken. In order to enter a different user, click on "New" and fill in the fileds.

Data files to share

OLfolders can see all data files which are configured in Outlook. If you want to share your personal folder, you do not need to do anything, it is already shared if you start OLfolders.

If you want to share any other folder, you have the following options

• Open any data file in Outlook using File/Open/Datafile or create a new one with File/New/Datafile.
• Be aware not to call your data file Personal Folders, because if you have several personal folders files in your profile with the same name in Outlook, OLfolders will not be able to find out which on to use.
• If you create a data file, in the second dialog you get the personal folders properties window, in this window, you must change the name Personal Folders to something different.
• Create a new profile using Control Panel/Mail and create a new data file inside this profile
  Use OLfolders profiles and data files to create a new data file or a new profile.
• If you do not want to share all files or all folders, you can use the OLfolders rights management to hide some folders.

Sharing emails

A large part of OLfolders has to do with sharing emails

• The mail proxy receives and sends email for all users and submitts internal email internally.
• A mail proxy is doing the same as your provider, it has a POP3 and a SMTP server. Clients connect to them using normal email accounts. In contrast to a provider your local email server is available in the interanet, e.g. without dialing into the internet. You can send/receive once a minute to transmit internal emails while the proxy is connecting once an hour to the outside world.
• The mail filter filters most unwanted emails for example spams and virus emails and delivers it to a different mail box.
• The virus filter works differently from other filters, it does not have a large virus data base, instead it is looking for suspicious attachments, like "order.doc.exe".
• The PST Transport delivers emails to a file without interaction from Outlook. This can be used for common email addresses like info@, support@