Resource manager

[skuda]

Hello, i am using Zimbra 4.04, can i have an human manager to the resources? any person that accepts o denies the request (although it is free) i have to do this to control the access to the resources by departments. Thanks.

[skuda]

Sorry but this forum it is too fast

[jhahm]

Hi, it sounds like you want the resource to not automatically accept/decline and leave the decision to another human account. This works to a certain extent but the user experience is not ideal.

To set it up, you'll first have to disable auto accept/decline. This is currently not possible in the admin console, so do it from command line, as zimbra user:

zmprov modifyAccount <resource@domain> zimbraCalResAutoAcceptDecline FALSE

You need to then set a password on the resource account, if one isn't set already. You can do this in admin console, or on command line:

zmprov setPassword <resource@domain> <password>

Now login to the resource account using that password. Go to calendar and share it to the human account. Right click on "Calendar" in Calendars list on the left side and choose Share Calendar. Enter the human user's address (human@domain), change Role to Manager and click on OK.

Then the human user can login, accept the share to add resource's calendar to his/her calendar view.

When the resource receives a meeting invite, the resource will add the appointment in tentatively accepted state. This will show up in the human user's calendar. The user can right click on the appointment and choose accept/decline. The user who requested the meeting will get a reply at this point.

Aside from needing multiple steps to set this up, the biggest issue with this use case is that the human user will only find out about pending meeting requests for the resource by going to the calendar view and refreshing. The invite emails don't get copied to the human user's inbox. You could set up forwarding filter in the resource's account to forward all incoming emails to the human user, but that will add an appointment in the human user's own calendar as well, and replying accept/decline on the copy of the invite email will accept/decline the human user's own meeting, not that of the resource.

This will make a nice enhancement request, to improve the user experience overall. I'll add one in bugzilla.

[jhahm]

Bugzilla entry:

http://bugzilla.zimbra.com/show_bug.cgi?id=12414

[skuda]

many thanks i have voted the bug but i can use your solution now

[HoseHead]

anyone know of any reason that a resource would not be able to be logged into?
I have given the resource a password, but it will not let me log into the resource.

[gersh]

I've posted before concerning my frustration with Zimbra's resource calendar scheduling. But now that my organization has committed to Zimbra, I really need help!

Here's the problem. We have many conference rooms in our administration building and each has been assigned an account as a Zimbra "Resource." When someone wants to schedule a meeting they reserve a conference room by clicking the "Find Resources" tab. A list of conference room "resources" appear.

But, how does the person know which conference room resource is actually available? Are available resources the only ones that are displayed, or does Zimbra display all resources and force the user to guess which one to "invite" to his event?

This process, as I understand it, makes no sense.

[HoseHead]

I figured my problem out some time ago. I needed to have ldap/AD users for each resource so I could log in as them.

It would be nice if, when trying to schedule a resource, the free/busy information would show who has the resource scheduled.

I have managers in our company who like to think their meetings are more important than the rest of us pawns. And well if a King or Bishop comes long and tells a pawn to move they will gladly do it, but the interface really doesn't lend itself toward the King being able to see which pawn to contact.

[NOZIL]

Originally Posted by gersh

But, how does the person know which conference room resource is actually available? Are available resources the only ones that are displayed, or does Zimbra display all resources and force the user to guess which one to "invite" to his event?

This process, as I understand it, makes no sense.

For now i think the only solution is to virtually invite all resources, choose one which is available in planning tab, then delete manually all others... Not very easy, especially when you have many resources