exchange calendar support

[phoe2693]

In trying out Zimbra Desktop as an outlook replacement, I pointed it at our exchange server. It recognized and brought in all my mail folders, and even found all our public folders. However, it took all the calendars in the public folders and inserted them in my single calendar. You can imagine how this looks when you have 18-20 calendars mashed together, and reminders coming up constantly...

question is - is there any way to fix this, or prevent it from happening? In its current state, the calendar functionality is useless, all because of some public folders being available...

[phoe2693]

Im following up on my calendar issue - where Zimbra loads every public folder calendar into the personal calendar of the user. In an enterprise environment, this results in thousands of reminders and bookings not relevant to an individual coming up constantly.

While speaking with consulting companies, peers, and fans of Zimbra Im continually told that it is enterprise ready. While from a Linux world originally, I can see where frustration from a Windows/Exchange environment is starting to set in at our location - is Zimbra not capable of dealing with a simple calendar problem intelligently? I *really* want to make it work, to be able to offer an alternative to Outlook. Does anyone have some thoughts on how to work around with this?

[localhost]

I don't have the solution for you, but I can confirm the same problem. A solution would be wonderful.

[phoe2693]

well, it seems then that zimbra isnt enterprise ready, at least for migrating current ones with some basic needs and expectations to a new environment. I had hoped to start with the desktop client, introduce the collab server in a few months, and get to retire both outlook and exchange but I would be out of a job with the current out-of-the-box zimbra behavior.

For anyone else in the same predicament, Im currently looking at Google Apps. They seem to have their stuff together migrating exchange data, allowing outlook to continue to function, but giving the gmail, gdocs, gcalendar apps for non-outlookians as well to eventually step outside that environment. Maybe Ill give zimbra another look in a few years once the bumps are ironed out with calendars.

[bradb21]

I don't know how you can say Zimbra is not "enterprise ready"? Zimbra is first and foremost a mail server that competes directly with Exchange. You are not even using the core product, and are using their client which I'm sure was designed to be a client for Zimbra server and not necessarily a client for an Exchange server. So you're taking their free client offering that works just fine with a Zimbra backend, and pointing it to an Exchange server and then saying that Zimbra is not enterprise ready?

[phoe2693]

Originally Posted by bradb21

I don't know how you can say Zimbra is not "enterprise ready"? Zimbra is first and foremost a mail server that competes directly with Exchange. You are not even using the core product, and are using their client which I'm sure was designed to be a client for Zimbra server and not necessarily a client for an Exchange server. So you're taking their free client offering that works just fine with a Zimbra backend, and pointing it to an Exchange server and then saying that Zimbra is not enterprise ready?

My Apologies. I figured since I was posting to the Zimbra Desktop Client part of the forum I wouldnt have to retype all that. My Amended Statement of Claim is thus:

The Zimbra Desktop Client, which claims to be able to work with an Enterprise Exchange Server, contains "Features" which make it definitely non-enterprise ready in an Exchange environment.

This makes me sad, as I would like to someday migrate to an alternate mail server, but first need to migrate the desktop client software. When youre dealing with 1000+ users you cant simply pop them all over at once, and the desire to minimize problems by doing one part of the migration at a time is high. Zimbra Desktop Client seemed a great option as they advertise that this works in an Enterprise environment. In my experience it does not, and firmly believe anyone trying to migrate their desktop clients to Zimbra Desktop Client whilist keeping their Exchange server, if only for a little while to facilitate the migration, will find themselves out of work.

My desired outcome would be to have a fix, workaround, or ability to disable the offending problems in Zimbra Desktop Client when running in an Exchange environment to improve compatibility. However, it does not appear this is likely. Therefore I believe the responsible thing to do would be to not advertise compatibility in this area and waste the time of IT departments running trials to find these same errors still exist.

Zimbra Desktop Client is a fine email program in an Exchange environment. And Im sure its great running with its Collaboration Server as well. It just has some major issues with calendaring Exchange data(which is what trapped us with Exchange in the first place!). Suggesting it dosent is just false advertising.

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by phoe2693

Zimbra Desktop Client is a fine email program in an Exchange environment. And Im sure its great running with its Collaboration Server as well. It just has some major issues with calendaring Exchange data(which is what trapped us with Exchange in the first place!). Suggesting it dosent is just false advertising.

If you have suggestions for improving the ZD experience then feel free to file any RFEs in bugzilla (and vote on them), you can also file bug reports in there for any problems you may encounter.