ZCO Initial Sync

[vertigox]

We're currently testing out ZCS. The test users are using Outlook 2003 with the Outlook connector (ZimbraOlkConnector-3.1.2_GA_435_3.1.922). Every morning the initial sync takes around 30-60 minutes to pull down all email / custom folders to their client. Once the initial sync is done, everything performs rather well. The problem is the initial sync. Is there a way to this speed up? The ZCS server is at a remote location and users are accessing it via a T1, though the connection is utilized by other users aswell.

[sam]

Why do they initial sync every day?

[vertigox]

Originally Posted by sam

Why do they initial sync every day?

The connecter does this everytime they log in to the system. If they close Outlook, it stays synced, but if they log out back in, it resyncs each time. Is this not how the connector is suppose to work? If not the connector doesn't seem to be saving the cache copy. Where would this normally be stored? The test users are limited by group policy on what they can do, they log into the system via RDP.

[sam]

The connector should initial sync only once and the data should be cached on the local machines hard disk. Opening outlook several times should not force the connector to initial sync again.

The data is cached locally in a zdb (zimbra-database) on the local machine in the following location:

<user_home>\local settings\application data\Microsoft\Outlook\<profile-name>.zdb

It sounds like since they are roaming users the local settings get nuked when they log out. Do the same users login to the same machines or are they logging in to different machines?

[vertigox]

Currently the test users are utilizing a single server. However the plan is to move them into the production cluster, that being if the testing is successful.

[vertigox]

Would it be possible to be prompted on installation of the outlook connector as to a 'custom' path to store the cached email?

[sam]

This enhancement request is covered in bug 9232 (you must be a network customer to have access to this bug). It's a P1 scheduled for the next 4.0 update release (4.0 was made available today). There is no date available for the 4.0 update release yet.

What you'll be able to do is configure the default zdb path in the installer so your end users wont have to deal with manual configuration of the zdb path. If the end user wants, they can override the default zdb path.