hello, i have exchange running on

[kcp]

hello,
i have exchange running on a server which is not so consistent in performance.
i need guidance to configure the addressbook,caleder,tasks,contacts and inbox in such a way that they are resident on the local harddisk of the users and incase the server goes down they have access to their mails... calender...
Thanks in advance.
Good day
kcp

 

[SimonDavis]

Assuming you're using Outlook, you need to set the clients to use personal folders, instead of the standard set of exchange folders.

In outlook, you click tools/services/ and if it doesn't already exist add the personal folders service.

Then click the 'delivery' tab on the services dialog, and set to deliver messages to the personal floders, rather than the inbox.

This will place all messages etc in a file on the local hard disk (the name and location can vary, but look for *.pst).

One word of warning though - the users messages will no longer get backed up when you back up the exchange server.

 

[Zelandakh]

Using pst can be a nightmare and rather defeats the object of a client server app / collaberation server like exchange.

Why not spend the time making sure the server doesn't go down instead of putting all emails on the hard disk - what happens if their disk goes down? Or are you intending backing up every users hard disk every day? What if they delete some critical emails and want them back?

Big bad idea...

My Exchange server has an uptime of over 2 years with the exception of the day I took a moron pill and overwrote the live database with a blank one (I never admitted it was me though).

 

[SimonDavis]

Can't disagree with that, although I do it because I use a laptop/docking station combo, and have my messages available out of the office.

For sure you need to deal with the server problem - what is the spec/setup etc? Can we help with that?

(I've done even better - using ghost I made a perfect copy of an empty hard disk onto a full one, and I didn't admit it either).

 

[Kbu]

Couldn't you just set the users to enable offline use and create a OST file?

 

[age]

I agree with kbu, if they have an OST set up, and if their Outlooks were set up to synchronise when they log out of Outlook, they would effectively have a copy locally of what they have on the server...

One question though, If the server did die permenantly, could you import from an OST file like you can from a PST file??? Could you rebuild the users mailboxes from OST files? Anyone tried this?

Adrian.