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Outlook Sync Administrator Setup | Communifire Documentation

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Outlook Sync Administrator Setup

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Communifire supports calendar sync with Outlook calendar. When you connect your Outlook account, your Outlook events will appear in My Calendar and will automatically sync.

+ Technical Notes

Outlook calendar sync is only for My Calendar. Outlook can't be synced with space Calendar.

After creating a repeat event in Communifire:

  1. Clicking the event instance from the Calendar or upcoming list will take a user to the details for that instance
  2. When deleting from the calendar or details page, there are options to delete a single instance, all instances or from that point forward.
  3. When doing a full page edit of an event, radio buttons at the top will impact whether it is editing a (1) single instance, or (2) all instances or (3) from that point forward (defaults to from that point forward). When switching between edit modes the event will reload to match the selection.
  4. When RSVPing from the calendar or details page, there are options to RSVP for a single instance, all instances, or from this point forward.
  5. If a user is invited to a single instance of a private event, then it will appear like a single instance event (no option to RSVP beyond their invite).
How Outlook handles repeat events:
  1. Single instance exceptions work similar to Communifire.
  2. When an exception is created for "This and all following events" it creates a completely new event, unconnected with original event (so changes to the original do not get passed to the exception).
  3. Outlook does not offer the option to RSVP to an event for "This and all following events." A person can be invited for "This and all following events" which would create a new event, but the RSVP is not an option.
  4. There is no recognition of what has changed in a single exception, so if someone invites someone in a single instance (only change) and then changes the title for all instances, the title will not change for the exception.
  5. If there is a time change however, the exception will be changed, including the name change from the previous, invitation will be removed for the organiser (will remain as a single instance event for invitee, with the old name -- so the names for the same event for different users will be different).
  6. Deleting the parent series will not delete the single instance for invitee.
How Communifire accommodates Outlook:
  1. Communifire does not break off events like Outlook does because the Events are a full piece of content, with comments, rates, likes, and follows which does not want to break off whenever someone new is added to the event or someone is removed.
  2. Instead Communifire tries to maintain the connection in Communifire for the separate events in Outlook.
  3. Following conditions to match:
    1. Same subject/title (else Communifire will break them).
    2. Original series has been synced to Communifire already.
    3. Original series is "missing" occurrences from Outlook at the end of its sequence.
  4. Changes to the series in Communifire should be updated in the child events in Outlook (to match what Communifire has).
  5. Changes in the child events in Outlook should be excluded from parent event in Outlook (to match what Outlook has).
  6. RSVP for future events in Communifire get reflected in Outlook as RSVP for all events. This means that when Outlook is synced again the RSVP will convert to an all instances RSVP.
  7. Communifire attempts to keep instance details consistent when changes are made from Communifire, working around the Outlook bugs, around instance changes, and series changes.
  8. Communifire will have the same event name for different users despite the differences in Outlook.
  9. If an event series is deleted in Communifire, the single invite events are properly set to cancelled in Outlook, working around the Outlook bug.
Developer notes on Outlook handling of repeat events:
  1. When the series or an exception is edited in Outlook, the returning list of updated items will include the Series and all of the occurrences in the range (typically today-2 days => today + 12 months).
  2. For single instance exception:
    1. OriginalStart (UTC) will tie into our InstanceReplaceDate.
    2. LastDateUpdated gives indication of when the exception was created to determine in new/updated versus our event exception date.
    3. Deleted instances simply not included in occurrences (no other record of delete), so Communifire circles through the occurrences looking for missing instances.
  3. Despite not having a UI for it in Outlook, you can pass number of occurrences to Outlook and it will accept it (and provide it back).
How Google handles repeat events:
  1. Creates an entirely new event whenever *time or schedule* is changed from "this point forward", ending the previous series on that date, from then passing no changes on past that date, but other changes to an event from "this point forward" (including inviting new people) keeps the series intact.
  2. Knows what has changed in an exception, so can make other changes to those instances.

Step 1: Configure the Azure App

      1. Visit App registrations in Azure Active Directory to create an application.
      2. Click New registration.
      3. Enter a name for the application. The name will appear on the consent page when users connect their Outlook calendar.
      4. Under Supported account types, you can select either Accounts in this organizational directory only (Single tenant) or Accounts in any organizational directory (any Microsoft ID tenant or Multitenant).

        For most intranet use cases, it is advisable to restrict API access solely to accounts within your organizational directory.

Note: If you have selected the access for Multitenant accounts, you will need to disable UseSAMLTenantIDForOutlook in the System Properties.

    1. In Redirect URL, select Web and enter your site URL followed by /oauth2/outlook/callback. (e.g. https://myintranet.com/oauth2/outlook/callback or https://myintranet.communifire.com/oauth2/outlook/callback)
    2. Click Register.
    3. Copy the Application (client) ID and Directory (tenant) ID and save them for later.
    4. Click Certificates & secrets.
    5. Click New client secret.
    6. Enter a Description.
    7. In Expires, select 24 months.
    8. Click Add.
    9. Copy the Value and save it for later. (Copy the value in the Value column, not the Secret ID column.)
      Note: This is the only time the key will be shown. If you lose the key, you can generate a new one.
    10. Go to API Permissions.
    11. Click Grant admin consent for <your company name>, and provide confirmation for the consent. Click Yes.
    12. A message will be displayed (Successfully granted admin consent for the required permissions.) once the permissions save successfully.

 

Step 2: Configure Communifire

  1. In Communifire, go to Control Panel > System > General Settings.
  2. Expand the Advanced Settings section.
  3. Next to Enable calendar sync from 3rd party systems, check Yes.
  4. Click Save System Settings
  5. Click System > System Properties.
  6. Search for outlook.
  7. Edit OutlookApiClientID.
  8. Paste the application ID, then click Save.
  9. Edit OutlookApiClientSecret.
  10. Paste the secret value, then click Save.
  11. Search for SAMLTenantID and edit it.
  12. Paste the tenant ID, then click Save.

Once settings are saved, users can connect to Outlook in My Calendar.

 

Connect to Outlook

Outlook Sync User Setup 

Connect Email to Calendar 

 

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