!! Only relevant when using EWS API
This guide is for the IT administrator and explains how to connect an exchange service account with Planner.
Requirements
A service account with application impersonation rights in exchange. We recommend it is set to password never expires. Please see our guide on the service account How to create the service account for Sign In Workspace and Exchange integration
For cloud: Exchange integration has to be enabled. Ask [email protected] to enable it if it isn't enabled already.
For on-premise: The exchange module has to be installed, see this guide Link
We can only connect towards one exchange environment, so all the users, calendars, meeting rooms and the service account has to be in the same exchange environment. Some exceptions have been described here Hybrid Exchange setup
All calendars, meeting rooms, and users must have their primary smtp set to the original and not an alias.
If you want to import meeting rooms, make sure your meeting rooms match Supported settings on Exchange meeting rooms
AutoDiscover on Exchange must be reachable from Sign In Workspace - here are some guides on setting it up: In general regarding AutoDiscover:https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/jj900169(v=exchg.150).aspxHow to test/validate:https://testconnectivity.microsoft.comhttp://blogs.technet.com/b/rmilne/archive/2014/10/02/how-to-check-exchange-autodiscover-srv-record-using-nslookup.aspx
o365/Exchange mail notifications for rooms should be enabled as default - this is recommended to ensure that all mails from Exchange reaches the user.
Connecting the service account with Planner
Log onto your Planner solution, with administrative rights.
Click "Settings"
Click "Other settings"
Add your email domain to the "Attendees" filter and click "Save"
Click "Exchange"
If you can't find the exchange tab the module isn't installed properly
If you tick the exchange online box, Sign In Workspace (SiW) uses a default URL which is normal for those with exchange online
Fill out URL, Username, Password, and Domain if necessary
Fill out a fallback user. If the meetingowner isn't a user in Planner, this user will be set as the owner.
Click "Save and test the connection"
If you get a red error message: The exchange account isn't filled out properly. Usually it is the password. Note that accounts made in Azure use a key instead of a password.
Connecting the exchange rooms to Planner
Disabling email notifications during the import
During this step we will import the rooms and import the meetings connected to the rooms. Every meeting imported will send out an email notification to the meeting owner. So during the import, we recommend that email notifications are disabled.
You can enable the email notifications in SiW.
Go to administration -> settings
Click Email
Ensure that the box "disable all email notifications" is Blue
Click save
How to import the rooms
Go to "Resources"
Click "New resource"
Click "Yes"
Fill out the meeting rooms email address
Click "Validate"
Fill in the desired settings for the meeting room
Click "Save"
Repeat for each meeting room you want to import.
If you get an error while importing the coexistence meeting room please just press continue. SiW will edit the configuration of the meeting room to match what is needed.
Sign explanations
When a room is imported it takes some time (depends on the amount of meetings that needs to be loaded) for SiW to import all the meetings in the room's calendar. To the left of the room resource name a status icon will be displayed.
There are the following states:
Room calendar has been succesfully imported / the meeting room is integrated with Exchange and everything is working correctly.
Room calendar is currently being imported
SiW is currently synchronizing with the Exchange calendar
SiW has received an error message from Exchange. SiW will try to recover from this state
Connection to the Exchange server has been lost. Troubleshoot by verifying that the Exchange server is up and running and, subsequently, that the Microsoft Exchange information in Administration --> Settings --> Exchange integration is correct
The exchange account can't find the meeting room. Please check that the meeting room exists and that the exchange account has application impersonation rights towards the meeting room.
Remember: When the room calendar has been succesfully imported, activate the resource in the right side of the respective row.
Possible issues
If the meeting room was recently created or changed in Exchange, there might be some replicationtime before it becomes available for use.
You can force the replication serverside. See for example this guide https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/exchange/update-offlineaddressbook?view=exchange-ps
Enabling the email notifications for future bookings
We recommend that you get email notfications from both Outlook and SiW since SiW's notifications contain more information, for example about catering and equipment.
You can enable the email notifications in SiW.
Go to administration -> settings
Click Email
Ensure that the box "disable all email notifications" is grey
Click save
Re-importing meeting rooms
It is possible to re-import meeting rooms at a later date. This is practical if your users weren't properly imported during the first import.
During a re-import SiW reads all the appointments connected to the meeting room in exchange. If a meeting got defaulted to the default user during the last import, and the meeting owner is properly in SiW now, the old meeting is deleted and a new meeting is created with the correct meeting owner. This is a great way to fix meetings so they have the correct host.
It can be resource heavy so it is recommended that it is done outside business hours.
To re-import a meeting room:
Go to Administration - Resources
Click on the pencil under actions for the meeting room
Click on the button "Re-import"
