Connecting to Other Messaging Systems

Free and Busy Querying with Novell GroupWise

Calendar querying can be divided into two separate processes: queries that originate from Exchange, and queries that originate from Novell GroupWise.

Free and Busy Queries from Exchange

When an Exchange client requests the free and busy information for a user on Novell GroupWise, Calendar Connector intercepts the request and translates it into a special class of mail object (with a keyword called MSG-TYPE set to SEARCH), that the connector for Novell GroupWise can understand. The connector for Novell GroupWise routes these messages to API Gateway's input queue.

Next, API Gateway routes all messages placed in the input queue according to the MSG-TYPE keyword attached to the message. In GroupWise, free and busy requests are identified when the MSG-TYPE keyword is set to SEARCH. Once GroupWise identifies the message as a free and busy request, it is handled as a request generated from one GroupWise user to another. After the message is sent to the internal GroupWise system for routing and processing, the requested free and busy information is routed to the GroupWise API Gateway's output queue.

The response is picked-up from the API Gateway's output queue by the connector for Novell GroupWise. The connector delivers the requested free and busy information to Calendar Connector. Then the connector for Novell GroupWise deletes the file from the output queue.

Finally, Calendar Connector parses these messages, translates the free and busy information into Exchange format, and writes the response to the Exchange free busy public folder.

Free and Busy Queries from Novell GroupWise

When a Novell GroupWise client requests the free and busy information for a user on Exchange, the request is routed to API Gateway. The Exchange connector for Novell GroupWise monitors the output queue of API Gateway for free and busy requests from GroupWise. It forwards these requests to Calendar Connector, and then deletes them from the output queue.

Once Calendar Connector receives and processes the message, it queries the Exchange free busy public folder for the information in the request. Then Calendar Connector translates the free and busy information of the Exchange users into the GroupWise format and delivers the information to the connector for Novell GroupWise.

Note   GroupWise users must have a visibility setting of System or higher to receive calendar information from Exchange users.

The connector for Novell GroupWise delivers the free and busy information to GroupWise via the input queue of API Gateway. API Gateway delivers the free and busy information to the GroupWise system for delivery to the user requesting the information.

Note   GroupWise users must be added to Active Directory on the Exchange server as custom recipients (through directory synchronization) so that Exchange can respond to the GroupWise requests using the correct address information.