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Daniel Nashed

 

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    IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    Daniel Nashed  29 June 2016 13:49:35
    Finally IBM has released IMSMO 2.0. It has been around already under controlled distribution and is finally available for all customers and partners.

    It enables you to connect a Microsoft Outlook 2013 client to a Domino V9.0.1 Server.

    The software is an add-on to your Domino server similar to what a Traveler does (in fact they share some code base but they are not the same!).
    Also the gateway need to resist on the mail-server of the user. We asked to have a way to use a gateway server approach but IBM implemented it this way.

    If you are running in a production environment and you are running with more than a handful of users it is strongly recommended to use DB2 for the state database instead of the derby database.
    So for every server that has IMSMO enabled you need a connection to a DB2 server for the state database.
    Another way would be to have a local replica of the mailfile on the IMSMO server for all users running an Outlook Client.

    This solution is not intended for a whole, large organization. It's more one of the flexible options to support Outlook Clients in your environment for users who want or need the client for some special reason.

    For the Outlook Client you have to deploy an add-on which handles the connection.
    The first version with the project name "Hawthorn" was using the Active Sync protocol for sync and rest services with a plug-in for additional services like OOO and busytime lookup. T
    hat's why only Outlook 2013 and higher was supported because earlier releases did not support ActiveSync.

    The new version uses SyncML which gives IBM more control over the connection and functionality. The plugin does now handle the whole connection from client to server over SyncML.
    Older clients can still connect over ActiveSync but the new model makes more sense to only use the new plug-in.
    IBM also plans to support other Outlook Clients leveraging the plug-in approach.

    If you are entitled to download Domino V9.0.1, you can download IBM mail support for Microsoft Outlook at no charge from Passport Advantage®.

    ReadMe

    IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook 2.0 Release Notes Multiplatform English (CNCZ9EN )

    Servers

    IBM mail Add-on 2.0.0 (for IMSMO) Windows 64 bit Multilingual (CNBK6ML )
    IBM mail Add-on 2.0.0 (for IMSMO) AIX 64 bit Multilingual (CNBK7ML )
    IBM mail Add-on 2.0.0 (for IMSMO) Linux 64 Multilingual (CNBK8ML )

    Client

    IBM mail Add-in 2.0.0 (for IMSMO) Windows 32/64 bit Multilingual (CND43ML )


    But you should wait to download and install the client component. There is an issue where I have an open PMR since yesterday afternoon.
    It looks like there is an issue with the client package. Development reported back that they are working on it with high priority.
    I will blog about it once I have more details.


    Here is a quick link to the admin guide:

    http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSKTMJ_9.0.1/admin_imsmo/adm_toc.html


    Comments

    1Giannandrea  29.06.2016 15:15:32  BM mail support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    From a licensing point of view, in my opinion would be important to understand if the recommended DB2 server will be available in the Domino license bundle.

    2Daniel Nashed  29.06.2016 21:51:44  BM mail support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Giannandrea, It's the same like when using Traveler. The DB2 license is included.

    Interesting info from an IBM presentation at Engage this year:

    You can use the same DB2 server to host multiple DB2 instances.

    - Think one DB2 server for multiple IMSMO clusters

    - Also can use existing DB2 servers. Traveler, ST, etc. (Check reqs first)

    So this means the same license should apply.

    They are recommending DB2 Enterprise edition 10.1.

    For Traveler we had to ask for a special license key because the limited use version was restricted in RAM and large Traveler pools needed more RAM.

    The issue is to get the right download and license key. It's a good question and I don't have the full answer yet.

    Let me try to find it out... I got a license file a while ago for the work-group edition but for IMSMO they recommend to use DB2 Enterprise edition. Hmmm..

    3Daniel Nashed  30.06.2016 8:00:30  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    The right version is IBM DB2 Workgroup Server Edition 10.5. The licence key you have to download is in the package listed below.

    Here is the technote --> http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21641360

    The license key activates 128 GB memory. They fixed that based on our feedback a while ago where it had limited memory.

    IBM DB2 Workgroup Server Edition - Limited Use Socket Option - Quick Start and Activation V10.5.0.1 for Linux, UNIX and Windows Multilingual (CIPK1ML )

    4Giannandrea  30.06.2016 8:49:05  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    Hi Daniel,

    I sincerely thank you for your detailed answer.

    Always from the license point of view, yesterday afternoon I participated to the Partnerworld session dedicated to IMSMO, and I learned an interesting news (or at least I was not aware): to balance/control the access to an IMSMO cluster, "IBM Edge Components" will be available in the Domino license bundle.

    Well I think this is a useful option.

    5Anders Johansson  30.06.2016 8:50:19  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    Can you use a SQL db instead of DB2? Of course no license included but if customer already have a SQL server.

    6Christian Henseler  30.06.2016 9:41:57  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Andres: In contrast to Traveler only DB2 is supported.

    7Sebastian Spudik  30.06.2016 13:13:46  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    Hi Daniel,

    according to system requirements:

    64-bit IBM Domino 9.0.1 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) with Fix Pack 6 or later ist OK.

    But SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) is not supported.

    Do you know if SLES will be supported in future releases?

    8Christian Henseler  01.07.2016 6:28:26  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    Although 9.0.1FP6 is sufficient in regards to the System Requirements documentation, one should use at least *Domino 9.0.1FP6IF1*

    It contains a fix for IMSO (NRBYAAJJJ3) and the additional information gives the following Statement:

    "9.0.1 FP6 IF1 will be a requirement for the upcoming on-premise release of IBM mail support for Microsoft Outlook."

    9Daniel Nashed  03.07.2016 19:58:24  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Sebastian, yes sadly SLES is not officially supported.

    There is not really a technical reason. But a support reason.

    You should open a PMR to ask what IBM officially says and also to let IBM know that customers need SLES support.

    I have two customers who asked the same question. Specially in Europe many custuomers use SLES.

    -- Daniel

    10Sebastian Spudik  06.07.2016 7:39:46  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Daniel: Thanks for that information and suggestion.

    I´ll open a PMR.

    11Roman Meng  06.07.2016 8:26:00  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Sebastian: Sadly, Luis Guirigay already mentionend the fact about SLES in a presentation held at ICON US 2016 in May (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nZwsQufAt8). You'll "hear" it at 53:50. He says that they had to few SLES customers at the beta (which supported SLES!), so they won't support it for GA... No plans to support it in future, as it seems.

    As we are a "SUSE shop" too, we are very unhappy about that... And if "support" is the reason... thats an argument that works for every part in the collaboration environment...

    12Daniel Nashed  06.07.2016 20:18:40  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Roman, I had a couple of customers this week asking about SLES support!

    In Europe many customers use SLES and not supporting SLES is really bad.

    I see no technical reaons not to support it and we should check with IBM and open PMRs about that to place a feature request.

    What do you think?

    13Sebastian Spudik  07.07.2016 11:58:50  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Roman

    My PMR was added as Customer Report to

    Enhancement request SPR # SDOYABMCLF / APAR LO89562 Imsmo On Suse Linux

    So, in my point of view, the more customers will do that, the more IBM will change that.

    It´s really a funny thing, that they say now, that there were only a few SLES customers within the beta. As far as I know, this demo was only for a few selected customers. And, as Ulrich Krause once wrote, this thing was not given to the ibm business partners before going GA, although they asked for (more than one time).

    So how can one bring oneselfs infrastructure into account, without having the chance to be part of a beta.

    @Daniel:

    Can it be, that this SPRs is "yours"? The description sounds like you wrote it ;)

    14Daniel Nashed  08.07.2016 6:12:34  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Sebastian,

    Yes I opened a PMR to have it trackable and that we have a central point where we can report that we need it.

    Probably I should write another blog post mentioning the missing support for SLES and explaining the PMR / SPR process. Opening a PMR knowing the SPR is easy and does not take much time.

    What makes it sound like I wrote the text? Probably the text was copied from my PMR. They just gave me the number but not the text. Do you have the exact text for me?

    15Sebastia  08.07.2016 8:45:07  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Daniel:

    Yes, I think it was copied from your PMR. Here is the text.

    Business impact:

    Many customers including myself are using SLES which is a really common platform in Europe. Domino is supported on SLES and Traveler is also supported on SLES. The general code base for IMSMO is quite similar and technically it is quite similar.

    So it looks like this is more a support and testing issue than a technical issue.

    16Sebastian Spudik  08.07.2016 13:51:04  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Daniel:

    I think, we´ve got a problem.

    I got an answer from IBM 2nd Level Support, but they must be kidding:

    Regarding pmr #33467,075,724, which is described as:IMSMO - SLES support (LO89562)

    As advised in #61853,025,724.

    The product management team have advised that a corporate decision was made and there are no plans to support this OS going forward.

    IBM as a whole has a platform strategy that does not include SLES for Linux going forward. Our Linux platform for future releases will be RedHat.

    -> so we would suggest you customer look to moving to another platform going forward that supports Traveler, Domino as well as IMSMO as mentioned in:{ Link }

    17Daniel Nashed  11.07.2016 8:04:07  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Sebastian, I got the same reply and I asked the support person if this is his impression or if this is a prodiuct management statement.

    If this is a product management statement we have a serious issue. SLES is the main plattform used in DACH if not in Europe and most of my DACH customers are using SLES.

    18Christian Henseler  11.07.2016 18:29:17  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    Do I smell the same old story as with Citrix vs. Terminal Server/RDS support for Lotus Notes?

    Customers where asking for native Terminal Server/RDP support and in regards to Application Virtualization, only Citrix XenApp is officially supported.

    (For VDI environments IBM supports such environment on a best effort aproach)

    19Stefano Benassi  14.07.2016 20:38:33  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    In IMSMO documentation there is contradictory info about Outlook 2013 64-bit support. Did anyone tried if everything is ok as on 32-bit release?

    Moreover: did someone tried Outlook 2016?

    Thanks!

    20Luis Guirigay  20.07.2016 19:36:11  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    re: SUSE Linux, please contact your local IBM Reps or Business Partner. Also request a product enhancement request. All of this will help us track demand for it.

    We will add support for Outlook 2010 and 2016 in Q3. It is not officially supported, but at least for Outlook 2016 it should work OK now.

    21Scott Vrusho  20.07.2016 21:16:03  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @19 Stefano Benassi - Outlook 2013 32/64 bit both supported.

    22Reinhard  21.07.2016 6:31:56  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    Is there any reason why there is derby-db missing by default instead of traveler package, where you can install derby within the traveler installation process?

    23Stefano Benassi  21.07.2016 8:34:30  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @Scott: thanks for your answer

    24Reinhard Fellner  11.08.2016 7:04:31  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    btw. there seems to be a bug with the freetime lookup in the outlook mail add-in (shows no information). IBM is aware of this issue and should release a new version next week

    25Aleix  24.08.2016 15:04:52  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    Is there any way to setup it without IMSMO Mail Sync plugin? Only to check e-mails.

    26Dave Black   12.09.2016 10:31:22  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    We have been using pre-release code using EAS. We have just been through an IBM audit and have now be fined for not having enough PVU's even though this was used for testing only. As it uses Domino technology you have to have PVU's regardless of it being pre GA release..very annoying IBM failed to explain this to us when their salesmen were saying use it, see if its right for your company..and then boom your not compliant.

    27Vincent Kan  07.07.2017 3:34:50  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    Why user outlook repeated again and again disconnect with IMSMO server ?

    28Sultan  15.10.2017 9:06:05  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    Most of users are gettting disconnected to plugin while getting sync during configuration of outlook client.

    We are using latest 2.0.2.6 client and server on Domino FP9 client.

    29Julian  14.06.2021 20:06:27  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    @sultan We have same issue with users We are using latest HCL 3.0.2. client and server traveler 11.0.2 on Domino FP10IF197.

    Did you fix the issue ? Thanks

    30’Rafel  05.05.2022 15:58:41  IBM Mail Support for Microsoft Outlook officially released

    Can someone send me imsmo for domino 9?

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