Microsoft Exchange

Overview

This feature allows you to manage Microsoft Exchange Online mailboxes and calendars from within VOSS Automate, including assigning access and calendar permissions to users and team members licensed for Microsoft Office.

Note

• VOSS Automate does not support adding Microsoft Exchange mailboxes from Quick Subscriber (for Microsoft users).

• Any admin role (Provider, Customer, Site) can access and work with Microsoft Exchange mailboxes, provided that Microsoft is enabled at the hierarchy.

Related Topics

• Configure Microsoft Tenant Connection Parameters
• Overbuild for Microsoft

Microsoft Exchange Integration

The diagram displays the workflow steps for integrating VOSS Automate with Microsoft Exchange:

The table describes the steps in the Microsoft Exchange integration workflow diagram:

Integrate Microsoft Exchange	Description
Generate thumbprint	Upload certificates on Microsoft Cloud, and generate the authentication thumbprint required for integration.
Configure Microsoft tenant	To prepare for the sync in of Microsoft Exchange components to VOSS Automate, enable Microsoft Exchange on the Microsoft tenant in VOSS Automate, and add the certificate thumbprint generated on Microsoft Cloud.
Perform a sync	Once the Microsoft tenant is configured, perform a sync from the tenant configuration screen. This syncs in all Microsoft entities configured on the tenant, including Microsoft Exchange components.
Configure NDLs	To prepare for the overbuild that will move synced in Microsoft entities to the sites (including Microsoft Exchange components), add the Microsoft Exchange authentication credentials (the thumbprint generated on Microsoft Cloud) to the network device lists (NDLs) for sites with subscribers requiring mailbox management in VOSS Automate.
Run overbuild	Microsoft users must be included in the overbuild settings. An overbuild moves Microsoft Office 365 users to the sites, based on the model filter criteria defined in the overbuild settings. Microsoft 365 users includes users enabled for Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Exchange on the Microsoft Cloud portal.
Manage mailboxes	Once you’ve set up VOSS Automate for integration with Microsoft Exchange Online, synced in mailboxes, and run the overbuild to move users and mailboxes to the sites, you can manage these mailboxes and calendars for users and users and teams from within VOSS Automate: Assign access and calendar permissions for user mailboxes Add, update, or delete shared mailboxes, including assigning or removing mailbox access and calendar permissions Add or update the Owners field for Distribution Group mailboxes

Supported Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes in VOSS Automate

Four types of Microsoft Exchange mailboxes are supported in VOSS Automate:

• User mailboxes

• Shared mailboxes

• Room mailboxes

• Distribution Groups

User mailboxes are created for individual Microsoft Office 365 users on the Microsoft Cloud portal, while shared mailboxes, room mailboxes, and distribution groups can be created on the Microsoft Office portal or in VOSS Automate.

Any changes made to the mailboxes and their associated calendars are synced between the Microsoft Cloud portal and VOSS Automate. This allows a VOSS Automate admin user to manage mailboxes from within VOSS Automate, and have these changes seamlessly update on the Microsoft Cloud.

The table describes the Microsoft Exchange mailboxes supported in VOSS Automate, and the ways in which you can work with these mailboxes:

Mailbox type	Description
User	User mailboxes are assigned to a single, licensed, Microsoft Office user. These mailboxes are created on Microsoft Exchange Online and synced in to VOSS Automate. The ability to manage access permissions on user mailboxes and calendars is useful where you need to allow other users to view, send, or receive emails on behalf of the mailbox owner. For example, to grant access to an executive assistant, or to monitor the mailbox of a user who is unable to attend to their emails or calendar items while out of office.
Shared	Shared mailboxes can be created on Microsoft Exchange and synced in to VOSS Automate, or they can be added, updated, or deleted on VOSS Automate, and any changes are then synced back to the Microsoft Cloud portal. Shared mailboxes are useful for groups of individual users or for teams. For example, a shared mailbox might be used for a support or sales team, with different members having the same or custom access and calender permissions on the shared mailbox. The owner, or user principal, of a shared mailbox is a ‘dummy’, unlicensed user on the Microsoft Cloud, and does not add to the VOSS Automate subscriber count. The user principal name of a shared mailbox is auto-generated based on the display name you define.
Room	Room mailboxes can be created on Microsoft Exchange and synced in to VOSS Automate, or they can be added, updated, or deleted on VOSS Automate, and any changes are then synced back to the Microsoft Cloud portal. Rooms are entities, typically an actual room at a physical location, that become a user for the purpose of creating the Microsoft Exchange mailbox. The entity name is the user principal name of the room mailbox.
Distribution Group	Distribution Groups can be created on Microsoft Exchange and synced to VOSS Automate, or they can be added, updated, or deleted on VOSS Automate, and any changes are then synced back to the Microsoft Cloud portal. A distribution group is typically used to send emails to a group of recipients. You can add owners (one or more), for a distribution group in VOSS Automate, as well as modify owners.

Mailbox Access Permissions and Calendar Permissions

Access permissions on Microsoft Exchange mailboxes define the ownership rights and mailbox access permissions of one or more users for the mailbox. When configuring access permissions on a mailbox, you select a user from a list of users at the same hierarchy level as the mailbox, and select their access role permissions, for example, Read and Manage, Send As or Send on Behalf.

Calendar permissions allow you to assign a combination of role access permissions, such as Owner, and individual permissions, such as Delete All Items, to one or more users, on the calendar associated with the mailbox.

You can assign or remove access permissions and calendar permissions on all mailbox types, for users that exist at the same site as the mailbox.

Manage Microsoft Exchange Mailboxes in VOSS Automate

This procedure updates Microsoft Exchange user mailboxes, and adds, modifies, and deletes Microsoft Exchange shared mailboxes, room mailboxes, and distribution groups.

Note

You can only add or delete shared mailboxes, room mailboxes, and distribution groups in VOSS Automate. User mailboxes may be updated in VOSS Automate, but they can be added or deleted only on the Microsoft Cloud portal.

To manage Microsoft Exchange mailboxes in VOSS Automate:

1. Log in to to the VOSS Automate Admin Portal.

2. Go to (default menus) Microsoft Subscriber Management > Exchange

3. Choose the menu for the relevant mailbox type, either User Mailboxes, Shared Mailboxes, Room Mailboxes, or Distribution Groups.

4. View the summary list view of the mailbox type you selected.

   Note

   • The Located At column in the list view displays the hierarchy level of mailboxes. Some may be at the customer level, and some may have been moved to a site.

     Microsoft Exchange mailboxes are initially synced in at the customer level, and must be moved to the sites, either manually (via the list view or the mailbox management screens), or when running the overbuild.

   • Separate menu items are available for recipient types of mailboxes: User Mailboxes and Shared Mailboxes. If required when a user if off-boarded, the User Mailboxes entry can be converted to a Shared Mailboxes entry. Refer to the additional API operations available for the subscriber’s mailbox ArchiveStatus at Microsoft Subscribers.

5. Choose an action in the list view:

   • To move one or more mailboxes to a different level of the hierarchy, select the relevant checkboxes, then click Move.

   • To export the data of one or more mailboxes, select the relevant checkboxes, then click Export. Choose an export format, and click Export.

   • To delete one or more mailboxes (shared or room mailboxes, or distribution groups only), select the relevant checkboxes, and click Delete.

   • To add a new mailbox (shared or room mailboxes, or distribution groups only), click the toolbar Plus icon. Define a Display Name for the new mailbox. The Mail Name field will automatically be updated with an allowed string value of the Display Name (for example, no spaces).

     Select a Mail Domain. The Primary Email Address using the specified domain is assigned to the new mailbox.

     Click Save. Go to step 6 to update the mailbox permissions and settings.

   • To view or update a mailbox, click in the relevant row to open the mailbox management screen. Go to step 6 to update the mailbox permissions and settings.

6. Update mailbox settings:

   • For all mailbox types, you can:

     • Move the mailbox to another level in the hierarchy.

     • Update the mailbox display name.

     • The Delegation tab allows for the Permissions and Calendar Permissions to be set by selecting a User of the mailbox and assigning Access Rights.

   • For User Mailboxes:

     • The User mailbox tab allows for the Retention Policy and Archive status to be modified.

     • The Email forwarding tab has a dropdown option called Forward all emails to this mailbox that allows for the selection of None, Internal or External (only one option can be set). A chosen internal or external email address entry can then be added if needed, including the setting of a Deliver To Mailbox And Forward checkbox option to check if the email should be sent to both addresses if Internal or External was selected.

     Configuration templates associated the Quick Add Group provides for the setting of default values when adding or removing the subscriber. See: MS Exchange Online User Mailbox Template and MS Exchange Online Convert Mailbox Template under Quick Add Subscriber Groups.

     The available fields are:

     • DisplayName: mailbox display name

     • Permissions

     • CalendarPermissions: users and their access rights can be managed.

     • ForwardingAddress: for the Internal forwarding mailbox address.

     • ForwardingSmtpAddress: for the External forwarding mailbox address.

     • DeliverToMailboxAndForward: additional setting for the Internal forwarding to deliver to both the user mailbox and the forwarding mailbox.

     • AutoReplyState: automatic replies are enabled or disabled.

     • InternalMessage: set internal autoreply message.

     • ExternalAudience: choose None, contact list, all senders

     • ExternalMessage: set external autoreply message.

     • RetentionPolicy: selected policy for mailboxes

     • ArchiveStatus: to enable or disable archiving.

       VOSS Automate contains API operations for mailbox conversion and archiving.

     • Custom attributes (1 to 15)

       Displayed as Extension Attribute items when viewing a user. Note that updating the values in VOSS Automate will result in an error: MS Exchange updates will however reflect on the user display form.

   • For Shared Mailboxes:

     • The Email forwarding tab offers similar settings to the User mailbox, but applied to the shared mailbox.

     • The Automatic replies tab allows you to enable or disable this feature (scheduling not available yet), with options to specify reply messages and audience.

   • Delete is allowed for shared or room mailboxes, or distribution groups only.

   • If this is a room mailbox:

     • Add or update the Location field to define the physical location of the room associated with this mailbox.

     • Add or update the Room Capacity field to define the number of people the room associated with this mailbox holds.

   • If this is a distribution group, add or update owners, add or update members (users with access permissions for sending emails as a selected user, or on behalf of a selected user).

7. Assign or remove permissions:

   • Assign access or calendar permissions to a user. Click the Plus icon at either Permissions or Calendar Permissions (as applicable), select the user, and select the relevant permissions. Repeat this step to assign permissions to additional users.

   • Remove access or calendar permissions from a user. Either uncheck permissions assigned to the user, or remove the user entry from the relevant permissions field (Permissions or Calendar Permissions). Repeat this step to remove permissions from additional users.

   Note

   Calendar permissions are only relevant for user, shared, and room mailboxes. For distribution groups, only mailbox access permissions are relevant.

   When deleting (removing) permissions, note that the Microsoft cloud portal takes a few minutes to process the update, which may cause a delay for the refreshed data to reflect in the Automate GUI.

8. Save your changes.