Configuring the MS Exchange Extension with a hosted third-party provider

SECURITY  Security level with Admin permission to configure Microsoft Extensions. Refer to Admin security settings.

NAVIGATION   > Admin > Extensions & Integrations > Microsoft Extensions > MS Exchange

This topic covers the configuration of the integration between Autotask and MS Exchange when you use a hosted third-party provider, rather than your own Microsoft Office 365 environment or an Exchange server on-premises. For other configurations, refer to How to set up the MS Exchange Extension.

If you use a hosted solution for MS Exchange, the required configuration settings for the Autotask MS Exchange Extension are in the hands of your service provider. The successful configuration of the extension is largely dependent on the information and access your provider is willing to give you. Customers have been successful with the following hosted providers:

  • AppRiver: This provider has an Admin page that contains all the information you will need for configuring the MS Exchange Extension.
  • 123 Together
  • Exchange My Mail

NOTE   If your service provider does not appear on this list, this does not mean you won't be successful with the MS Exchange Extension. It just means we have not yet heard about a proven success.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN  When setting up the integration between Autotask and MS Exchange and using Microsoft Office 365, multi-factor authentication is required. You can use either Exchange Web Services (EWS) or Microsoft Graph to provide the authentication. EWS is a legacy API that requires general permissions. Microsoft Graph requires more granular permissions. You will select the authentication method when you register the app in Microsoft Entra ID or Microsoft Azure AD. For more information on this process, refer to Creating the Exchange app registration in Microsoft Entra ID or Azure AD.

NOTE  The Autotask MS Exchange Extension does not support 3rd party single sign-on for on-premise or hosted Exchange.

To set up the MS Exchange Extension when you use a third-party hosted version of Microsoft Office 365, complete the following steps:

  1. When your exchange server is hosted by a third party, you must gather the required information from your service provider. Refer to Getting required information from hosted MS Exchange service providers.

  2. Create an app registration in Microsoft Azure AD or Microsoft Entra ID to set up multi-factor authentication. Refer to Creating the Exchange app registration in Microsoft Entra ID or Azure AD.

  3. Complete the MS Exchange Extension Configuration page. To open the page, use the path(s) in the Security and navigation section above.

  4. Populate all required fields as described below.
  5. Click Save when you are done.

How to . . .

On this tab, you enable the MS Exchange extension, enter server details and synchronization credentials, and determine who will receive error notifications.

The MS Exchange Server configuration settings are checked using the Synchronization Credentials settings, and you receive a confirmation message if the configuration settings work, or an error message if they fail. Items that cannot be validated will show a warning icon.

NOTE  If you made changes to the Version, Exchange Server Address, Exchange Server Virtual Directory, or Domain, all items will be re-synchronized automatically when you save the change. If synchronization is occurring when you are trying to save new settings, you will receive an error message and will need to try again when the current synchronization is complete.

Check box Description

Enable MS Exchange Integration

This check box is selected by default. Synchronization will begin as soon as you successfully save the integration settings. If you would like to configure your settings and turn the extension on at a later time, clear this check box before you begin.

When your MS Exchange service is hosted by a third-party, populate the Server Details section as follows:

Field Name Description
Profile Name* Enter any profile name that works for you.
Our Exchange server is hosted by a third party Select this check box. When you select the check box, the Relative Path field on the Synchronization tab will appear.
Exchange Server Address* Enter the server address of your hosted MS Exchange server. This information will come from your service provider. Refer to Getting required information from hosted MS Exchange service providers.

Do not use the server IP address in this field!
Exchange Server Virtual Directory Depends on the configuration of your Exchange server. This information will come from your service provider. Refer to Getting required information from hosted MS Exchange service providers.
Use MS Graph Customers who are transitioning from EWS to MS Graph can use this check box to indicate when they are ready to cut over to the Graph connection.
  • When the box is cleared, your Autotask instance will use the EWS API
  • When the box is selected, your Autotask instance will use the MS Graph API
Request Synchronization every* Enter the synchronization interval, in minutes. The interval must be at least 10 minutes, but note that the actual synchronization time may be longer, depending on other items queued up at the MS Exchange Server.

If you receive an error: "We are unable to save your changes at this time because there is a sync in progress, please try later," increase the Request Synchronization every interval to at least an hour to ensure that the new sync will not begin before the previous one has ended. Once the sync has completed, save your changes and optionally adjust the time back.

To complete this section, you must have already registered the app in Microsoft Azure AD or Microsoft Entra ID. For more information on this process, refer to Creating the Exchange app registration in Microsoft Entra ID or Azure AD.

After you have registered the app, populate or edit the Synchronization Credentials section on the General tab as follows:

Field Office 365

Use On-premises Setup (Basic Authentication)

 Do not select this check box.

Email (for testing purposes)

 Enter the email address of an active Azure user with a mailbox. Navigate to Azure Active Directory > Users and copy the email address of a Member user.
Client ID Open the app registration page for your Autotask MS Exchange Extension app and copy the Application (client) ID into the field.

Secret

 Click Edit and paste the Client secret value you created for use with the Exchange extension into this field.

NOTE  Once configured, this field value is both encrypted at rest, and obfuscated in Autotask. The value can be edited, but not viewed.
Tenant Open the app registration page for your Autotask MS Exchange Extension app and copy the Directory (tenant) ID into the field.
Field Description
Send email notifications Enter the email addresses of the person or people who should receive notification if the MS Exchange Extension encounters problems or errors (for example, if the MS Exchange Server goes down and synchronization is not able to run). Separate email addresses with a semi-colon.

The Synchronization tab allows you to configure the types of calendar items that will be exported to and from MS Exchange, and the default number of past and future days to synchronize events for.

Field Description
Allow Appointments Select this check box to export Autotask appointments to MS Exchange. If selected, your users will see their Autotask appointments in Microsoft Outlook or another email client or calendar application your organization Your Autotask instance may be configured to use one of the following terms instead: Account, Business Unit, Client Company, Customer, Site. is using.

If this check box is NOT selected, the Synchronize Autotask Appointments to Exchange check box on the user profile page will be disabled.
Allow Contacts where resource is account manager or opportunity owner If this box is selected, Autotask contacts for which the user is the account manager or opportunity owner will be transferred to Exchange and its client applications.

IMPORTANT  If you are also using the Autotask MS Outlook Extension while the MS Exchange Extension is enabled and you select this check box, you will not be able to sync contacts using the Outlook Extension. In order to use the Outlook Extension to sync all contacts, clear this check box.
Allow Service Calls Select this check box to export the user's Service Calls from Autotask to MS Exchange.
Allow To-Dos Select this check box to import/export to-dos assigned to you from Autotask to MS Exchange.
Create public folder of ALL Autotask contacts (only if using EWS)
 Select this check box to create a public folder on your MS Exchange server, populated with all Autotask contacts.

IMPORTANT  This folder will be available to all MS Exchange users, not just the ones who will be using the Autotask integration. Before you select this option, think about the security implications. If selected, any Exchange user can download your all contact data to their PC.
Relative Path (only if using EWS and Hosted)

NOTE  This field is only visible if the check box Our Exchange Server is Hosted by a Third Party is selected on the General tab and you selected the Create public folder of ALL Autotask contacts check box.

If your service provider will allow Autotask to create a public contact folder under the top level public folder, this field can be left blank. If they prefer a different location, they can create the folder there and provide you with the relative path here.
Field Description
Appointments with ALL detail information Select this option to import appointments from MS Exchange with all text and participant information included.
Appointments with no detail information Select this option to import appointments, but with only the appointment start and end times.
Do not import Exchange appointments Select this option if you do not want to import any appointments from MS Exchange.

NOTE   If this check box is selected, the Synchronize Exchange Appointments to Autotask check box on the user profile page will be disabled.

Send "free time" appointments to Autotask (if cleared, "free time" appointments will not be sent)

 

 This check box is disabled if the Do not import Exchange appointments radio button is selected.

By default, MS Exchange or Outlook appointments where time is shown as "Free Time" are still synced to Autotask and block time on the user's calendar. Clear this setting to prevent synchronization of free time appointments.

NOTE  Free time appointments do not count towards resource availability and resource productivity.

NOTE  You must also disable the ability to send "free time" appointments in the Microsoft Outlook Extension if you disable this setting. Refer to Configuring the Outlook extension.
Field Description
Past calendar items Enter the default number of days the integration should go back to look for data to synchronize. The minimum value in this field is "1" and the maximum is "30."
Recurring calendar items Enter the default number of days in the future the MS Exchange Extension should look for recurring calendar items to synchronize. The minimum value in this field is "1" and the maximum is "30."

The Resources tab lists all Autotask users in your Autotask instance. On this tab, you can enable the extension for one or more users, view the date and time of each resource's most recent synchronization attempt, and open a page similar to the MS Exchange tab on the Profile page of any resource to configure their user profile.

NOTE  The users for whom the Exchange extension is enabled do not have to synchronize their calendar items and contacts. On their Profile page, they have complete control over this feature. They can disable settings, or they can selectively enable the items they want to synchronize.

To turn on the MS Exchange Extension for one or multiple users, do the following:

  1. Select the check box in the header row to select all resources, or select individual users.
  2. Click Save.
  3. Optionally. configure individual users' synchronization settings by clicking the time stamp or N/A link in the Last Attempted Synchronization column. Refer to Configuring user profiles for MS Exchange.

All newly enabled resources are sent a confirmation email with instructions on how to customize the MS Exchange synchronization settings on their Profile page.

Data synchronization is not automatic; it must be explicitly enabled and configured for each user. The configuration can be done by the user, or by the administrator.

Administrators:

  1. Go to > Admin > Extensions & Integrations > Microsoft Extensions > MS Exchange > Resources tab.
  2. Locate the resource whose profile you want to configure.
  3. To the open User Profile Advanced Settings page, click on the date and time link in the Last Attempted Synchronization column.
  4. Complete the fields on the tab. Refer to The MS Exchange tab.

Users:

NAVIGATION  My > Miscellaneous > Profile

  1. Select Miscellaneous > Profile.
  2. Click the MS Exchange tab.
  3. Complete the fields on the tab. Refer to The MS Exchange tab.