Question
My users run MS Outlook with GMS Collaboration when in the office and GMS Webmail from home. This is made possible by the fact that both mail clients use the same centralized message store on the GMS server. It would seem that if my users leave their Outlook open after they leave the office, they are unable to access their messages from GMS Webmail.
Why is this and can anything be done?
Answer
This is by design and is by-product of the rigorous file locking system used by GMS to ensure that no mail is ever lost. When a mailbox is in use, GMS creates an exclusive lock to the mailbox thus preventing other applications and often other protocols from accessing the mailbox at the same time.
Since Research In Motion (RIM) have started maintaining a permanent connection to a users mailbox via IMAP IDLE there has been a consequent knock-on effect to some of our customers.
As this was affecting a number of customers and as RIM did not appear to be willing to listen to those customers, Gordano have taken the high ground and made a workaround available to their customers.
For the workaround to prove effective, there has to be zero activity on the socket between the server and the client that has created the lock to the mailbox. This will mean that the client may soon enter into an IDLE state.
At this point, if the server detects any incoming connections from other clients, it will aim to softly disconnect those currently in IDLE state.
(The moment there is activity on the socket, such as new incoming e-mail messages, switching e-mail folders or even an expunge by the mail client will be enough to bring the client out of IDLE).
For more information on this workaround, please see the KB article referenced below.
See Also:
Keywords:webmail outlook open central message store multiple access imap client home office rim blackberry