When Entourage 2008 is connected to Microsoft Exchange Server, all e-mail messages, contacts, and calendar items are synchronized between the computer running Microsoft Exchange Server and the Microsoft Exchange account in Entourage.
However, not all types of data are synchronized. For example, tasks, notes, and items in the folders On My Computer, including the contacts that were created in the local Address Book, are not synchronized.
Note Personal distribution lists are not supported in Entourage.
Because not all types of data are synchronized with the Exchange server, any complete plan for backing up data must include a provision for backing up the unsynchronized data on users' computers in addition to backing up the Exchange server database. All Entourage database files, including the unsynchronized data, are stored in /Users/username/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2008 Identities/identityName/Database/ for each identity. These Entourage database files can be backed up as part of a procedure that backs up the user's home folder.
Entourage synchronizes messages, events, and contacts when one or more of the following actions occurs:
A Microsoft Exchange account is set up.
Entourage connects to the Exchange server.
A user creates or changes a message, event, or contact on a client computer that is connected to the Exchange server. Entourage waits one minute before it begins synchronization. If the user makes another change, the one-minute countdown starts over. This schedule prevents Entourage from synchronizing too frequently when a user is editing multiple records.
If Entourage is connected to a server (for example the back-end Exchange server) that is sending out User Datagram Protocol (UDP) broadcasts, then messages, events, and contacts are synchronized whenever such a broadcast is received.
If Entourage does not have access to UDP broadcasts (for example, if it is connected to a front-end server that resides outside the corporate network), it scans for remote changes on the server at one-minute intervals.
Contacts that are stored on the Exchange server can be synchronized both with the Entourage Address Book and with Outlook. However, Entourage and Outlook store some kinds of contact information differently, as described in the following table.
Note Microsoft Exchange distribution lists are not supported in Entourage. All Entourage groups contain only local contacts and their e-mail addresses.
Type of contact information | In Entourage | In Outlook (on a Windows-based computer) | Synchronization |
|---|---|---|---|
E-mail address identifiers | Maximum 13 identifiers | Maximum 3 identifiers | The default e-mail address for the Entourage contact is synchronized with the E-mail field in Outlook for the contact. The next two addresses for the Entourage contact are synchronized with the E-mail 2 and E-mail 3 fields in Outlook for the contact. |
Business address identifier | No | Yes | A contact's address that is identified in Outlook as Other address is displayed by Entourage as the Work address. If the Work address is edited in Entourage and the contacts then are synchronized, the address identifier in Outlook changes to Business. |
Phone number types | Two work types: Work, Main | Two work types: Business, Company | Work in Entourage is Business in Outlook. Main in Entourage is Company in Outlook. |
Number of children’s names in one contact | Maximum 10 names | No maximum (delimited list) | If an Outlook contact that lists more than 10 children's names is edited in Entourage, Entourage alphabetizes the list and discards all names after the first 10 names. |
Instant Message (IM) addresses | Maximum 13 addresses | Maximum 1 address | The IM addresses in Entourage are not visible in Outlook; the IM address in Outlook is not visible in Entourage. |
Other fields | Custom Date 1/2, Custom 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8, Interests, Astrology Sign, Furigana, Greeting Cards | Account, Billing Information, Business/Home Address PO Box, Company Yomi, Computer Network Name, Customer ID, FTP Site, Given Yomi, Government ID Number, Internet Free/Busy Address, Language, Location, Organizational ID Number, Mileage, Profession, Referred By, Surname Yomi, User Field 1/2/3/4; Phone Number types: Callback, Car, ISDN, Other, Other Fax, Primary, Radio, Telex, TTY/TDD | The respective fields exist in only in Entourage or only in Outlook. |
Because of differences between Entourage and Outlook, users who work with both Entourage and Outlook may encounter the following situation:
If a user specifies travel time for an item that was created in the Entourage Calendar, this information does not appear in Outlook. For example, if a user schedules a meeting for 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. with a travel time of 15 minutes, the Outlook Calendar displays only the scheduled meeting time and does not include the travel time.
