When Entourage 2008 connects to the server running Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, all e-mail messages, contacts, and calendar items are synchronized between the Exchange server and the Microsoft Exchange account in Entourage. Microsoft Entourage 2008 for Mac, Web Services Edition, when it is connected to the Exchange server, synchronizes all these items in addition to tasks, notes, and categories.
However, Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition, does not synchronize notes, tasks, or categories for public folders or for shared, delegated folders. Also, items in the folders under On My Computer, including the contacts that were created in the local Address Book, are not synchronized. 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.
Users cannot use personal and Exchange Server distribution lists in Entourage. All Entourage groups are local and are not synchronized.
After the user's Exchange Server account is set up, Entourage connects with the Exchange Server through the Client Access server to access the user's mailbox server. Entourage synchronizes messages, events, contacts, tasks, notes, and categories when one or more of the following actions occur:
An Exchange Server account is set up.
Entourage connects to the Exchange server.
A user creates or changes an Exchange Server item on a client computer that is connected to the Exchange server. Entourage waits one minute before it begins synchronization.
The following steps occur when Entourage synchronizes a folder:
Entourage identifies changes to the local data and on the Exchange server since the last sync.
Entourage reflects the server changes locally by downloading new or updated items. Also, it locally deletes any remotely deleted items.
Entourage pushes the local changes to the Exchange server by creating, updating, or deleting remote items.
NoteAll synchronization happens per folder. Entourage communicates with the Exchange server for changes every minute and can synchronize up to four folders at the same time. Entourage will push changes to a folder one minute after the first change was made. Entourage synchronizes the Sent messages immediately with the Exchange server. Also, certain public folder actions, such as creating an item or changing the public folder, are synchronized immediately.
