Improving interoperability for users of calendars in email applications other than Notes®

Compatibility mode, client detection, and domain mapping are features that can significantly improve interoperability between users of Notes® calendars and users of other calendars in your organization. Compatibility mode ensures against data loss in repeating meetings for users of non-Notes email applications who exchange invitations with Notes® users. Client detection and domain mapping allow the Domino® administrator, through the mail policy, to associate email applications with domains in the organization and specify interoperability of calendar features for the applications.

Due to differences in repeating meeting architecture, several of the more complicated repeating meeting actions in Notes® cannot be interpreted by Outlook/Exchange and other non-Notes email applications. To help avoid such cases, Notes® can handle the set of actions allowed on repeating meetings with compatibility mode, client detection, and domain mapping.

By default, the compatibility mode option Some invitees use other mail programs is off and does not appear in meetings. As the Domino® administrator, you can use settings on the Client Detection page of a mail policy to make the option available to the chairperson. When displayed by the mail policy setting Manually control compatibility mode with checkbox, the Some invitees use other mail programs option is available to users when they create meeting entries.

Repeating meeting actions that compatibility mode limits include:

• Rescheduling, updating, or canceling more than one instance of a meeting at a time -- While Outlook/Exchange supports repeating meeting rescheduling generally, it does not support rescheduling multiple instances, which is how Notes® sends out a reschedule of all instances. When in compatibility mode, users must select the Just this instance option in the Change repeating entry dialog box, leaving the Some invitees use other mail programs enabled.
• Custom repeating meetings -- Custom repeating meetings are not allowed in compatibility mode. If custom repeat settings are specified before compatibility mode is enabled, and a user then selects the Some invitees use other mail programs option, the user sees the message You cannot use this option when a custom repeating meeting is specified. The user has the option of canceling the current repeating meeting settings in order to specify new non-custom repeat settings, or saving no changes. In either case, the custom settings are ignored.
• Weekend rules -- Only the default Don't Move weekend rule is allowed on repeating meetings. If weekend rules are specified before compatibility mode is enabled, and a user then selects the Some invitees use other mail programs option, the user sees the message You cannot use this option when weekend rules for a repeating meeting are specified. The user has the option of canceling the current repeating meeting settings in order to specify new repeat settings with no weekend rules, or saving no changes. In either case, the weekend rules settings are ignored.

By using compatibility mode in combination with client detection and domain mapping, you can fine-tune the experience of both Notes® and non-Notes email application users in your organization with repeating meetings. On the Client Detection page of the mail policy, the Compatibility mode setting Detect compatibility mode from attendee addresses works with settings on the Domain Mappings page to associate specific domains with non-Notes email applications. for more information, see the instructions for creating a mail policy settings document.