Anyone installing MS Exchange server?

[schnoid]

My situation is this... I currently sync all my data to outlook (contacts, calendar, memos, tasks, email) as I'm sure many of you do. I'm not sure if there's going to be any official solution for this on the Pre, but I wanted to take a pre-emptive strike on a solution by installing MS exchange. I figured I could at least sync contacts, calendar, tasks and email through that. So apparently I'm an idiot. I start installing it and BAM, it says I need Windows 2003 Server or higher. Since I've never set up an exchange server before I had no idea. Is there any MS Exchange type solution that would work on XP/Vista/2007 that doesn't involve storing all my data on the google servers? I don't want any of my contacts/calendars/tasks/memos stored online anywhere other than my PC at any point in time.

[jbg7474]

Not sure if it fits your needs, but you might check out Zimbra and its open-source alternative. MS Exchange look alike.

[hparsons]

I don't think "another" system would work for you, since it's specifically MS Exchange that the Pre is looking for (I suspect it's ActiveSync, and other solutions likely won't have that).

If you really want to go this route, I'd suggest you get on eBay and look for Small Business Server 2003. It includes Exchange 2003 and 5 cals. You can probably pick up a copy for about $200. Dig out an old PC, and install it there.

I'm still pondering what I want to do. I already have Exchange set up (using SBS 2003), but I've never started using it. I've started looking at it closer. Then I started considering Google Apps ($50 a year is more than I would likely spend on SPAM filtering if I start bring my email to my local server). Plus, I'm still holding out for what I envisioned when I wrote about "bringing the cloude home".

I'm probably going to wait until the Pre is in my hands, sign up for the 30 day trial of Google Apps, and redirect my mail there for a month. Then I'll see if the solution I really want comes out soon.

[showson1]

I use Google for my back end stuff and then Thunderbird for Email, with the Lightning Add-on for calendar.

With the right plugins you can sync your email, calendar and contacts for sure.. not sure about tasks and notes.

I have Google for my backend and all my desktops and my ancient Treo 650 all sync up with that... it's a beautiful thing.

If you want to go the Thunderbird route (oh, it's all free too) you'll need:
Thunderbird
Lightning Add-on (Calendar add-on for Thunderbird)
'Provider for Google Calendar' Add-on (Allows read/write sync with Google Calendar)
Zindus Add-on (for the Contact sync)

HTH

[bubbatex]

Wait - you were going to set up Exchange just to do a local sync? Isn't that a little bit of overkill? Kind of like buying a Cray for a calculator. Why don't you just wait until the Pre comes out and find out what your options are. Go with an Exchange host which is $5-$10/mo and sync everything with your desktop and the phone. Sure your data is sitting somewhere else, but it is pretty darn safe.

BTW - I will not claim to know EVERYTHING about the Pre, but has it been stated for certain you will not be allowed to sync with the desktop?

[wynand32]

Originally Posted by schnoid

My situation is this... I currently sync all my data to outlook (contacts, calendar, memos, tasks, email) as I'm sure many of you do. I'm not sure if there's going to be any official solution for this on the Pre, but I wanted to take a pre-emptive strike on a solution by installing MS exchange. I figured I could at least sync contacts, calendar, tasks and email through that. So apparently I'm an idiot. I start installing it and BAM, it says I need Windows 2003 Server or higher. Since I've never set up an exchange server before I had no idea. Is there any MS Exchange type solution that would work on XP/Vista/2007 that doesn't involve storing all my data on the google servers? I don't want any of my contacts/calendars/tasks/memos stored online anywhere other than my PC at any point in time.

Might be a silly question, but do you have everything else you need for this to work? Like, a static IP (or dynamic DNS) that you can have your mail directed to?

For me, this is way to much hassle, and frankly I trust Google more than I trust my own personal infrastructure.

I do believe, though, that CompanionLink is going to have a local sync solution available at launch. If I were you, I'd wait to see what's out there before going to all this trouble. Sorry if that's unwelcome advice...

[asforme]

Also consider that you may even only be able to sync with your exchange server from your local network. Many residential ISPs block incoming ports and nearly all of them have TOS that prohibits running servers. (if the TOS matters to you).

[hparsons]

Technically, running an email service is a "server" (but then, so is a game that let's players in the next room join you, but I digress), but few ISPs would complain about it. Either you get your email from the mail server outside your system, it comes to your local server. Both ways, the data is getting to your local network.

Many ISPs (including my newest one) block port 25 (SMTP port, the email server port) because there are many malware programs that exploit this, and most people don't need port 25. Typically, you can call them up and have them unblock port 25 for you (that's what I did). That pretty much settles the TOS issue at the same time (if it's a violation that they're worried about, they wonn't unblock it for you).

[schnoid]

Thanks everyone! Wasn't expecting so much info to come at me so fast! Gotta love Treo/PreCentral!

To those that recommended outside solutions, i agree that it might be the easiest way, but I guess I'm just paranoid. I do trust myself with my data much more than some 3rd party company. Maybe it would be best to just pick up an old piece of crap computer and install SBS2003. I realize that might be a really crazy hard solution to an otherwise easy problem, but if that's the only way I can sync with my local data, then it might have to be done. I figure it'll make me much more mobile as well. I won't have to sign into logmein every time I'm on my laptop, and no matter what computer I add/rebuild on my network I won't have to worry about importing all my data. As for static IP addresses, yes, I run a DynSite, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'll check out zimbra as well, thanks for the recommendation jbg7474.

wynand: You do have a very good point about companionlink. Maybe I'm just being dumb and jumping the gun a bit and there really will be a local sync solution on day 1. Unfortunately everything I've read so far states that the data goes from Outlook/Palm desktop->google->Pre. If that's the case, then that just goes back to my issue of storing my data on other servers.

Thanks everyone!

[wynand32]

[QUOTE=schnoid;1595901wynand: You do have a very good point about companionlink. Maybe I'm just being dumb and jumping the gun a bit and there really will be a local sync solution on day 1. Unfortunately everything I've read so far states that the data goes from Outlook/Palm desktop->google->Pre. If that's the case, then that just goes back to my issue of storing my data on other servers.[/QUOTE]

I remember reading something where Companionlink pretty much came out and stated that they'd have a local sync solution. It would make a great deal of sense--you're not alone in your concerns, as far as I can tell.

[asforme]

Exchange is designed to be an Email Server that hosts your email. Now maybe an Exchange Admin can pipe in cause I'm not 100% sure, but I know of no ways to get your exchange server to retrieve email from another public email service, like what you get from your ISP.

[schnoid]

Originally Posted by asforme

Exchange is designed to be an Email Server that hosts your email. Now maybe an Exchange Admin can pipe in cause I'm not 100% sure, but I know of no ways to get your exchange server to retrieve email from another public email service, like what you get from your ISP.

yea, in my mind, i would initially import all my current outlook data to the exchange server, then new email would get downloaded to my exchange server from all my different addresses (gmail, hotmail, domain, etc) and any application that can read exchange server data would be able to pull from that server. Also any updates made from the Pre and outlook to contacts, calendars, etc would sync up across all platforms. I've never setup an exchange server, but I use one at work and this appears to be how it works.

[asforme]

Originally Posted by schnoid

new email would get downloaded to my exchange server from all my different addresses (gmail, hotmail, domain, etc)

This is the part I don't believe is possible. Every exchange server I've dealt with is the email server. I don't know if it can serve as an email client retrieving your email from other services.

[hparsons]

Originally Posted by asforme

This is the part I don't believe is possible. Every exchange server I've dealt with is the email server. I don't know if it can serve as an email client retrieving your email from other services.

I think you are right. Exchange pulls down the corporate email. The Outlook Client pulls down the others.

However, I have to add a caveat:

I'm not an Exchange admin (other than my machine at home, and one very light gig for some doctors a few years back), but I have been a very involved GroupWise admin.

With GroupWise, the client downloads the software from other systems, and then stores it on the server in the GroupWise database (if the administrator allows it).

It could be that Exchange works similarly.

Any Exchange Admins out there want to chime in?

[DougB541]

Here is an idea:

Lifehacker - Set Up Push Email, Contacts, and Calendar on Your iPhone for Free - Contact Management

Thats direction for an iPhone but it'll work for the Pre as well.

[TazUk]

The SBS version of Exchange comes with a POP connector which will download mail from external POP accounts. This is then stored in your Exchange mailbox.

[Eguy]

Everyone pretty much got all the important points... If you want to use exchange on your own computer, it need to have the server OS first and then you can install any version of Exchange on top. It is not really meant to work for anything other than exchange but you could use the POP plugin to setup pop access. It is a lot of work and IMO not worth it if it is just for you and your Pre. Exchange is meant for robust businesses with lots of email accounts. Hope this helps a bit.

[hparsons]

Originally Posted by TazUk

The SBS version of Exchange comes with a POP connector which will download mail from external POP accounts. This is then stored in your Exchange mailbox.

Following TazUK's advice (and walk through, thanks!!!!) I set up my home Exchange server to do POP3. That pretty much gives me a "risk free" attempt at a "home cloud".

If/when the Pre is releaed and get mine, I'll report back on how well it works.

[jbg7474]

Does anyone know how notes (or memos) are synched on the Pre? Calendar, contacts, email and tasks all go through EAS, but I haven't heard anything about memos. I hope they go through EAS as well.

[Gekko]

Originally Posted by jbg7474

Does anyone know how notes (or memos) are synched on the Pre? Calendar, contacts, email and tasks all go through EAS, but I haven't heard anything about memos. I hope they go through EAS as well.

1. MS EAS doesn't support EAS Memo sync.
2. Google Gmail doesn't support Memos.
3. Pre has a Local Memos/Notes App, but we know nothing else. there MAY be a local sync via USB but we don't know. and sync to what? Palm Desktop?

i had 500+ Memos. i went through and -

1. deleted unnecessary Memos.
2. saved some necessary Memos as individual MS Word Files and "Briefcased Copy Synced" to SD Card.
3. saved other necessary Memos by clumping them together into 1 big MS Word File and synced via DTG.

i'm now down to 0 (ZERO) Memos. it was painful, but now i feel liberated and uncluttered.

i also purged Contacts of anything (restaurants, retail, etc.) that could be looked up via Google or Google Maps or Zagat OR does not have a Note with important (retail purchases) records.

Calendar was purged about a year ago.

SO, I THINK i'm all set to embrace the Pre.