Suse Linux OpenExchange 4.1 - A Review by Larkin Cunningham that appeared in Linux Magazine

1. OpenExchange 4.1
REVIEWS
A Look at Suse Linux OpenExchange 4.1
A New OpenExchange
T
he groupware solution Suse Linux
OpenExchange 4.0 (SLOX) was
reviewed in this magazine in the
April 2003 issue. A lot has changed
between then and now, and it is worth
revisiting SLOX version 4.1. The imple-
mentation of a WebDAV/XML interface
has enabled connectivity with a range of
personal information management (PIM)
tools and has opened up the document
repository to a range of office application.
And the release of SLOX’s open source
groupware modules under a GPL license
means that everyone can try out SLOX, or
Hannes Keller, www.visipix.com
Open-Xchange to be exact, for free.
In an ever more distributed workforce,
effective collaboration is essential. SLOX
4.1 includes integrated support for
instant messaging and a suite of collabo-
ration tools. Later in this article you will
see how groups of users can collaborate
in real time to discuss ideas and review
It may only be a point release from 4.0 to 4.1, but a lot has been added to
source code even if they are on different
continents.
OpenExchange. Novell’s takeover has given OpenExchange a new impetus.
A Real Alternative to
And now you can download an open source version of Suse’s OpenExchange
Exchange
Since its introduction in November 2002
called Open-Xchange. BY LARKIN CUNNINGHAM
as a new groupware solution and a
replacement for Suse Email Server, Suse
Linux OpenExchange 4 (SLOX) [1] has
only moved from version 4.0 to 4.1, but primarily affects an organization’s IT dars, tasks, and unbound. Unbound fold-
it has come a long way functionally as a department. Changing Outlook, how- ers are simply a way to group other
real alternative to Microsoft’s Exchange ever, is largely a user issue and could folders logically. As with other objects in
Server. require a significant investment in train- SLOX, folders are assigned user and
There is no doubt that Suse has ing users for SLOX’s web-based group permissions. For example, you can
focused its recent efforts on winning groupware and web mail environment. assign read permissions on a folder to a
over users of Microsoft Exchange 5.5 and For many organizations, therefore, it is colleague but deny update and delete
2000. Many of the newer features in simply not practical to get rid of Outlook privileges. Your colleague will automati-
OpenExchange 4.1 address some of the from a logistical or a financial stand- cally see the folder in his list of public
shortcomings of 4.0 when it comes to point. OpenExchange 4.1 addresses this folders and will be able to view, but not
integration with Microsoft Outlook. Out- with Public Folders and iSLOX, a MAPI update, any objects in that folder.
look is almost the de facto standard for extension for Outlook.
The Folder Tree
corporate desktop email clients. The old Public folders not only extend the
saying says, “if you cannot beat them, functionality of the groupware web in- The default setup in SLOX is a root pub-
join them.” And that is certainly Suse’s terface, they also mirror the folder lic folder that contains three folders for
strategy for OpenExchange. implementation of Outlook and calendar, contacts, and jobs. These fold-
Most organizations are slow to change. Exchange. Folders, as with Outlook, can ers are master folders that contain the
Migrating from Microsoft Exchange to contain objects of a specific type. The appointments, contacts, and jobs of all
OpenExchange is largely an IT issue and specific object types are contacts, calen- other folders you create. You can create
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2. OpenExchange 4.1 REVIEWS
many other folders in a hierarchical
structure, each with its own separate
sub-set of appointments, contacts, and
jobs, and all will be viewable in the mas-
ter folders (see Figure 1).
iSLOX is a real time connector for Out-
look and SLOX that gives users all of the
functionality provided by Outlook’s inte-
gration with Exchange. It uses WebDAV /
XML (see below) and Lightweight Direc-
tory Access Protocol (LDAP) to access
your calendars, contacts, and jobs and
synchronize them with Outlook in real
time. When you configure Outlook to use
the SLOX connector, the public folders
that belong to your profile are displayed
automatically.
If you need to work offline for a period
of time, you will need a way to synchro-
nize with SLOX when you reconnect.
oSLOX is a client application that runs in Figure 1: A view of a sample public folder hierarchy in OpenExchange’s groupware web interface.
the background and synchronizes with
SLOX either manually or periodically, vides a set of extensions to the HTTP/1.1 based groupware interface. When you
depending on whether you are offline or protocol that allows the sharing of files make changes to a file in the document
connected to your SLOX server. Your among many users. WebDAV allows for repository using the WebDAV interface, a
public folders are synchronized with exclusive and shared file locking, and new version of the file is added, and
SLOX and are added to your Outlook Per- SLOX’s implementation respects the user SLOX’s version control is maintained.
sonal Folders, which are stored locally. and group permissions that are set in the User and group file permissions set using
This allows you to maintain your con- groupware web-based interface. SLOX are respected. One word of warn-
tacts, appointments, and tasks and Suse have built an interface to its cal- ing though: if you have auto-save
synchronize with SLOX when you are endar, contacts, jobs, and documents enabled in OpenOffice.org, you may end
back online (see Figure 3). that allows third party applications to up with many more versions of your doc-
exchange data with OpenExchange 4.1. ument than you would like.
WebDAV / XML OpenOffice.org supports the WebDAV
Alternatives to Outlook
One of the major improvements to SLOX protocol, and you can edit files in SLOX’s
on Linux
since version 4.0 is the implementation document repository directly. This saves
of a WebDAV/XML [2] interface. Web- time over the previous method of down- To make it possible for organizations to
DAV stands for Web-based Distributed loading a copy locally, editing it, and make the move to the Linux desktop,
Authoring and Versioning, and it pro- then uploading it again using the web- there needs to be a credible alternative to
Figure 2: iSLOX gives you real time synchronization with the calendars, jobs, Figure 3: oSLOX allows to to work offline with your public folders and syn-
and contacts in your public folders. chronize with OpenExchange when you are online.
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3. OpenExchange 4.1
REVIEWS
Outlook. SLOX’s WebDAV/XML interface
has opened up its groupware functional-
ity to a range of Linux applications that
have some or all of the functionality that
Outlook offers. Here is a look at some of
them.
Mozilla Calendar
Mozilla Calendar [3] is available as an
extension to Mozilla Suite, Firefox 0.9+
and Thunderbird 0.7+, and as a stand-
alone application with Mozilla Sunbird.
The Calendar application is a cross-plat-
form, standards-based client based on
the iCal standard and the Mozilla XUL
user interface language. By providing the
URL to your WebDAV calendar, Mozilla
Calendar can browse the appointments
in your personal calendar (see Figure 4).
Existing appointments cannot be Figure 4: Mozilla Calendar allows you to browse your OpenExchange calendar using the WebDAV/XML
updated directly on the SLOX server and interface.
new appointments will not appear on the
SLOX server without the use of a Java cannot access the jobs you created in take the same approach with Evolution
client application available from Netline SLOX. and SLOX.
Internet Service’s SLOX development
Ximian Evolution KDE Kontact
server at http://devel.slox.info/. You will
be required to register with them before Later in this article I discuss the signifi- An alternative that is available right now
you can download the application, but cance of Ximian Evolution [4] in the on the Linux desktop is Kontact [5], part
you will get an idea of how SLOX can be takeover of Suse by Novell. Novell also of the KDE suite of office products. The
customized when you log on to their purchased Ximian, and the Evolution latest version of Kontact, just about to be
SLOX server. product is now known as Novell Evolu- released, is Kontact 1.0 (part of KDEPIM
If you plan to use Thunderbird and tion. Version 2.0 of Evolution is due to be 3.3), and support for SLOX is included.
Mozilla Calendar to manage your released soon and promises full support At the time of this writing, Kontact 1.0
appointments and contacts, you can do for SLOX. This will give the Linux desk- was only available as a release candi-
so. You can access your SLOX contacts top its closest alternative to Outlook on date, but it should be available on
using the LDAP protocol. However, the Windows. And just as Exchange and general release and as part of KDE 3.3 by
tasks you set up in Mozilla Calendar are Outlook are developed with the other the time you read this. If you are unfa-
not synchronized with SLOX and you product in mind, we can expect Novell to miliar with Kontact, you may be familiar
Figure 5: KOrganiser in Kontact 1.0 will allow you manage your OpenEx- Figure 6 : Mindboard lets participants map out concepts.
change appointments and tasks.
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4. OpenExchange 4.1 REVIEWS
Figure 7: The Whiteboard allows you and your colleagues to draw diagrams Figure 8: The shared Notepad allows you to review source code with your
while chatting online. online colleagues.
with KOrganizer (see Figure 5), which is of saving the file to disk, having it sent to the OpenExchange server using ports
at the core of Kontact and is an excellent their email account, or having a link sent 8580 and 8581. If you need to use collab-
PIM with an established open source to their email account. There is a chat orative instant messaging over the
development community. utility where team members can gather Internet, you will need to adjust your
for conversations. Also included is firewall settings to allow traffic in and
Real-time Collaboration Mindboard (see Figure 6), which allows out of these ports on the server and the
One of the biggest problems with a dis- the participants to map out concepts, and clients.
tributed project group is the feeling of Whiteboard, which allows participants to DyCE Instant Messenger is included in
disconnectedness. There is no substitute doodle some diagrams using either free- SLOX with a fully functional, time unlim-
for being able to tap your project co- hand drawing or some predefined shapes ited trial license for five users. This
worker on the shoulder and ask him or and text (see Figure 7). Last is the shared license is provided without support but
her to discuss a concept or review a sec- Notepad (see Figure 8), which allows can be used by a small project team at
tion of source code. And you cannot beat participants to review text, such as no additional cost. For larger project
a good session around a white board source code, and view changes made by teams, go4teams will supply a 10-user
with the rest of your project team, scrib- the owner of the text. Each of the three license with support for 550 Euro. Addi-
bling diagrams and discussing collaborative tools includes the chat util- tional license packs are available for 5,
algorithms. Thankfully, help is at hand ity at the bottom of the screen, which lets 20, 50 and 250 users.
in version 4.1 with an integrated instant the participants discuss concepts, dia-
The Novell Factor
messaging product called DyCE Instant grams, or text in real time.
Messenger [6]. The people at Suse and Inviting participants to join the collab- The recent takeover of Suse by Novell
go4teams got together to integrate DyCE oration is easy. You click on an icon, Corporation has been well publicized.
instant messenger into SLOX’s group- invite your co-workers, and select the Novell, probably best known for its Net-
ware. DyCE instant messenger can be people you want to invite. This pops up Ware product, has been focusing on
used via the web-based groupware front- a dialog on the invitees’ screens (see Fig- Linux in the enterprise. Because Novell
end and through DyCE’s Java client. ure 9) asking them if they wish to accept has been a serious player in the IT indus-
There are six mini-applications that your invitation. If they accept, the col- try for many years, it carries a lot of
form DyCE Instant Messenger. As you laborative tool they have been invited to respect with IT managers. This can only
would expect, there is an instant messag- join will load from the Java client and help with Suse’s credibility in large orga-
ing tool to send text messages to your display the concepts, drawings, chat, or nizations.
co-workers. There is a useful file transfer text being viewed. The DyCE Instant Novell also recently acquired Ximian,
utility that gives the recipient the option Messenger runs as a separate daemon on best known for its Gnome desktop and

5. OpenExchange 4.1
REVIEWS
Evolution personal information manager installation of all components. On the
Figure 9: DyCE
(PIM). It is the acquisition of the Evolu- other hand, if you wish to implement
Instant Mes-
tion product that will be of most interest Open-Xchange, you must configure the
senger
to SLOX users. Evolution is effectively a operating system and groupware sepa-
instantly
clone of Microsoft’s Outlook PIM and rately. This will include configuring the
alerts partici-
has a similar look and feel. Users of Out- web server, email server, and servlet
pants to a
look who are migrated to Evolution will engine, as well as making sure that cer-
meeting.
find the change an easy one to get to tain Perl modules are available and all
grips with. The current release of Evolu- the correct Java libraries are in place.
possible scenario is that both Groupwise
tion comes with a freely available This is not a trivial task and will require
and SLOX are actively developed in a
connector to Microsoft Exchange. The a good deal of Linux knowledge. SLOX,
common direction so that features that
upcoming 2.0 release of Evolution however, takes care of all that with YAST.
are unique to Groupwise are imple-
promises support for SLOX, and this will If you are implementing a groupware
mented in SLOX and features unique to
be a major development for SLOX on the solution in a small or medium organiza-
Groupwise are implemented in SLOX.
Linux desktop. With Evolution 2.0 avail- tion or Linux expertise is at a premium, I
This could lead to a seamless merging of
able on the Linux desktop, the argument would recommend SLOX 4.1. If, how-
the two products over time as users of
that client PC’s must run the Windows ever, you are implementing the solution
both products end up at a single com-
operating system just to be able to run for a small team which has a good deal
mon product. And it makes no sense for
Outlook no longer holds. And that puts of Linux expertise at hand, then Open-
an organization like Novell to be pushing
paid to one of the few remaining excuses Xchange is a good option.
two significantly similar groupware
employed by IT managers reluctant to products. If you have doubts, however,
A Bright Future
migrate users to Linux. the next section on the Open Source
alternative should reassure you as to the With the open source community contin-
Questions long-term future of SLOX. uing development and support for
There are some questions, though, about Open-Xchange, the future of SLOX is
The Open Source Alternative
Novell’s acquisition of Suse. One of them safe. Where SLOX will finally end up is
that is key in the minds of those commit- At the core of Suse’s OpenExchange anybody’s guess. It could become the
ted to SLOX is how the product fits into groupware product lies an open source dominant Linux groupware solution in
the long-term strategy of Novell, espe- heart in the form of Open-Xchange [7]. its own right, or it could be merged with
cially given the existence of a strong Open-Xchange is maintained by Netline Novell’s Groupwise. Either way, corpo-
competitive product, Groupwise, which Internet Services and was recently rate users of SLOX should be safe in the
is also being developed by Novell. In a released under a GNU Public License knowledge that an organization like
recent press release, Novell sought to (GPL) to the open source community. Novell is not going to abandon SLOX’s
reassure SLOX users that the future of Open-Xchange is truly open in the large user base, even if this means merg-
the product was secure. The product sense that it can run on any Linux distri- ing the product with Groupwise.
already has a 5-year support guarantee bution and is not tied to the Suse With support being added to many
from Suse that must be honored. The Enterprise Server platform as SLOX is. freely available PIM’s such as Evolution
press release hinted strongly at a merg- Open-Xchange is a Java-based product and Kontact, the adoption of SLOX on
ing of SLOX with Groupwise. One with some of its security components the Linux desktop can only increase.
written in C. The code can be modified Using Open-Xchange and Evolution 2.0
in accordance with the conditions of the provides a license-free alternative to
INFO
GPL to customize Open-Xchange. You Microsoft’s costly Exchange and Outlook
[1] Suse Linux OpenExchange 4:
can also change the database from Post- combination, something that will cer-
http://www.suse.de/en/business/
greSQL to a compatible database such as tainly interest many IT managers trying
products/openexchange/
Oracle. Open-Xchange can run on any to cut costs. Even using the commercial
[2] WebDAV Resources:
web server with a servlet engine. Some SLOX with Evolution 2.0 will provide sig-
http://www.webdav.org/
of the open source options include nificant financial savings over the
[3] Mozilla Calendar: http://www.mozilla.
Apache 1.3.x with Jserv or Apache 1.3.x Microsoft alternative and should satisfy
org/projects/calendar/
/ 2.x with Jakarta Tomcat. those who demand support guarantees
[4] Novell / Ximian Evolution: http://www.
from a large organization like Novell. ■
So why even bother with the Suse’s
novell.com/products/evolution/
commercial OpenExchange product?
[5] KDE Kontact: http://www.kontact.org/
Larkin Cunningham is one of the
Suse OpenExchange includes Suse Linux
THE AUTHOR
[6] DyCE Instant Messenger for OpenEx- founders of DB Alliance, an Irish com-
Enterprise Server 8, a robust and scal-
change 4.1: http://www.go4teams.com/ pany specializing in Linux and Open
able Linux distribution. Patches for both
content_en/messenger/ Source solutions. He enjoys exploring
the groupware and operating system are
g4t_messenger_slox_main.html the latest open source applications to
downloaded from one location and can
see how they can reduce costs and
[7] Open-Xchange:
be automatically applied. Suse’s excel-
improve efficiency.
http://www.open-xchange.org/
lent YAST installer automates the
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