[WinPartners] Problems with Oracle Connector for Outlook (OCFO)

[Eduardo Gonzalez]

If anybody in the winpartners group is having similar problems with the Oracle Connector, please share...

Bryant,

Sorry to bother you, but I just don't know who to turn to for help with Oracle Connector. I'm not even sure how valuable it will be for me to go talk to you tomorrow, knowing that the session you are having is to guide users through the convoluted installation process. I just don't want to sit for the entire session, especially because I'm contemplating uninstalling the Connector. I've been in touch with the Help Desk about other things (problems with list of contacts not showing up when I hit "To:" button in a compose message window), but I couldn't reach an "Oracle Connector" expert. If such a person exists, I'd like to get their name so we can work together.

One particularly frustrating thing is that the performance of my email has suffered dramatically. For example, when I hit "Delete" to delete a message, the programs often hangs (maybe 50% of the time). It will take anywhere from 5 to 30 seconds for the message to go away. Also, when I'm writing new emails, sometimes the program will just hang for 10 seconds or so. So far Outlook hasn't crashed, but these mysterious pauses are annoying and time-consuming.

The Connector is not handling my Rules correctly. I filter emails from different people so they go into different folders. Before installing the Connector, things worked perfectly. My email would get downloaded to the inbox, and then Outlook would process these and if any of them met the criteria set in any given Rule, it would cross it out and gray it out in the Inbox, and put a copy of it in the corresponding folder. Now, Outlook is erratic in how it handles the filtering. For example, messages that should be filtered will sometimes sit in the Inbox. Sometimes, after a few seconds, they do make it to the correct place.

The other different thing I'm seeing is how I'm notified of new messages after they get filtered. This is a big impact as today, for example, I failed to see an important email from my boss. Before installing the Connector, after filtering messages Outlook would display the folder's name with new emails in BOLD letters and also in parenthesis it would give me the number of new messages in blue. After installing the Connector, these notifying mechanisms are not happening. For example, my folders will just display in plain non-bold text, and I don't get a number telling me if I have new messages.

Other confusing things: previously, emails that were deleted got crossed out and greyed out, but would stay in the inbox or corresponding folder. Now, when I delete a message it does go away, but it gets copied onto a Deleted Items folder.

Its very clear from the IS&T instructions that we are to follow the long installation instructions carefully and precisely. I did so, but the one thing that is non-default in my situation is that Office 2003, Oracle Calendar 9.0.4, and the Oracle Connector for Outlook are all installed in my F: partition (same disk). I do this so my C: drive doesn't fill up. I had been running Outlook and the Calendar (without the Connector) for six months or so without problems, none of the performance problems I described above. Anyway.. That's the only thing that deviates from the instructions I read.

Do you think uninstalling the Connector will mess up things more? I'm not sure if it will mess Outlook profiles or some other thing.

Eduardo

-----Original Message-----
From: itpartners-bounces at MIT.EDU [mailto:itpartners-bounces at MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Bryant C. Vernon
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 2:56 PM
To: itpartners at mit.edu; winpartners at mit.edu
Subject: Oracle Connector for Outlook (OCFO) and Time Management Clinic

Good Afternoon,

Wouldn't it be nice if you could simply drag this message into your TechTime calendar and have it create an appointment with the same subject line as this e-mail's? With OCFO, you can. And this functionality is just the beginning.

Join me this Friday, January 14, from 2-3:30pm in the N42 Demo Center, as I lead users through installing OCFO and show them how they can use OCFO to simplify time management. At this clinic you will learn how to: install OCFO properly; create tasks, meetings, and contacts from your e-mail; synchronize your Smartphone or Pocket PC with your TechTime calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes; create and use categories; schedule recurring meetings; view other's calendars; find all your e-mails flagged for follow up, regardless of their location in your IMAP folders; and so much more.

At the clinic, I will distribute handouts containing installation instructions and easy to follow examples.

In order to be as efficient and effective as possible, please perform the following tasks -before- the clinic:

-obtain valid personal certificates (https://ca.mit.edu/ & http://web.mit.edu/is/topics/certificates/)
-register your laptop and wireless card for DHCP (http://web.mit.edu/ist/services/network/dhcp/dhcp.html)
-completely uninstall OCFO from your computers if you installed it but failed to get it working properly
-activate your TechTime account (http://calendar.mit.edu/register)
-ensure that you have a fully functional installation of Microsoft Outlook Professional 2003 (please contact your department's software liaison to see whether you need to purchase a copy; if you do, then please visit GovConnection and obtain a Select Agreement copy of Office 2003. Don't forget to purchase installation media as well as the license if you don't have a copy of the media: http://web.mit.edu/ecat/govconnection/

GovConnection # / Item Title / Price
-----
462225 Office 2003 Standard License Only (Does not include installation CD)  $45.24
---
461895 Office 2003 Professional License Only (Does not include installation CD)
$54.19
---
461895 Office 2003 Standard Media Only (Installation CD)
$22.47
---
463853 Office 2003 Professional Media Only (Installation CD)
$22.47
---

Please RSVP to me (bcvernon at mit.edu) if you plan to attend.

I look forward to seeing everyone!

Best Wishes,
Bryant

----------------
Bryant C. Vernon
Product Release Coordinator - Software Release Team
Information Services and Technology (IS&T)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Room W92-147
Cambridge, MA 02139
t: 617-253-5103
f: 617-258-8736
m: bcvernon at mit.edu