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Let us dive a bit deeper into the technical components of the Nextcloud Exchange Connector and how it works. This article provides an overview of these crucial technical aspects in a way that can be easily understood by both technical and non-technical readers.

What to Expect

  • Technical overview of the Nextcloud Exchange Connector and its integration frameworks.
  • Explanation of synchronization services and their role in maintaining data accuracy.
  • Insights into the new Sendent Nextcloud app and its considerations for integration with Exchange/365.
  • Comparison with the CalDav/CardDav synchronizer to highlight the advantages of the Exchange Connector.
  • Details about user-friendly features and seamless collaboration experiences.
  • A glimpse into the scalability and control provided by the Sync-Service’s synchronization mechanism.
  • Clear explanations of information storage approaches in both Exchange/365 and Nextcloud environments.

Synchronization Tokens: Tracking Changes with Precision

When it comes to synchronization, we employ a two-step approach for optimal efficiency and accuracy. Firstly, we initiate synchronization by syncing all content within a user-configurable time range. For example, we can start by synchronizing data from the previous month and continue syncing for the next six months. This initial synchronization ensures that all relevant content is up-to-date and consistent across systems.

Once this initial synchronization is completed, we transition to utilizing synchronization tokens, as previously described. These tokens serve as indispensable tools in the synchronization process, enabling applications to track modifications made to data meticulously. By leveraging synchronization tokens, you can maintain a detailed record of updates, deletions, and additions, ensuring data integrity and facilitating seamless synchronization.

Information Storage in Exchange/365 and Nextcloud (Sabre)

Exchange/365 and Nextcloud (Sabre) employ distinct approaches to information storage. In Exchange/365, user mailboxes serve as the central repositories for storing essential data, and the EWS (Exchange Web Services) facilitate this storage while ensuring backward compatibility with existing systems and processes.

Nextcloud, on the other hand, relies on the underwater sabre framework (https://sabre.io) for its information storage needs. Sabre is a comprehensive framework that offers services such as WebDAV, CalDAV, and CardDAV, providing a robust foundation for Nextcloud’s data storage and synchronization capabilities.

These protocols enable seamless synchronization and integration of files, calendars, and contacts, ensuring smooth data management across platforms. With Exchange/365’s mailbox-centric approach and Nextcloud’s robust Sabre framework, sysadmins can achieve efficient data synchronization and integration, promoting seamless collaboration among users.

Sendent Nextcloud App

Designed specifically for Nextcloud, the new Sendent app simplifies collaboration for sysadmins. Notable features include:

  • User Retrieval: The app retrieves all users associated with a Nextcloud group, streamlining collaboration efforts by targeting specific users effectively.
  • App Token Generation: Each user is assigned a unique app token, serving as secure authentication credentials. This enables seamless and secure access to the app’s features, ensuring data confidentiality.
  • Connection to Sync-Service: The Nextcloud app establishes a reliable connection to the Sync-service, enabling seamless synchronization and integration between Nextcloud and external systems. This ensures a centralized and cohesive collaboration experience.

Sync-Service: Scalable Synchronization Mechanism

The Sync-service, responsible for synchronization mechanisms, adopts a docker hosting architecture. This architecture empowers IT admins to run the synchronization process within their own network infrastructure, providing scalability and control. Docker’s containerization technology ensures efficient resource utilization and simplifies deployment, enabling seamless synchronization across systems.

User Data and Synchronization Tokens: Ensuring Data Integrity

The Sync-service securely stores Nextcloud log-in credentials, utilizing the username and application token (app token) combination for secure and accurate synchronization. Additionally, synchronization tokens are stored, enabling precise tracking of changes and modifications within the synchronization system. As a sysadmin, this ensures data integrity and allows you to troubleshoot any synchronization issues effectively.

Integration with Exchange/365: Meeting Requirements

To facilitate synchronization with Exchange/365, the Sync-service requires an Azure AD environment. App registrations grant the synchronization service access to users’ mailboxes. Integration is achieved through the ‘Exchange Web Services,’ which utilizes the SOAP API, ensuring compatibility with both on-premises and cloud Exchange mailboxes. Note that the newer ‘Graph API’ is not supported for non-hybrid and/or cloud Exchange mailboxes.

How is this different from the CalDav/CardDav synchronizer?

You might be curious why we developed this new product when there is already a solution available to sync calendars and contacts between Outlook and Nextcloud. While the CalDAV/CardDAV synchronizer is indeed an impressive product, it does have certain limitations, particularly when used within organizations involving multiple users.

The CalDAV synchronizer operates as an Outlook plugin, meaning the synchronization process relies on the client (Outlook) actively running. This requirement applies to each individual user, creating potential complexities.

In contrast, the Nextcloud Exchange Connector functions as a background service, operating independently of whether Outlook is running or not. This advantageous feature allows our product to seamlessly work with Mac OS X users, as well as those using mobile or web platforms. Unlike the CalDAV synchronizer, which is limited to Microsoft Windows only.

By addressing these limitations, the Exchange Connector provides a more versatile and accessible solution, ensuring efficient data synchronization and collaboration across various platforms.

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