What's New In 5.2?

Novell Cool Solutions: Feature
By Pamela Ann Pawlowski Kubricky

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Posted: 3 Jun 1999

So, you want to know what's new with GroupWise 5.2. Well, pull up a seat; we've got some scoops for you. First off, we have the complete coolness of WebAccess for HTML 3 & Java. We also have the addition of WorkFlow and Imaging to the GroupWise Client. And then there's the Admin side of the clan....

For Admin folk, the most notable change is that we've moved from 16-bit to 32-bit administration in NWAdmin, which is a mighty fine thing. Also, with our GroupWise Internet Agent (or GWIA [gwee-a], as we so fondly call it here) we've added support for several Internet standards. For example, with GW 5.1 you had support for HTML, HTTP, and TCP/IP standards, which is all nice and good. And of course these standards are still supported. But with 5.2?HONEY?now we're playing with the big kids. Take a gander at our new toys: support for LDAP, POP3, and IMAP4 servers, along with GW Monitor and the Admin Object API?not to mention a new take on the SMTP/MIME gateway (which is so new, in fact, that it's now a part of GWIA and is called the SMTP/MIME agent).

So not to brag or anything (okay, to brag...), GroupWise 5.2 is the first of a new kind of expanded e-mail system to offer intranet-ready collaboration and full functionality right out of the box. If you're still reading this and thinking you want the real skinny on 5.2 goodies, read on, Macduff, and darn'd be him that first cries, ?Hold, enough!? (We're not quite sure what that last sentence means, but we always find altered Shakespeare text inspiring.)

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WebAccess
WebAccess 5. 2 (HTML 3 & Java)
GroupWise WebAccess closes the gap between your intranet and the Internet (which is sort of like closing the gap between your two front teeth, but much cooler). You can now access your GroupWise Universal Mailbox with any HTML 3- or Java-compliant web browser. And once you're in, you'll feel quite at home for several reasons. The first thing you'll probably notice is that the interface looks a lot the same, so you won't have to figure out where everything went. You also might notice that tasks, such as searching for an address or using Busy Search, are quite fast?thanks to some funky little Java applets. But the grooviest part of all is that you'll be able to do many more of the things you're used to doing in your regular GroupWise Mailbox:

- Viewing shared folders
- Viewing workflow assignments
- Viewing your Calendar items from a month or a day view
- Spell-checking (for the Java-enhanced version only)
- Using Busy Search (for the Java-enhanced version only)
- Sending and retrieving e-mail messages, attachments, calendar items, appointments, and tasks
- Searching for and downloading documents
- Selecting multiple names from the Address Book

Wheeww-wee! And to think you can do all this from across the Internet.

However, since everything can't be all sunshine and pansies, here are some things which are available in your regular GW 5.2 Client, but which aren't in the 5.2 release of WebAccess: creating shared folders (although you can view them), creating or managing workflows (although you can view them in your Mailbox), and accessing personal address books (although you can definitely use the system Address Book, as well as type outside addresses in the To box).

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New Treats in the 5.2 Windows Client
WorkFlow
WorkFlow is the fabulous new replacement to the old Routing Slip feature. It lets you electronically route work items to a group of people?either all at once (broadcast) or sequentially?so that they can work on, review, or approve the items you've sent. (FYI: in a sequential workflow, the attached files include changes made by previous recipients.) You can send workflows to anyone in the Address Book?Internet addresses included.

Once you've sent your workflow, each recipient receives a work item from which attached files can be opened or edited. As the workflow progresses, you can use your Mailbox or WorkFlow Central to check the workflow status. The status is updated each time a recipient completes a work item. What you see in the status message is a list of the recipients, their comments, and the dates they completed their work items. When all work items are complete, you receive a workflow report, which displays the results of the workflow. Work items, status messages, and workflow reports are sent as tasks which appear in your Mailbox, Task List, and Calendar.

You can also attach all kinds of things to your workflow: files stored on a local or network drive, stuff from the Internet, documents in your GroupWise Library, and so on. Anything electronic is fair game. And with the new GroupWise Imaging component (see below), you'll even be able to scan in paper stuff, and send it out in a workflow as well.

If you are a power workflow user, and need all kinds of extra bells and whistles, there's an add-on component you'll be able to order called WorkFlow Professional. Although it doesn't ship in the GroupWise 5.2 package like the regular WorkFlow feature; it is designed to add features to what the regular version offers. Which is to say, if you get the professional version, you won't have to migrate from the regular version to the power version; they'll do complementary things and will live happily side-by-side.

WorkFlow Professional lets you create workflows by graphically defining the steps in a process and assigning people to do the work. In fact, WorkFlow Professional gives you graphical everything, and offers niceties like letting recipients update the originator and other trackers about their progress. (So people can let you know they're making headway, even though they aren't quite finished.) Essentially then, what WorkFlow does is allow you to hover over your projects remotely, without driving everyone nuts. If only everything at work could be so slick.

WorkFlow Professional supports the GroupWise 5.2 32-bit Client and GroupWise 5.1/5.2 16-bit Client for Windows 95 and NT. WorkFlow Professional does not support the GW 5.1 32-bit or 16-bit Clients for either platform, although it does supports the GroupWise 4.1a Client for Windows 95. Neither WorkFlow nor WorkFlow Professional support Macintosh or UNIX platforms.

If you want WorkFlow as part of your GroupWise 5.2 Windows 95 or NT Client, select its installation option at the end of the GW 5.2 standard installation.

Imaging
GroupWise Imaging lets you capture and manipulate scanned images and text. Using Imaging, you can retrieve and archive an image, or even extract data into editable text using OCR (optical character recognition), then distribute it to other applications. In addition, images can be annotated, e-mailed, faxed, or printed.

Imaging also lets you leverage GroupWise's e-mail, document management, and WorkFlow features. For example, you could scan documents into Imaging, then store them directly in the GroupWise Library, or route them to users using WorkFlow. And because GW Imaging is based on industry standards, it can handle 90 percent of your image application needs without additional programming.

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Admin Goodies
GroupWise Internet Agent
GroupWise Internet Agent provides GroupWise users with the ability to send and receive Internet e-mail messages and attachments. The 5.2 Internet Agent includes the following new features:

SMTP/MIME Service
Using SMTP/MIME, you can send and receive e-mail with attachments, international character sets, and multi-part messages. In addition, you can also exchange multimedia e-mail with graphics, sound, and video. SMTP/MIME can be run separately from the POP3 server, or you can enable them simultaneously. Also, as a bonus, the performance of the SMTP/MIME agent has been improved. (If only all bonuses were that bold and fancy-free.)

POP3 Service
You can download messages from your GroupWise 5.x post office to a POP3 client application such as a web browser like Netscape Mail. Internet Agent acts as the POP3 server, providing a TCP connection between the user's GroupWise 5.x post office and a POP3 client. Accessing the GroupWise 5.x post office via Internet Agent's POP3 server capability, you can retrieve your e-mail messages and manage them through Userid login options.

Support for LDAP
GroupWise Internet Agent supports the open, evolving standards of the Internet, including LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol). You can now query the Address Book via an open LDAP client. Big FYI here: GroupWise doesn't include native LDAP support, but happily you do have the option of adding on a third-party LDAP browser, which are as numerous as rabbits out on the Net. (Okay, maybe not that numerous, but still, there's quite a few.)

Support for IMAP4
If your web browser e-mail supports the IMAP4 (Internet Message Access Protocol) standard, such as the new Netscape Communicator Mail, Internet Agent supports it as well. The advantage of IMAP4 messaging over POP3 messaging is that POP3 is strictly a download function, but IMAP4 allows you to access the actual messages and edit the content. With IMAP4 you are manipulating the actual GroupWise message store, and not just a downloaded copy of the message which is what you get with POP3.

SMTP Dial-Up Service
Internet Agent adds the functionality of an SMTP dial-up feature. This can be useful when your system does not meet the requirements of a dedicated Internet connection, or when you prefer not to have a permanent Internet connection. With the SMTP dial-up feature, you can periodically check the message store without having to maintain a permanent link. The Internet Agent can use Novell's MPR (Multiple Protocol Router) when running on IntranetWare and uses NT Dial-up Networking when running on NT.

Multiple Threading
For NLM and NT fans, multiple threading allows more than one send or receive process to be running concurrently. You can configure the number of threads to enhance the speed and performance of the Internet Agent. However, increasing the number of threads also uses more computer resources like memory and CPU time. The number of thread switches are set separately for the SMTP/MIME service and the POP3 service.

Access Control
GroupWise administrators can now control message sizes as well as who can receive and send messages through Internet Agent. You can use the Access Control security feature to help you reduce costs and provide added security by preventing users from accessing the Internet Agent. For example, you can use the security feature to handle spamming problems.

Ability to Act as a Smart Host
Internet Agent can function as an SMTP mail hub or use a smart host to resend messages it receives that should go to another host.

NWAdmin Support for Windows 95 & NT
If you're a network administrator, the 32-bit NWAdmin (NetWare Administrator) for Windows 95 and NT is a snap-in utility that funnels your duties down to a single point of administration from which you can manage not only GroupWise 5.2, but your network as well.

GroupWise Monitor
GroupWise Monitor allows administrators to see the health of the GroupWise system at a glance. The program is designed to run continuously and provide basic statistical information. Using SNMP, Monitor gathers information about GroupWise agents such as an agent's uptime, number of errors and number of messages processed. GroupWise Monitor integrates with ManageWise so that events triggered by GroupWise agents within Monitor can be forwarded to the ManageWise console. So now you can rest way easy about your network performance.

Admin Object API
The Admin Object API (application programming interface) provides a 32-bit .DLL which lets systems integrators and third-party developers integrate their applications with GroupWise. You can use the Admin Object API through any programming environment which supports OLE Automation, such as Visual Basic, Delphi and C++. The Admin Object API is a complement to the Object API on the Client side.

UNIX Agents
All GroupWise agents (POA, MTA, ADA) were updated with the GroupWise 5.2 release and are now more solid.

UNIX agents are now available for GW 5.2 on the following platforms:
- HP 9000 700/800 HPUX 10.20
- IBM RS/6000 Power/PowerPC 601/604
- IBM RS/6000 AIX 4.1x
- Sun SPARC Solaris 2.5 with recommended patch bundle

NLM agents run on :
- NetWare 3.12
- NetWare 4.x

NT agents run on:
- Windows NT 3.51
- Windows NT 4.0

On all UNIX platforms, the UNIX agents also require Motif 2.4 (Common Desktop Environment 1.0.1). An update to the 5.2 agents, which will be available on the Web soon, will allow the UNIX agents to run without a user interface. However, for full agent functionality, Motif must still be used.

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Other Clients
Macintosh Client
Some of the newer treats in the Macintosh Client include: document management, personal address books, shared folders, and support for Client/Server access mode. Also, you can launch embedded urls from e-mail messages (via InternetConfig which is a third-party add-on [freeware] included with GroupWise). And for Conversation Place users with AT&T switches, an AT&T extension is included to facilitate caller ID.

For those half-empty-glass people, here are a few things that are not available in the 5.2 Mac Client: support for LDAP (no Mac MAPI), Franklin planner printing, Find Results Folders, and updated INSO viewers.

UNIX Clients
Additional 5.2 features for the UNIX Clients include a personal address book, support of Client/Server mode, and cross post office proxy support. For the cost of shipping and handling you can order a CD that includes the UNIX Clients.

Supported UNIX Client flavors:
- HP 9000 700/800 HPUX 10.20
- IBM RS/6000 Power/PowerPC 601/604
- IBM RS/6000 AIX 4.1.x
- Sun SPARC Solaris 2.5 with recommended patch bundle
- Motif 2.4 (Common Desktop Environment 1.0.1)

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