Hit the Road
Novell Cool Solutions: Tip
By Anne Fritz
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Posted: 1 Jun 1999 |
Whether you're a high-powered honcho on a business trip to clinch that bazillion-dollar deal, or a low-lying underling with a deadline and a framed picture of Pepto Bismol on your desk, if you work away from your corporate office, you need to stay in touch. (Although if you had your druthers, you'd get away from it all and have your paycheck sent to the Bahamas!)
This is where your Remote Mailbox comes into the picture; a solution among many from GroupWise that keeps you savvy and well-connected. (Watch for future articles about other GroupWise solutions.) A Remote Mailbox is a copy of the Mailbox you have in your corporate office, what we call the Master Mailbox. Having a Remote Mailbox means you can still send and receive messages, documents, phone mail, faxes, and other important stuff even when you're away from the bustle (or humdrum) of the office. This way, you won't miss a beat.
If you're the road warrior type whose job it is to pound the pavement and mingle with the jet set, you can set up a Remote Mailbox on your laptop computer. Or, if you telework, the Remote Mailbox can sit right there on the desktop computer that your progressive company gave you so you can slave away at home. (At least, you don't have to get dressed!) Either way, make sure that GroupWise is installed on your computer so you can use your Remote Mailbox.
Packing
for
the
Road
You
like
getting
there.
But
let's
face
it.
Packing
for
a
trip
is
a
pain?whether
the
trip
takes
you
across
the
globe
to
meet
important
clients
or
across
town
to
your
work
space
at
home.
Since you have all the regular business grind to contend with, we thought you deserve your personal GroupWise butler to whiz through your electronic packing. After all, packing your e-stuff shouldn't be as hard as deciding how much to lug along before they send you by freight instead of plane. And if you forget anything, your e-stuff is only clicks away.
Introducing your personal GroupWise butler?Hit the Road. Sexy sounding and much better than Archibald, don't you think? So, what does Hit the Road do to earn its keep? Well first of all, Hit the Road sets up your Remote Mailbox. And if you want it to, Hit the Road also copies your e-mail, addresses, documents, files, and all that e-stuff to your Remote Mailbox; everything you need to accomplish your mission with chop-chop gusto.
To use your Remote Mailbox, GroupWise must be installed on your laptop or home computer. You will also need a password for your Master Mailbox. Make sure you have the password before leaving your office. Otherwise, you may have to call your system administrator (you know, the geek who lives in the basement and thrives on pizza and coffee) to set one up for you?and he or she may not be in a good mood.
To
Create
a
Password
for
Your
Mailbox,
do
this:
1.
In
the
Main
Window,
click
Tools,
Options.
2.
Double-click
Security,
then
click
the
Password
tab.
3.
In
the
New
Password
box,
type
the
password.
4.
In
the
Confirm
New
Password
box,
type
the
password
again,
click
OK,
then
click
Close.
Now back to the business of creating your Remote Mailbox. Run GroupWise in your office, click Tools, then click Hit the Road to wake up your e-butler. To make sure you're the rightful Mailbox owner, you're asked for the Master Mailbox password. Now you can tell Hit the Road to create your Remote Mailbox on the docked laptop you are currently running GroupWise on, or you can tell Hit the Road to create a setup diskette for another computer, such as a home computer.
If you're setting up your Remote Mailbox on a docked laptop, you're also asked to select the items you want to take with you. We tend to bring our whole wardrobe along on a trip, but end up wearing only half the things we bring. So take it easy and select only the stuff you need, especially if disk space is limited. But if you're lucky and have a muscle machine with lots of disk space, then go ahead, get all the e-stuff you think you'll ever need (since it's faster to do it from the office than when you're on the road). Then, you're all set to go!
If you're setting up a home computer (that is, if you selected Another Machine when running Hit the Road), stick in the diskette that Hit the Road created for you, then run SETUP.EXE to copy your Remote Mailbox files to your home computer. Now you can send and retrieve your e-stuff and start slaving away!
For those who don't have the luxury of a personal laptop and have to share one with other users, we empathize with you! (Those muffin crumbs in the keyboard can get pretty gross.) Meanwhile, here's a solution to tide you through the lean times?multiple Remote Mailboxes residing on a single computer. When running Hit the Road to set up each user's Remote Mailbox, create a separate folder for each user. In addition, everyone should log in to Windows on the shared computer with a unique username. GroupWise will remember the path of each user's Remote Mailbox when he or she logs in to Windows.
Isn't it comforting to know that your business information is only a call and a few clicks away? Bon voyage!
Ways
to
Connect
There
are
as
many
ways
to
connect
to
your
Master
Mailbox
as
there
are
roads
that
lead
to
Rome?sort
of.
The
three
ways
you
can
connect
to
your
Master
Mailbox
are
through
modem,
TCP/IP,
and
network
connections.
Connections
are
sort
of
like
maps
your
Remote
Mailbox
uses
to
reach
the
Master
Mailbox.
When Hit the Road sets up your Remote Mailbox, your intelligent e-butler also looks at how you're currently running GroupWise and uses that information to create the connections you can use to send and retrieve your e-stuff. (Imagine the twists Agatha Christie could have created if she had an e-butler!)
For example, if you run GroupWise with a drive mapping, then run Hit the Road, it creates a network connection for your Remote Mailbox. Or, if you're running GroupWise in client/server mode, Hit the Road creates a TCP/IP connection for your Remote Mailbox. In addition, Hit the Road also creates modem connections for all asynchronous gateways detected in your master GroupWise system. Read on to find out which connection works best for your situation.
Modem
Connections
In
most
cases,
you'll
be
using
a
modem
connection
to
send
and
retrieve
your
e-stuff.
For
example,
if
you're
in
a
hotel
room,
you
can
plug
your
computer's
modem
into
a
phone
jack
and
you're
ready
to
update
your
Remote
Mailbox
with
just
a
phone
call.
Here are a couple of tips from an old salty traveler: many hotels have digital phone jacks, so make sure your modem is plugged into a compatible phone jack. For example, if you're using an analog modem, check with your hotel for an analog phone line. Otherwise, you may end up with a fried modem for breakfast. If you're traveling within the United States, your company may have a toll-free number to avoid costly hotel phone charges. (Be sure to drop a hint to your boss about how you're once again boosting the company's bottom line.)
Since most hotels require a dialing prefix to call out, such as 9, you may have to fudge with the dialing properties of your modem. Windows lets you set up dial settings for each of your remote locations. For example, you can create two remote locations: one with the dialing prefix 9, and the other with the dialing prefix 8. When you're at one of these locations, just select the remote location when connecting to your Master Mailbox and all your dial settings are in place. To add a remote location with its unique dialing properties, click Tools, Options, then double-click Remote. Next, click Connections, click Connect From, then specify the settings and you're ready to sail.
In some places, someone (such as an operator) may intercept the call. Here's where manual dialing comes in. Click Remote, Send/Retrieve, then click Configure. Next, click Modem, click the Options tab, then select the Operator Assisted or Manual Dial checkbox. Now, when you click Connect, you'll be prompted to dial the phone number manually. After your tango with the operator (or whomever) and when you hear the modem answer on the other end of the line, you can click Connect.
TCP/IP
Connections
The
fact
that
you're
peeking
in
these
pages
suggests
that
your
company
is
probably
rocking
the
Net
and
you're
already
running
GroupWise
using
an
IP
(Internet
Protocol)
address
and
port.
If you use a toll-free Internet provider while you're away from your office, you can avoid phone charges by using a TCP/IP connection. And unlike a modem connection, you don't need to exit an Internet connection and hang up the phone to connect to your Master Mailbox. Just use the same Internet connection to send and retrieve your e-stuff.
Network
Connections
Also
called
direct
connection,
a
network
connection
has
been
the
traditional
way
to
connect
to
your
Master
Mailbox
when
you're
at
the
office.
A
network
connection
is
useful
for
retrieving
lots
of
information
before
leaving
your
office,
such
as
your
system
Address
Book.
That's
because
a
network
connection
transfers
information
faster
than
a
modem
connection
and
saves
long-distance
phone
charges.
While
You're
Away
You're
wheeling
and
dealing
in
Singapore
(or
wherever)
and
it's
time
to
send
your
boss
an
update
on
the
latest
intricacies.
You're
also
expecting
scoops
from
your
assistant
who
will
help
you
nail
this
deal.
How
do
you
update
your
Remote
Mailbox
while
you're
on
the
road?
Just run GroupWise the way you normally do (double-click the GroupWise icon on your desktop). The Mailbox that opens is your Remote Mailbox. The difference between your Master Mailbox and your Remote Mailbox is the Remote menu that is now eyeballing you. This menu is the hub of your retrieving and sending activities. Now, to send your boss that message and get any new messages waiting for you at your home site, prepare new messages the usual way (such as clicking Create New Mail on the toolbar). When you're done, click Remote, Send/Retrieve, then select the items you want to retrieve. Since you don't need the whole enchilada from your Master Mailbox, click Advanced and use the date, size, folder, and item type restrictions to get only the story you need. If you're retrieving documents, be sure to click Documents to select the ones you want. If needed, click Configure to change your connections. When you're ready to hook into your Master Mailbox, click Connect. GroupWise automatically delivers all the new messages you created and gets you the items you selected.
The transmission process may take some time, depending on the info load involved, the traffic on the communication lines, and the modem speed. If updating your Remote Mailbox is not urgent, you may want to wait for off-peak business hours to connect (not that you're cheap or anything, just shrewd and looking out for your company's bottom line). So sit back, relax, paint the town red, or catch up on your beauty sleep.
Cost-Saving
Tips
You're
smart.
You
know
which
side
your
bread
is
buttered
on.
Here
are
a
couple
of
tips
to
save
$$$
and
time
while
updating
your
Remote
Mailbox.
And
when
it's
time
for
reviews,
you
can
toot
your
own
horn
a
little
about
how
cost-effective
you
are.
All you need is a little planning. For example, it's time for a short break from your intense business deals and you're ready to hit the beach for some cool iced tea. Don't leave your hotel room yet! If the time of day offers the best phone rates, why not get that link going between your Remote and Master Mailboxes, so your messages are sent and your e-stuff retrieved when you get back? GroupWise will send and retrieve your stuff and then terminate the connections. Getting work done while enjoying yourself is one of life's serendipitous pleasures?compliments of GroupWise.
Get
Your
Stuff
Before
You
Leave
Updating
your
Remote
Mailbox
from
your
home
or
hotel
room
can
be
time-consuming
and
expensive,
especially
if
you're
getting
lots
of
stuff
from
your
Master
Mailbox
and
if
long-distance
phone
charges
are
incurred.
If
you
have
to
foot
the
bill,
it's
twice
as
painful.
There
are
lots
of
things
you
can
retrieve
before
you
pound
that
pavement.
While you're at the office, use Hit the Road to copy your personal address books and parts of your system Address Book to your Remote Mailbox. A system Address Book is usually huge, because it contains all your organization's addressing information. Since you don't usually send messages to everyone in your company when you're on the road (office socialite though you may be), you may want to retrieve only the addresses you'll need. To do that, click Remote, Send/Retrieve, System Address Book, Filter, then list your retrieval criteria. For example, you can retrieve addresses from a specific department.
In addition to addresses, retrieve the documents, rules, and items you'll need to slice and dice your way through the project.
Limit
the
Stuff
You
Retrieve
When
you're
on
the
road,
weigh
the
need
to
download
the
whole
kit
and
caboodle
from
your
Master
Mailbox,
especially
when
time
and
long-distance
phone
charges
are
at
a
premium.
When you click Remote, Send/Retrieve, you're presented with a menu of stuff you can retrieve, such as personal address books, items, and documents. In addition, you can further limit the items by clicking Advanced. For example, you can set size restrictions or request only those items that were received during a specified date range. If you decide to request only the subject lines, you get to scan those subjects and decide which messages are really germane to your work and important to retrieve. And when you're ready, just select the items you want, then click Remote, Retrieve Selected Items.
Do
the
Side
Step
with
a
Calling
Card
You
can
side
step
those
exorbitant
hotel
phone
charges
by
using
a
calling
card
when
sending
and
getting
your
e-stuff.
All
you
need
to
do
is
set
up
the
dialing
properties
for
your
remote
location.
Ready?
Here
we
go.
Click
Remote,
Send/Retrieve,
Configure.
Next,
click
the
Connecting
From
drop-down
list,
then
select
the
remote
location.
Click
Connect
From,
click
Dial
Using
Calling
Card,
then
specify
your
calling
card
details.
That's
it!
Send
Several
Messages
in
One
Fell
Swoop
Every
time
you
create
a
message,
you
can
blast
it
off
right
away.
But
why
do
that
if
the
message
is
not
urgent
and
when
phone
charges
are
involved?
Not
to
mention
the
time
it
takes
to
connect?precious
time
that
you
have
better
use
for.
You can kill several birds with a click, so to speak, when you wait till there are several messages before connecting. And while you're at it, retrieve new mail and whatever is needed as well. But hey, if you've gotta shoot off that message right away, well, you've gotta. We won't stand in your way!
Novell Cool Solutions (corporate web communities) are produced by WebWise Solutions. www.webwiseone.com