15.1 Understanding Resources

The following sections provide information to help you learn about GroupWise® resources:

15.1.1 Resource Objects

Each resource you want to make available must be added as a Resource object in Novell® eDirectory™. The name that you give the Resource object becomes the name by which the resource is displayed in the GroupWise Address Book.

Resource objects can be located in any eDirectory container that is in the same tree as the resource’s domain.

15.1.2 Resource Types

You can identify the resource as a general resource or as a place. When a user schedules a resource that is defined as a place, the resource name is automatically added to the Place field in the appointment.

15.1.3 Resource Mailboxes

Like a user, a resource must be assigned to a post office so that it can be given an account (address, mailbox, and so forth). You assign the resource to a post office when you create the Resource object.

A resource’s account enables it to receive scheduling requests (sent as appointments). The owner assigned to the resource can access the resource’s mailbox to accept or decline the requests. For example, you might want to have all your conference rooms defined as resources. When sending a meeting appointment, users can schedule the conference room as well as the meeting attendees. The resource, just like the other users scheduled for the meeting, receives an appointment in its mailbox which can be accepted or declined by the owner.

When scheduling a resource, users can perform a busy search to see when the resource is available.

Even though a resource is assigned to a single post office, all users in your GroupWise system can schedule the resource.

Resources can receive all item types (mail messages, phone messages, appointments, tasks, and notes). Generally, if your purpose in defining resources is to allow them to be scheduled through GroupWise, they only receive appointments.

15.1.4 Resource Owners

When you create a resource, you assign an owner to it. The owner must belong to the same post office as the resource and is responsible for accepting or declining requests to schedule the resource. The owner can do this by proxying the resource’s mailbox and physically opening the scheduling requests, or by setting up rules to manage the resource automatically.

The owner automatically receives proxy rights to the resource’s mailbox. The owner can also grant proxy rights to another user to manage the resources.

NOTE:Owners cannot log in directly to a resource mailbox because resource mailboxes do not have passwords. Unless post office security is set to Low, meaning that passwords are not required, login access is denied. The Proxy feature in the GroupWise client should always be used to access resource mailboxes.

For information about how owners can manage resources, see: