iCalendar is a computer file format which allows users to send meeting requests and tasks and appointments to other users, via email, or sharing files with an ICS extension. Recipients of the iCalendar data file can respond to the sender easily or counter-propose another meeting date/time. The iCalendar data is usually sent by traditional email and shared using the HTTP protocol.
For this feature to work, the Axigen Webmail HTTP Service includes an extension to provide ICS/IFB-based access to users' calendars and tasks. Thus, by using a specific URL, an external client can retrieve and save calendar information stored normally by Axigen. Additionally, free/busy information is available at a different URL with similar properties.
Once the support for iCalendar is enabled by the administrator, the users can access their task and calendar information by configuring a couple of standard HTTP addresses within the client and then authenticating with their respective credentials (same as for the email account). The complete list of addresses can be found below:
Note: These are the address endings only. The first section of the webmail link will be identical to the one used for Webmail access. So if the base address for the webmail is “http://webmail.company.com”, the final ICS connection link will be “http://webmail.company.com/ical/main.ics”.
- Standard – “/ical/main.ics”. This address will allow individual users to access their own account information (tasks and calendar).
- Custom Folder – “/ical/folder/<path_to_folder>.ics”. This address changes according to the folder name created for tasks or calendar content management. This should only be used if you have created additional calendars in addition to the default.
- Shared Calendars – “/ical/~<username>/main.ics”. By using this type of address ending, the user can access other users’ calendar and task related information (Warning: To be able to accomplish this task, the user accessing the address must have full read and write access to the calendar itself).
- Shared Calendar in custom folder – “/ical/~<username>/folder/<path_to_folder>.ics”. An example combination of the two previous situations.
- Public Folders – “/ical/pf/<path_to_folder>.ics”. Using this type of address one can see calendar and task information stored in a public folder
Note: The “pf” particle is always the same, regardless of the public folder root configured in Axigen - Free/Busy – “/ical/~<username>/freebusy.ifb”. This address allows access to the Free/Busy status.
Warning: The free/busy status address also includes the user’s credentials so it can be a potential security breach. Unfortunately this cannot be avoided due to the technology design. This information is stored on the client computer for that account and is not dependant upon the Outlook profile being used.