Plan for Exchange integration (Project Server 2010)
Applies to: Project Server 2010
Topic Last Modified: 2011-10-24
This article discusses integration with Microsoft Exchange Server, which enables Microsoft Project Server 2010 users to view Project Server tasks in Microsoft Exchange client software. This functionality replaces the Outlook add-in task status reporting functionality for non-time–phased tasks that is available in previous versions of Project Server.
Important
Only assignment information is available in the Exchange client (Outlook, OWA, and so on). The only actions that a user can take in the Exchange client are viewing, updating, and deleting Project tasks. Creating or reassigning a new project task has to be done in Microsoft Project Web App (PWA).
Important
SMTP and MAPI protocols are not supported. The Exchange Server functionality in Project Server 2010 uses Exchange Web Services.
Important
Exchange Synchronization to Project Server does not work on a Project Server 2010 deployment configured to use claims authentication.
Planning Exchange integration with Project Server
Here is how Exchange integration with Project Server 2010 is achieved: Project Server uses the SSL protocol to communicate with a computer that is running Exchange Server. Project Server uses Exchange Impersonation on behalf of specific users to make calls between computers that are running Exchange and Project Server.
Tip
For more information about Exchange Impersonation, see Configuring Exchange Impersonation (Exchange Web Services) (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=191025).
Exchange integration does not support viewing or updating of tasks that are tracked by time-phased time periods. However, users can still update their status by updating the % Work complete or Actual Work/Total Work. The Statusing class in the Project Server Interface (PSI) handles the distribution of work.
When PWA is in Single Entry Mode (SEM), the application continues to sync tasks to Exchange and accept updates on task changes from Exchange by using the Tasks page in PWA. The information is immediately available on the timesheet when in SEM. This is one reason why, when in Single Entry Mode, it appears that you can still update assignment on the Tasks page. It is due to the way Outlook functionality is implemented.
For Actual Work/Total Work and % Work complete, the following rules should apply:
| Columns modified | Processing logic |
|---|---|
% Work complete only |
Apply % Work complete |
Actual Work only |
Apply Actual Work |
Total Work only |
Apply Total Work |
% Work complete and Actual Work |
Apply % Work complete |
% Work complete and Total Work |
Apply Total Work and then % Work complete |
Actual Work and Total Work |
Apply Total Work and then Actual Work |
% Work complete, Actual Work, and Total Work |
Apply Total Work and then % Work complete. Drop Actual Work. |
Start Date and Finish Date alone |
Update Total Work and let Project Server calculate % Work complete and Actual Work |
Start Date and Finish Date together with the work and % Work complete columns |
Update Total Work and then % Work complete |
A mapping of Exchange client and Exchange Server Task fields to Project Task fields
The following table maps Exchange Task fields to Project Task fields. This will allow the default Outlook form to display these fields without installing the Project Task form:
| Outlook task | Exchange Server | Project Server |
|---|---|---|
Subject |
itemSubject |
PROJ_UID to PROJ_NAME: TASK_NAME |
Actual Work |
taskActualWork |
ASSN_ACT_WORK |
Due Date |
taskDueDate |
ASSN_FINISH_DATE |
taskOwner Read Only in Exchange |
||
% Work complete |
taskPercentComplete |
MSP_ASSIGNMENTS to ASSN_PCT_WORK_COMPLETE |
Start Date |
taskStartDate |
ASSN_START_DATE |
Total Work |
taskTotalWork |
ASSN_WORK |
Synchronizing Project Server data to Exchange Server
When project task information is updated through Project Publish or through a status update, a low priority queue job, "Syncing Tasks to Exchange," is created. This job updates or creates a task for the assigned resource's mailbox if the resource has been set up to synchronize their Project Tasks with the Exchange mailboxes. This job has lower priority than Project Publish jobs and Status Update jobs to allow all changes in the queue for a given task to be processed before Exchange Server is updated. When the job executes, it retrieves the latest changes to the task and the log and puts them into the mailbox for each resource that is assigned to the task. It also updates the task details. The Tasks will appear in folders that are named for the project that the task belongs to.
Note
There are two queue jobs, one for Publish and one for Statusing:
-
ExchangeStatusingSyncMessage — LowPriority
-
ExchangeSyncPublishingMessage — This job is sent with the rest of the publishing group, which has a standard priority