How to access client's outlook in ASP.net?

Question

What I want to do with my app is accessing client's outlook, getting some data, using them to get more data from the database, and then make a file ready for blackberry to sync. All of these are better done on the server, so at the clients' end, there is only one file with everything ready, so they can easily sync it. I have searched a little, and found it is possible if I access exchange server. Could any one explain in details? I know nothing about exchange servers. Also, is there any other possible solutions?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Ok, As i said you have a number of options. I assume that you want to run this from a IIS server as you title says "Asp.Net" Also I will assume that you want to do this in managed code. i.e not write a com object or native code.

Your options then, are to speak to exchange via web DAV , Exchange Web Services (EWS) or use a great 3rd party tool called Redemption which has RDO objects.

If you are running exchange 2007 EWS is the way to go. if you running earlier versions Web Dav is the way to go both these ways are supported by MS. RDO can be used with both versions but is supported by Dmitry Streblechenko

As far as EWS and DAV there are quite allot of resources out on the net and information on stackoverflow. Also there are a few libraries that wrap EWS and web Dav calls up which may get you up and productive quicker. http://www.independentsoft.com/webdavex/index.html is a good example.

EWS Resources
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb204119.aspx http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc540447.aspx http://blogs.visoftinc.com/archive/2008/03/20/Using-Exchange-Web-Services-2007-The-Basics.aspx http://www.webreference.com/programming/asp/Ajax_WebService/

WebDav
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa486282(EXCHG.65).aspx http://www.msexchange.org/articles/Access-Exchange-2000-2003-Mailbox-WebDAV.html http://blogs.technet.com/kclemson/archive/2004/01/23/62247.aspx http://gsexdev.blogspot.com/2005/04/aspnet-and-exchange-tips-and-samples.html

For Redemeption go to the Redemption site http://www.dimastr.com/redemption/ there are loads of examples most of them in VBA/VB but you can easliy transpose then into C#

Personaly I think that you should go down the MS supported routes first.

Marcus