Calendars are one of the features users notice most when they stop working, and one of the more common support requests from an administrator’s point of view. Where is the data stored? Which clients can connect? What do you need to back up so a restore brings calendars back intact?
This crash course answers those questions for MDaemon Email Server.
Console vs. Remote Administration
MDaemon includes two administrative interfaces: the desktop configuration session (the console) and Remote Administration (MDRA), the browser-based interface. Most calendar settings are available in both, but the navigation paths differ. When you follow along with the settings in this post, check which interface you are in first, because the menu you need can be found under a different path in each one.
Calendar Licensing
Before you roll calendars out to users, confirm what your license includes. The video walks through a table showing which calendar capabilities are included with which license. For example, Outlook users syncing via MDaemon Connector for Outlook or ActiveSync will require a license, while CalDAV and CardDAV sync is included. Checking this first saves you from promising users a feature their license does not cover.
Administrator and End User Views
Calendar management involves two roles. Administrators control server-wide settings and access. End users manage their own calendars, events, and sharing from their own client. Keeping these two roles clear makes support conversations much easier, since a request like “my calendar is not showing up” usually points to one side or the other.
Five Ways to Access Your Calendar
MDaemon supports several ways for users to reach their calendars, so you can match the method to the person and the device.
1. MDaemon Webmail. Users open a browser, sign in, and go straight to their calendar with nothing to install. This is the simplest option and a good fallback when a desktop client is having issues.
2. MDaemon Connector. For organizations that use Microsoft Outlook, MDaemon Connector lets users work with their MDaemon calendars from inside Outlook.
3. ActiveSync. Phones and tablets that support ActiveSync can sync calendars over the air, so events created on the server or on the device appear on both.
4. eM Client. eM Client works seamlessly with MDaemon, with IMAP access for mail, plus CalDAV and CardDAV access for calendars & contacts, providing a viable alternative to Microsoft Outlook.
5. CalDAV. Clients that support the CalDAV standard connect using the server’s CalDAV URL. Because CalDAV is an open standard, it also opens the door to other compatible calendar apps.
How Calendar Data Is Stored
Understanding how MDaemon stores calendar data makes both backup and troubleshooting easier. Each user’s calendar is kept on the server in a Calendar.mrk file within that user’s mail folder. Because calendar data is stored on the server rather than in the client, a user can change devices or clients without losing events.
Backing Up and Restoring Calendars
A calendar backup is only as good as the folders it includes. The video shows four folders to cover:
- MDaemon\
- MDaemon\Users\
- MDaemon\Public Folders\
- MDaemon\App
Include all of them in your regular backup job, and test a restore before you need one. When you restore, the same folders go back to their original locations, and users see their calendars again the next time they connect.
Troubleshooting Common Calendar Issues
When a user reports a calendar problem, start by identifying which access method they are using. A problem that appears in one client but not in Webmail usually points to the client configuration, while a problem that appears everywhere points to the server.
Most support tickets related to calendar issues can be traced back to one of a few causes:
- Licensing not activated
- Wrong access rights
- Client-side caching
- Time zone / DST handling
Narrowing it down this way usually gets you to the cause faster than working through server settings first.
Next Steps
Calendars in MDaemon are straightforward once you know how licensing, access, storage, and backup fit together. Watch the full crash course above, and if you are new to MDaemon, you can download a free trial and try calendars in your own environment.
