It seems to be so difficult to configure your SharePoint Outlook webparts automatically, but it isn't !

Last week, I tried everything, but I failed to configure those Outlook webparts.

It seems to be nobody wants to configure a MyInbox automatically for every user on the MySite. I didn't found any website or blog with information, I just found some questions on forums without an answer.

So, Can I conclude that every user must know the servername and his mailboxname ?

No, it's irrealistic in my opinion !

This morning, I had 'one of my famous intelligent moments' *d'oh*

So, here's the one and only, the solution !

Follow the autoConfig lab below to succeed the configuration for every user at runtime

1. Create a new Webpart Library project

2. Override the CreateChildControls

// import section

using Microsoft.SharePoint.Portal.WebControls;

// attributes

private OWAInboxPart wpInbox;

protected override void CreateChildControls()

{

// inbox webpart

wpInbox = new OWAInboxPart();

Controls.Add(configureInbox(wpInbox));

}

3. Create a new method to configure your Inbox webpart. This method will determine the mailboxname and the servername at runtime for a particular user.

private OWAInboxPart configureInbox(OWAInboxPart wpInbox)

{

//Connect to the portal and get the portal context.

TopologyManager topology = new TopologyManager();

PortalSite portal = topology.PortalSites[new Uri()];

PortalContext context = PortalApplication.GetContext(portal);

//initialize user profile config manager object

UserProfileManager profileManager = new UserProfileManager(context);

UserProfile prof = profileManager.GetUserProfile(true);

// use the profile object to retrieve the properties you need in your company to

// retrieve the mailboxname

// example: string workmail = prof[PropertyConstants.WorkEmail].ToString();

wpInbox.MailboxName = "kristofdc";

wpInbox.OWAServerAddressRoot = "";

return wpInbox;

}

4. Override the RenderWebPart method

protected override void RenderWebPart(HtmlTextWriter output)

{

try

{

wpInbox.RenderControl(output);

}

catch(Exception ex)

{

output.Write(ex.ToString());

}

}

5. And finally you will add a CAB-setup for your custom webpart.

6. Just compile, deploy and use !

Remarks:

This MyInbox example works also with the MyCalendar & MyTasks.

Success garanteed !