MDaemon Server v12.X Release Notes

MDaemon 12.0.4 - August 17, 2011

Fixes

MDaemon 12.0.3 - May 17, 2011

CHANGES AND NEW FEATURES

Fixes

MDaemon 12.0.2 - April 26, 2011

CHANGES AND NEW FEATURES

MDaemon 12.0.1 - March 15, 2011

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. Installation and use of MDaemon's BlackBerry Enterprise Server components requires that the SQL Browser Service be enabled and running. The installation process will enable and start this service as necessary.

CHANGES AND NEW FEATURES

Fixes

MDaemon 12.0.0 - February 15, 2011

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

  1. Windows 2000 is no longer a supported operating system.  MDaemon 12.0 requires Windows 2008, 2003, 7, XP, or Vista.
  2. MDaemon's new BlackBerry integration feature could result in duplication of data when combined with other sync techniques like SyncML or BIS Integration (see below).  Care must be taken to avoid this.
  3. Passwords are now required to be at least 4 characters long. Existing passwords are not required to change however the next time you try to change the password it will need to be 4 characters long minimum.
  4. The new BlackBerry Device Integration functionality (see below) will require Outlook Connector 2.2.5 if you want to seamlessly sync Outlook created content to your BlackBerry.
  5. WorldClient has an updated version of the CKEditor WYSIWYG editor for message composition.  If you do not have custom themes it is recommended that you remove the MDaemon\WorldClient\HTML\fckeditor\ directory.  This directory is not removed by the installer because of template customization.

MAJOR NEW FEATURES

[5294] BLACKBERRY DEVICE INTEGRATION (MDaemon PRO and select markets only)

The following BlackBerry Enterprise Server feature for BlackBerry smartphones is not available in all markets. To view a list of available territories, please visit http://www.altn.com/bes-features-by-territory.

MDaemon now includes support for BlackBerry devices though the installation of a custom built BlackBerry Enterprise Server designed exclusively for distribution and use with MDaemon. This new functionality:

The installation process will install all the files and services necessary to achieve this capability and is the reason the installer has grown in size.  BlackBerry Enterprise Server is a database driven app which requires .Net 2.0, SQL Server Express 2005, and other components which the installation process will handle setting up.  All these components will be installed to the \MDaemon\BES\ folder.

In order to begin using this functionality an account must "activate" a BlackBerry device with MDaemon.  This is a two-step process.  First, use the Account Editor to select an account and then configure the account for use with BES through the new options on the "BlackBerry BES" screen.  Second, log into WorldClient using the account's credentials and select "BlackBerry Management" from the left hand pane.  Follow the on-screen instructions which involve plugging the BlackBerry device into the computer via USB.  Alternatively, you can use OTA (over-the-air) activcation if your BlackBerry device supports it.  Once the activation process has completed the BlackBerry will be paired with the MDaemon account.  Within a short time data will begin to synchronize.

Alt+B has had several new screens added to manage these new BlackBerry integration features.  There's a Status page which shows you the state of the various necessary services.  Logging options allow you to enable logs and set detail level.  Logs are stored in the \BES\ sub-folder within MDaemon's root log folder.  These logs will obey MDaemon's global log settings for size and roll-over but are slightly different in format than other MDaemon logs.  The Domains page lets you pair up a policy (more on that in a minute) with a domain.  When new users within that domain are created any BlackBerry they activate will have the associated policy pushed down to the BlackBerry.  There is also a button to push the selected policy to all existing domain accounts which may already have activated a BlackBerry.  The Integrated Accounts page shows you how many accounts are ready to activate a BlackBerry (but haven't yet) and how many have done so.  Finally, the Policy page allows you to create and save your own device policies.

Policies

When a BlackBerry device is activated a policy is pushed down to the device to control device behavior.  Policies are really just a set of rules.  To create a policy select NEW, give the policy a name, and then begin setting the various policy rules to your liking.  Rules allow you to do things like require passwords.  After setting the rules to your liking, click SAVE. For a description of what each policy rule does hover the mouse over the rule and read the tooltip help.

MDaemon will ship with three pre-built policies which you can not change or delete.  These policies are "Default" which instructs the BlackBerry to use out-of-the-box "under control of a BES" device defaults for all settings. "Require Password" sets a single policy rule - require password - to YES.  This policy requires that the BlackBerry device maintain a password.  The third policy, "Expiring Passwords", enabled the require password rule and the maximum password age rule which get set to 30 days.

Be aware that BlackBerry device behavior while tethered to a BES may be different than when not.

SRP

In order to transact data between MDaemon and your user's BlackBerry devices across the wireless network an SRP ID and SRP Key are needed.  The installation process will automatically obtain an SRP ID and SRP Key for you and store them with MDaemon.  SRP data is used to authenticate and identify your BlackBerry traffic across the wireless infrastructure.  There is no additional charge for these keys - they are included free for all MDaemon PRO users and can only be used with your MDaemon.  SRP data can be manually configured using Setup| BlackBerry...| Status.

BIS and SyncML

A BES enabled BlackBerry does not require any other sync client software on the device.  Running SyncML to sync data AND activating a BlackBerry for sync'ing using this new feature will likely result in duplicates of everything.  BIS integrated accounts could experience similar problems so this is not recommended.  BIS integrated accounts may wish to unsubscribe from BIS first and then activate to MDaemon's new BES.

Calendar Sync Potential Issue

At the time of activation, if the BlackBerry calendar contains entries (ie.  BlackBerry is not wiped prior to or at the start of activation), then the activation process will not send existing calendar events on the MDaemon server to the BlackBerry.  The BlackBerry user must either perform a device wipe before activating, or perform the calendar RSET procedure as described here:
http://www.blackberry.com/btsc/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=KB15139

Known Limitations

[4334] ACTIVESYNC FOR MDAEMON (MDaemon PRO only)

MDaemon now includes support for "ActiveSync for MDaemon" which is a separately licensed OTA ActiveSync (AirSync) server. This server is capable of synchronizing a user's default calendar and default contact data between their MDaemon/WorldClient account and an ActiveSync capable device. A UI for configuring ActiveSync for MDaemon has been added to the Setup|Web, Sync, & IM Services menu but there is little to no configuration possible with ActiveSync implementations.  A checkbox is also present in the Account Editor|Options page to disable ActiveSync on a per-user basis.

ActiveSync for MDaemon will only run for 30 days so that you can see if you like it. After that, a small (and low) one-time fee is necessary. The 30 day timer starts when you install MDaemon and enable ActiveSync for the first time.  After 30 days, if you need it, you can acquire a license key from www.altn.com or your local distributor/reseller. 

All first time syncs with ActiveSync will be a one way sync from the server to the device! You will lose the data on the device when you hookup with ActiveSync for the first time. This is an ActiveSync implementation requirement. Therefore, backup your device data BEFORE using ActiveSync for the first time. The devices we've seen which contain an ActiveSync client will warn the user "If you proceed with this your device data will be lost" but some do NOT provide this warning.  Please handle ActiveSync with care.

ActiveSync is a web-service extension which only works on ports 80 (for http) and 443 (for https). ActiveSync is not possible on other ports. Therefore, ActiveSync will not work for you *at all* unless your web server (either WorldClient's built-in web server or other) is running on port 80 and/or port 443. This is an ActiveSync implementation requirement. 

If you intend to run ActiveSync under IIS you MUST call our ActiveSync DLL (MDAirSync.dll) when "/Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync" is requested. This is the request that all the ActiveSync clients will use. Some versions of IIS do not have this capability without downloading, installing, and configuring third party software.

CHANGES AND ADDITIONAL NEW FEATURES

Fixes

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