Solved Exchange contacts sync with Public Folder will not work in 3CX Pro

[lucasco]

I've tried this from every angle, and read every article I can find on the 3CX website. I'm willing to accept it could be something in our own setup causing the problem, but I can't find an obvious issue in the Event Viewer logs on the Exchange Server. I'm relatively new to 3CX so perhaps if someone could direct me to where and how on analysing logs that side, this would be great.

I'm running the Debian based version of 3CX, and I'm on the latest stable release of v16 at time of writing (Dec 2020). I've followed every step in the article here to no avail: https://www.3cx.com/docs/how-to-create-impersonated-user/ I just cannot get this working.

Please see attached screenshot for details. I've substituted our real domain for 'domain.com'. This is both the basis for our Exchange server's public URL but also our internal AD domain, hence it being used in the form it is in the impersonated user account field (I've also tried the older style username convention of DOMAIN\3CX to no avail). I've also tried changing the format of the Public Folder location, but how I have it currently (as screenshotted) seems to be how it should be.

Any thoughts would be welcomed on what might be going wrong, or I might be doing wrong.

Many thanks

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Was this package installed on your Linux system?

https://www.3cx.com/docs/manual/pbx-crm-integration/#h.kkqlf5cur2x

 

[lucasco]

I'm pretty sure it is, but will double check. Also I think I read somewhere that this was needed for a prior version - but is this not the case and this package is still very much needed for this to work? Many thanks

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Yep, you need that package to establish communication.

 

[lucasco]

Brilliant - I think that must have been the issue. Interesting to note is that having installed that service, it didn't automatically resolve the problem. However it is working now. I did do a server reboot in the early hours, but I suspect that because the details were already programmed in it didn't attempt its first sync until the 4:00am slot programmed into the system. Hopefully when I try re-configuring it with our production contacts PF later today this will cause an immediate sync to happen.

What are the most basic permissions needed for settings on the Exchange PF for this work? Am I correct in thinking that just the most basic read permissions will be sufficient? At present I have far more administrative permissions set which I don't like, but have obviously done in my desperation to get this working

Many thanks for your response

 

[lucasco]

Two immediate thoughts I have on the link you sent me:

1) The info should be integrated (or at least reference the link for pre-requisites for Linux based installs) in one of the only articles that 3CX seemed to have produced on Exchange Integration here. I've re-read it several times and cannot see it mentioned in there.

2) I think I had come across the link you shared with me but had been somewhat dismissive with the section title "Local Exchange Server and Linux-based 3CX - Legacy". My experience is that where the word 'Legacy' is used this suggests that this is for a system that is not the current version - in this context for example for people that might be running 3CX v15.5 on an older Debian OS. Also, my Exchange Server isn't technically 'Local' as it is on a different VLAN and is being accessed via going out onto the Internet. So it's confusing to see in the title too!

It would be great to see more information in documents on the Exchange Contact Sync system as I feel it's rather under-represented at present. Had this been worded differently I probably wouldn't have needed to post on here, and I'm still not 100% sure I have a valid configuration because of the use of the words 'Legacy' and 'Local' as placed in that section title!

Very much appreciate your help though, cheers

 

[lucasco]

Is there anyway of forcing the Exchange Contacts Sync to run instead of having to wait until 4:00am for it to run autonomously? Cheers

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Nope, it runs as an internally scheduled job.

I see what your mean. By legacy we mean exchange that doesn't use O365 integration, which is the newer way of doing things, and rather relies on the older method we originally supported.

 

[lucasco]

Thanks, John.

I think somewhere it suggested the job would run when first created (and thereafter at 4:00am), so if I delete all details and setup from blank again, should this issue an automatic sync?

As a feature improvement, it would be nice to see a control over when the sync happens instead of having 4:00am dictated.

Thanks for your description of why you use the word 'Legacy'. Although to add to the confusion, the 'Contact Type' are displayed as 'Office 365' even though it's actually connecting to an Exchange Server. Whilst I appreciate this is documented somewhere with an explanation, it adds further confusion terminology wise. Also, Microsoft (perhaps questionably) renamed all their Office 365 services to MS365 earlier this year.

Cheers

 

[JohnS_3CX]

As most people are transitioning to 365, we are also transitioning to accommodate.

I think MS365 is the entire suite, which contains O365 under it. But from what I understand the services are labelled as O365 (which is what we support integration with). Confusing indeed on multiple levels

 

[lucasco]

As most people are transitioning to 365, we are also transitioning to accommodate.

I'm not sure I follow that comment - even if 99% of people are on MS365 for their Exchange functions, it's still misleading to have the 'Contact Type' shown as being from there, when it's actually on a self hosted Exchange Server.

I think MS365 is the entire suite, which contains O365 under it. But from what I understand the services are labelled as O365 (which is what we support integration with). Confusing indeed on multiple levels

I don't think this is quite right. I'm an MS365 reseller, and all of their subscriptions, certainly on the business side and I think on consumer as well, are now branded MS365. The only mention of Office is with regards to the actual software (Word, Excel, etc) but the server side services are all either MS365 or 'cloud services', etc. The part of the service you'd be integrating with wouldn't carry the Office branding any longer. I can sort of see the reason why Microsoft did this (to distance association of their offerings from just being about MS Office), but I concur that it has created for much confusion for my clients. Typical Microsoft!

Re my question above, any thoughts on this?..... "I think somewhere it suggested the job would run when first created (and thereafter at 4:00am), so if I delete all details and setup from blank again, should this issue an automatic sync?"

Thanks for your support

 

[JohnS_3CX]

You are absolutely correct. That was a misconception on my part, we have also renamed the integration in our latest PBX release to fall in line with Microsoft's renaming.


As for the contact sync it will be triggered when:
- First configuring the settings
- Every night at 04:00 local time
- When System Service starts

You can go for the 3rd option which will require the least effort and time and should not interrupt normal operations.

 

[lucasco]

That's great, thanks for all that John

On the third point, am I right in understanding that I can restart the 'System Service' without disrupting calls and the 3CX critical functionality as a whole? And how would I go about doing this - from a terminal window with a certain command?

Cheers

 

[JohnS_3CX]

You can simply log in to your management console, click "Services" in the middle box of your dashboard (PBX Status) and select the service and click restart. This should not interrupt calls or critical functionality, and should restart within mere seconds.

 

[lucasco]

Awesome - thank you my friend! That's done the trick, and I can see everything is populating now in the contacts - yah! Sorry for my ignorance in not knowing about the services panel - it rings a bell now, but I'm not my best cognitively after working long hours on this.....

That has me sorted it seems - thanks a lot for your time.

Cheers

 

[JohnS_3CX]

Glad to help and thanks back for updating me on the 365 nomenclature