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KB08111701 Working with Blackberry Devices

Mailtraq provides extensive support for Blackberry devices.  You do not need to have a Blackberry Enterprise Server or Microsoft Exchange Blackberry users can enjoy comprehensive e-mail, contacts, calendaring and task functionality using just Mailtraq and freely available Blackberry applications. 

Configuring a Blackberry without BES

Mailtraq provides e-mail and PIM services for Blackberry users and they are configured separately. You use SyncML with Funambol for PIM (Contact and Calendar) syncing, and we recommend using the LogicMail e-mail client.

Installing and configuring these two scenarios is detailed here - first PIM, and then e-mail below.


 

BlackBerry PIM (Contacts, Calendars & Tasks)

Mailtraq
Install Mailtraq 2.15 (build 2.15.0.2542 or above) and follow the Installation Wizard, and then enable the SyncML service on Port 7887. Ensure you allow this service to pass your firewall and router (Port Forwarding/NAT).

Advice: read our general Calendar advice before starting read more ...

Preparation
Mailtraq provides a SyncML server designed to synchronize your contacts, calendar appointments and tasks. 
Any SyncML client can be used but we have recommend the open-source (free) Funambol Blackberry client. Get it here...

Prepare Mailtraq

  • You should be using version 2.15.2.2718 or later.
  • The "SyncML Service" must be added in Mailtraq in the Options | Services ...  dialogue and by default it runs on port 7887. 
  • You must adjust your firewall and NAT to pass port 7887 traffic to Mailtraq. 

Therefore, the SyncML URL* is http://yourhost:7887 so, for example: http://mail.example.com:7887.

Database name Format
The database name format is either "username/database" for a shared database or just "database" if you wish to access one of your own databases: "database" must be  "calendar", "contacts" or "tasks".

Prepare your Calendars and Contacts for synchronizing.
Syncing to mobile devices needs some preparation of the data you are going to be moving back and forth.  The more data you want to sync, the longer it will take - and the longer it takes makes you more vulnerable to breaks in communication. Typically you should archive calendars of events more than 60 days in the past and reduce Contacts to current ones.

Contact databases used for syncing should minimize the use of additional fields of notes, images etc to reduce syncing time-outs. Avoid custom fields as they may lead to syncing failures if the field cannot be mapped to standard field names.

Prepare your BlackBerry Device
1.) Delete the 'CICAL' service - read how here ...

2.) Install and Configure the Funambol BB plug-in

Configuring Funambol BB plug-in

You can install Funambol by either of the following methods:
Download:  http://www.funambol.com/solutions/bb.php
Over-The-Air: http://my.funambol.com/bb/sync.jad from your Blackberry.

Once Funambol is installed, you can configure it by running the Funambol application and using the Menu command to select "Settings". 

In "Server Location" enter a URL with the public host name for the machine on which Mailtraq is running along with the port you selected for the SyncML service.  For example, "http://mailtraq.example.com:7887/".

For your "Username" and "Password" enter your Mailtraq credentials.

You can now check any combination of the three database types that Mailtraq can synchronise, which are Contacts, Calendar and Tasks. 

The "Remote Name" values for these database are:
(you must change as these are not the default values)

  • "contacts"
  • "calendar"
  • "tasks"

The "Notes" field is not available for synchronization.

Best practice:
If you are OTA syncing in Mailtraq, then switch off Mailtraq's reminders
(it is an option in WebMail | Options).

 

 

Details - normal sync

                

 


Using 'Recover'

 

 

See 'Warning' below.

If the information on the Server and the BB becomes 'out-of-step' it is possible to choose which location holds the definitive data-set and perform a 'full sync' operation to refresh all data in the BB or on the Mailtraq server.

Select 'Recover' - after the confirmation screen you can choose "From Server to BB" or you can choose "From BB to Server".

 

 

               

 

WARNING - Using Recover and Calendars

SyncML Recover is defined as "delete everything on the target and then add all events from the source as new events". 
The side effect is that invitation and reminder status for all Calendar events will be reset.  In turn, this will cause them all to fire again.  Invitations and Reminders will appear to recipients as 'duplicates'.

Do not use Recover from device-to-server for Calendaring without considering these effects.

Delete the CICAL Service
Each time you perform a Restore or Partial Restore you must repeat the procedure to delete the 'CICAL' service - read how here ...

 


Tip: Back-up First

It is essential that you back-up and know how to restore (see links) your:

before performing a 'Recover'  - in case the action fails during operation, or you chose the wrong data-set by mistake.

Mailtraq
Backing-up Contacts

The full backup procedure for Mailtraq is covered here - but for this procedure you are only interested in having a back-up copy of the DIS.

  1. Shutdown Mailtraq.
  2. Copy this folder (default location): C:\Program Files\Mailtraq\database\dis\abooks
    to a safe location outside the Mailtraq folder structure.
  3. Restart Mailtraq.

Restore
If you need to restore the Address Book, you simply need to Shutdown Mailtraq, substitute the user.abk file and restart Mailtraq


 BlackBerry E-Mail

Direct Email
Mailtraq is a standards compliant Internet e-mail server, supporting IMAP, POP and SMTP.  Any mail client that can use these protocols will work with Mailtraq.  Also note that Mailtraq supports the IMAP push e-mail (the IDLE extension) so any mail client that can use this functionality will be able to receive e-mail instantly. Using an independent email client means that you can access your mail directly without passing it through a BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

LogicMail
We have tested and can recommend the open-source (free) LogicMail e-mail client.

General Points
You will need to configure any e-mail client to both collect mail from Mailtraq (using IMAP or POP3) and send mail via Mailtraq (using SMTP).

For mail collection, you will need to select either POP3 or IMAP.  If you are sharing your mailbox with other mail clients and expect the mail to stay on the server you will need to use IMAP.  When configuring the mail client you will need to specify the server, username and password. The server is the public host name representing the Mailtraq server. The username and password should correspond to the Mailtraq user account.

Configuring LogicMail

Run the LogicMail application and use the Menu button to select "Configure". 
Then select "Accounts" and use the Menu button to select "Add account". 
Select "IMAP" and then enter the host name of your Mailtraq server into the "Server" field, and your Mailtraq user credentials into the "Username" and "Password" fields.
You should de-select the "Use MDS proxy" option.  Save your changes.
After you have first connected to your Mailtraq IMAP account you should return to this page and select "Sent Items" as the sent items folder.

At the configuration page select "Outgoing servers" and use the Menu button to select "Add outgoing server".  
In the "Server" field enter the same host name you specified earlier. 
Select "CRAM-MD5" as the "Authentication" type and use the same credentials for your Mailtraq account. 
In order to send mail outside your domain name, you will need to set the "Relay Mail beyond this server" privilege in the Mailtraq User Properties for your account (Also, see Configuration Tips below).

Alternative
Working with BlackBerry RIM servers

With this information you can get your BlackBerry to collect mail from your Mailtraq mailbox.
There are a number of 'flavors' of BlackBerry - and some will only connect to RIM's servers. You'll need to check how 'your' BlackBerry integrates other email accounts. So even if you can't install an email or PIM plug-in you can still get your Mailtraq email into your BlackBerry.

BlackBerry provide guides to help you configure the RIM connection - see Guide

Tip:
Wireless message synchronization and Outlook.

If you are having a problem where having deleted emails from Outlook they not deleting from your
BlackBerry then check your reconciliation setting.  The correct setting would be to have the
BlackBerry conduct a wireless reconcile and have the handheld (Blackberry) win.

 

 


Configuration Tips

 

 

Important - due to the nature of 'over-the-air' synchronization it is essential that users have a robust and regular back-up of their Mailtraq contact and calendars, their Outlook contact and calendars and their Blackberry information (see links).

 

 

What is the SyncML URL ?

* SyncML is handled through the SyncML Service in Mailtraq. 

Therefore, the SyncML URL is http://yourhost:7887 however, if you do not have an A-Record associated with webmail you can just use the public facing IP address of your Mailtraq installation.

For example,  http://72.236.158.79:7887

Tip:
Your IP address is reported to you in the Mailtraq Console, by selecting the Installation entry at the top of the tree. You will need to ensure that you have NAT or Port Forwarding on Port 80 from your router to the Mailtraq machine.

Configuring Mailtraq for Outbound Mail

Mailtraq by default will reject attempts to relay mail from clients that are outside the LAN, so you will need to adjust the SMTP Service settings to allow your mobile device to send mail via Mailtraq.

This is explained in this article: KB05111702 Allowing controlled Relaying

If you are using IMAP for mobile email you will need to use SMTP-Auth. (as there is no POP3 collection to use as the authentication-proxy) to get Mailtraq to accept outbound messages for onward delivery (Relaying). If you do not want to force all your local users to Authenticate, you should add an additional SMTP Service (Options | Services, ADD) on Port 587 with relaying configured to:

[x]  Use SMTP User Authentication

You will also need to allow access to Port 587 on your external router and NAT or Port Forwarding from Port 587 to the Mailtraq machine.

 

Working with Blackberry RIM servers

There are a number of 'flavors' of Blackberry - and some will only connect to RIM's servers. You'll need to check how 'your' Blackberry integrates other email accounts. So even if you can't install an email or PIM plug-in you can still get your Mailtraq email into your Blackberry. Blackberry provide guides to help you configure the RIM connection - see Guide.  With this information you can get your Blackberry to collect mail from your Mailtraq mailbox.

Working with SyncJE

 

Mailtraq recommends the open-source (free) LogicMail e-mail client but it also supports the use of ($)  SyncJE   for use with Blackberry devices for synchronizing Contacts and Calendars.

Set up 

Step 1. Familiarize yourself with the settings in Mailtraq for using SyncML on this page.

Step 2. You will need to install the SyncJe for BlackBerry (not email) sync tool onto the Blackberry.

You can purchase this direct from  SyncJE 

A free trial is available. Please ensure suitability for your purpose before finalizing your purchase. SyncJe for BlackBerry should be compatible with any BlackBerry running OS 4.2 or greater   

Step 3. Configure the tool.
SyncJe provide this User Manual


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