[Samba] accessing outlook pst files w/ samba

[Chris Smith]

On Thu, 2003-02-20 at 00:18, Gregory Hosler wrote:

> it turns out that a lot of my users "documentation" has been stored on "public
> folders" on the former exchange server, in "pst" format.

AFAIK, Exchange server uses the Jet database engine to store
information. Pst files are only for local access and not generally
shared.

> If I move the "pst" files to a linux smb share, then the pst file can be
> accessed *BUT* only by one user at a time.

The same is true if you access the pst from a real Windows share. It's
not a Samba issue.

>  I am told that in the windows
> exchange environment, multiple users could open up a pst folder on the exchange
> server simultaneously. (never having been an outlook user, I'm unfamiliar w/
> this particular aspect of windows).

It's not an aspect of Windows, and it's not a pst file that is invloved.
Exchange is a groupware application that is handling it all and the data
is not in the pst format.

> from a bit googling, it seems that "pst" files are essentially "mailbox
> databases", which can include things in addition to mails.

As well as can Exchange Server data stores. Contacts, tasks, calendars,
notes, etc. but unlike a local pst shared access is possible, as well as
a robust security policy.

> I have also seen some solutions (for a full client conversion from windows),
> that involved creation of an imap folder, and then dragging the pst to the imap
> folder, letting windows convert from one folder to the other, but the issue I'm
> facing here is that it will still be the case that more than one user will want
> to access these folder(s) concurrently. I guess (not sure, haven't tried) I can
> share an imap mailbox with more than one concurrent user, but is this really
> the best solution ? (note that the client will remain as a windows outlook
> client!)

If it's only email information than an IMAP box will do fine, especially
one that allows for shared mailboxes. The problem with moving from an
Exchange environment usually goes beyond just mail (at least IME) and
can make a move quite difficult. 

> I rather suspect that this issue has likely come up before, but as I say, I've
> never user outlook before, and am totally unfamiliar w/ an exchange server, so
> I'm kind of in the dark about what it is that I'm looking for.

Again Exchange is a database driven groupware server, and Outlook is its
full featured client. Like Lotus Domino and Notes it's not so easy to
replace. These specialty servers with their respective clients are
pretty slick and do a lot more than just email.

> I'll be quite grateful for any tips/hints, pointers, urls, even into the
> archives (I've d/l'ed the samba archives, but it is huge, and I don't really
> know what it is I am looking for :(

Sounds like you're looking for the Holy Grail<g>. As freeware it doesn't
exist that I know of - yet - although I think it would be the killer
application that would put open source "over the top" in small
businesses. Commercially you might find it at http://www.bynari.net/, at
http://www.samsungcontact.com/, or at
http://lotus.com/products/r5web.nsf/webhome/nr5serverhp-new.
Also take a peek at http://www.phprojekt.com/ for a free web based app.

If a centralized email store is good enough only the Cyrus IMAP server -
http://asg.web.cmu.edu/cyrus/, will provide the kind of capabilities and
performance your users are used to. Courier IMAP -
http://www.inter7.com/courierimap/ is, IMO, useable but not on the
performance level of Cyrus and Exchange.