Frequently Asked Questions
last updated February 7, 2011
What will SMU’s email environment look like now?
How much storage space will I have on the Exchange server?
I use Outlook to read my email now:
How will it change once I migrate to Exchange?
I use Outlook 2003. Can I continue to use that with Exchange?
Will my old/existing mail be moved to Exchange?
I use IMAP to access my mail on the current email server. Will I still have access to that?
I use custom rules right now. How do I move them to my Exchange account?
I don’t use Outlook to read my email now:
Can I continue to use my preferred client?
Will my old/existing mail be moved to Exchange?
How do I set up my preferred client to access my Exchange mail?
How do I access my mail when I'm not at my desk?
How do I access a generic email address that I share with others?
I have a Blackberry mobile device. Can I continue to use it with Exchange?
I have another mobile device. Can I use it with Exchange?
My question isn't answered here. Where should I go for assistance?
Saint Mary’s existing email environment is old and cumbersome. It lacks modern functionality, and is separate from other tools such as campus calendar. Furthermore, because most users download their mail from the server to their office computer systems, that mail is not easily accessible when they’re away from the office.
In considering a replacement for SMU’s aging email system, ITSS gathered input from all sectors of the university, including a campus-wide survey to identify features that users feel are important to communication and productivity. It became clear that access from anywhere was critical: users want to be able to work with their email from various locations and from various devices.
Many different solutions were considered in the course of this project, but eventually they were narrowed down to a single product, Microsoft Exchange 2010. It was felt that this solution offered the best financial and functional value to the university. A focus group from across campus was formed in early 2010 to pilot Exchange and assess its suitability for our environment, and confirmed that Exchange would be a good solution for Saint Mary’s.
The most noticeable change is that email will be more accessible to you, no matter where you are – at your desk, on the Internet, or even from some mobile devices.
There’s a new web-based interface that will be integrated with SMUport and accessible directly at https://owa.smu.ca. It is a big improvement over SMUport's current email interface, with additional features and much better performance.
Exchange will also fully integrate your email and calendar environment, although the migration of campus calendar services will be a later phase of this project. You'll no longer need to log in to a separate service to check your availability, or the availability of others, and you can send or accept meeting requests very easily within an email message.
ITSS will be migrating all faculty and staff email services to Exchange over the coming weeks. We will contact you in advance of your migration so that we can work with you to ensure a smooth transition.
Since calendar systems cannot be phased in like mailbox migration, the switch to Exchange’s calendar service will not occur until everyone is using Exchange. At that point, we’ll migrate existing data from the SMUport calendar into the new Exchange environment before switching everyone to the new calendar. We anticipate that SMU will move to Exchange’s calendar service in the early months of 2011.
What will SMU’s email environment look like now?
Exchange 2010 builds on the Microsoft Outlook mail client that most of us are already using, so your desktop email environment will continue to be familiar to you. Mail access from SMUport is greatly improved: the Outlook Web Application (OWA) built into Exchange adds a web-based Outlook environment for easy, consistent access when you’re not at your office system. Together, Exchange 2010, OWA and Outlook make up the standard supported email/calendar environment for SMU.
For those users who need to use a different email client, Exchange supports standard IMAP access, as well as ActiveSync access for mobile devices.
The official firstname.lastname@smu.ca format will be supported by the new email system. In addition, old named email addresses (such as jdoe@smu.ca), which existed before s-number accounts, will be grandfathered into the new system, although we encourage everyone to switch to the official address format.
I have a special email alias. Will that continue to be supported?
Yes, email aliases that are required for your role at SMU (e.g. webmaster@smu.ca or itsecretary@smu.ca) will continue to be supported in the Exchange environment.
I share a generic email address with others. Will that continue to be supported?
Generic shared accounts (e.g. helpdesk@smu.ca or public.affairs@smu.ca) will continue to be supported in Exchange.
How much storage space will I have on the Exchange server?
Each mailbox will have 1GB (roughly 1,000 MB) of storage space on the Exchange server, which is about ten times the amount currently allocated to faculty and staff mailboxes. This allows you to keep your current/active email on the Exchange server for access anywhere, rather than requiring you to download it to your office desktop where it may not be accessible when you need it.
Older/inactive mail can be periodically archived to your desktop computer.
You will be given a web URL to complete a pre-migration checklist, which will provide us with the details we need in order to migrate your mailbox and email address(es). Once that has been completed, we will contact you to arrange a time to make the switch.
Once the migration has taken place, Outlook users on Windows systems will download and execute a simple program to update their mail client to point to the new Exchange server. Users of other environments, such as Entourage/Outlook on Mac, will be stepped through the process required to update their mail clients.
I use Outlook to read my email now.
How will it change once I migrate to Exchange?
Your Outlook environment will look very similar to what you’re used to. You’ll notice a new group of folders called “Mailbox – your name” at the top of the folder list, which contains all your Exchange mail.
When you open Outlook from now on, you will be connected to the new Exchange email server. Any new email will go to the "Mailbox" section at the top of your mail folder listing. Any existing email that you have previously stored on your computer can be found in the "Personal Folders" section for you to access.
I use Outlook 2003. Can I continue to use that with Exchange?
Yes, Outlook 2003 works with the new Exchange environment, but some of the advanced features, such as shared contact lists, are not available. You might want to take this opportunity to upgrade your Microsoft Office suite to 2010 so that you can get the most out of Exchange. If you’re interested in upgrading, contact the HelpDesk at helpdesk@smu.ca or 496-8111
Will my old/existing mail be moved to Exchange?
The existing mail folders and archives on your computer, or shared archives on network drives, will continue to be available to you in Outlook.
If there are any particular messages or folders that you want to keep on the Exchange server so that you can access them when you’re not at your office system, you can drag and drop them into folders in your Exchange mailbox.
I use IMAP to access my mail on the current email server. Will I still have access to that?
Yes, your IMAP folders will remain in your Outlook profile after the migration, so that you can drag and drop your mail folders into the new Exchange mailbox. ITSS will arrange a cut-off date with you before disabling your old mailbox.
I use custom rules right now. How do I move them to my Exchange account?
If you had set up custom rules on your old mailbox, it’s quite easy to import them to use in your new Exchange mailbox as well. Click here for the steps to follow, or contact the HelpDesk if you need assistance.
I don’t use Outlook to read my email now.
Can I continue to use my preferred client?
Any mail client that supports IMAP access (and most do) can access the Exchange mailbox.
Keep in mind, though, that Exchange’s integration with Outlook provides additional benefits and features that you won’t get using other email clients, such as:
- The ability to share contacts, mail folders, and calendars
- Integration between email and calendarYou may want to consider switching to Outlook to get the most out of the new Exchange solution. If you’re interested, you can contact the HelpDesk at helpdesk@smu.ca or 496-8111
Will my old/existing mail be moved to Exchange?
Your existing mail will continue to be available to you through your current mail client. Any mail that remains on the existing SMU mail server can be archived to your desktop or forwarded to your Exchange mailbox. ITSS will arrange a cut-off date with you before disabling your old mailbox.
How do I set up my preferred client to access my Exchange mail?
You will need to identify an IMAP account within your mail client, using the following details:
IMAP settings: outlook.smu.ca
How do I access my mail when I'm not at my desk?
Just log in to SMUport (http://smuport.smu.ca). The email icon ("SMUMail") in the upper right will take you directly into your Exchange mailbox using the Outlook Web Application (OWA).
If you carry your SMU laptop with you, you can use the Outlook client that's installed on it. Depending on your current Outlook settings, you may need to enable the "Outlook Anywhere" feature to access your Exchange mailbox through the Internet. Click here for the steps to follow, or contact the HelpDesk for assistance.
How do I access a generic email address that I share with others?
The simplest way is to access it through the web -- this means that you do not have to have a special profile or other configuration change to Outlook. You can access the Outlook Web Application at https://owa.smu.ca, and login using the credentials for the generic address that you want to access.
I have a Blackberry mobile device. Can I continue to use it with Exchange?
Yes, as part of the email migration process, ITSS will set up a forward for your Blackberry service. Alternatively, we can help you configure your Blackberry service to access Exchange directly if you prefer.
Your existing calendar syncing will remain unchanged until the campus calendar is moved to Exchange in early 2011. At that time, ITSS will establish a local Blackberry Enterprise Server, giving SMU users more control in syncing their Blackberries for both email and calendar.
I have another mobile device. Can I use it with Exchange?
If your mobile device supports ActiveSync (and many do), you will be able to use it with Exchange. For instance, an iPhone can be set up by going into Settings > Mail, Contacts & Calendars > Add Account... and selecting Exchange as the account type, then entering the details listed below. If your mobile device doesn't support ActiveSync, it might support IMAP access instead. In addition, mobile devices that support web access can access the Outlook Web Application at https://owa.smu.ca
You can check your mobile device's documentation for details of how to configure ActiveSync or IMAP connections on it. Information you may need to specify is:
| ActiveSync Settings: | |
|---|---|
Email |
your.name@smu.ca |
Server |
outlook.smu.ca |
Domain |
smunet.smu.ca |
Username/password |
your SMU s-number (e.g. s0123456) and password |
IMAP settings: |
|
|---|---|
Incoming (IMAP) server |
outlook.smu.ca |
Outgoing (SMTP) server |
smtp.smu.ca (or your Internet provider's SMTP server, if you're off campus) |
Username/password |
your SMU s-number (e.g. s0123456) and password |
Use SSL |
yes |
My question isn't answered here. Where should I go for assistance?
For further information, you can contact the ITSS Helpdesk at 496-8111, or click here to submit your question by email.