BMD NTCS synchronization with Exchange / Office 365

Minimum requirements

Operating system:

Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2016
Windows Server 2019

Mail server:

Exchange 2010 SP3
Exchange 2013 SP1
Exchange 2016
Exchange 2019
Office 365

Please make sure that the initial installation of BMD NTCS has been completed successfully.
The service has to be set up directly on the BMD NTCS server.

A) Installing BMDSyncService

Install the file BMDSyncService.exe with the /INSTALL parameter.

Example:
D:\PROGRAMME\BMDSoftware\BMDSyncService.exe /INSTALL

Next, you have to start the service under System control → Management → Services:

B) BMD NTCS settings for the service

BMD NTCS → Tools → Overview of all Tools parameters → Overall system → General settings

Configure the following settings under 4 - Communication system:

Activate synchronization:

1 – Yes

Communication system:

4 – EWS Managed API

Communication server:

Name or IP address of the mail server.

If you are using SSL, please enter the name that is specified in the certificate in order to avoid certificate errors.

Communication port:

80 (without SSL)

443 (with SSL)

SSL-Encryption:

0 – No (without SSL)

1 – Yes (with SSL)

Database:

Please enter the full alias of the BMD NTCS database.

User-ID:

Specify a BMD NTCS user who is a member of the group BMD in BMD NTCS.

Password:

Password of the user you have specified above

Event server:

IP address or name of the BMD NTCS server where BMDSyncService is installed. For Office 365, the public IP address which was used to set up port forwarding must be stored.

Event port:

You can choose the port number freely. The default port number is 9090.

Recipient of notifications (Meldungsempfänger):

This is the address that status information and notifications by the synchronization service are sent to.

Synchronization interval:

Duration of interval; indicates frequency of synchronization

Caution!

When Windows Firewall is active, the service (BMDSyncService.exe) has to be added to the exceptions (TCP + UDP)!

Caution!

If you use Office 365, this port needs to be accessible from the internet (in order for the Office 365 server to reach BMDSyncService). For this purpose, you have to set up a port forwarding for the event server (= server on which BMDSyncService is run). In the BMD NTCS parameters you have to enter the public IP address or the DNS name for port forwarding.

Caution!

Whenever settings are changed in BMD NTCS, you have to restart BMDSyncService in the services!

C) Disable SSL encryption – only if you want to synchronize via port 80 (without SSL) – not recommended!

To do so, expand ‘Default Web Site’ in the IIS Manager (Start → Run → InetMgr) and select the virtual directory ‘EWS’. Start the SSL settings on the right-hand side and in the new window deselect the option ‘Require SSL’.

D) Creating a user for synchronization

BMD NTCS → Tools → Login details → Synchronisation login details

Store the synchronization login details of your own user:

Synchronize:

Yes

Synchronize dates:

Yes, if desired

Synchronize tasks:

Yes, if desired

User (Domäne/Benutzer):

Enter your own Windows user including the domain prefix.

Password:

Enter your own password.

Confirm with OK and restart BMD NTCS.

Please note that the first synchronization can take up to an hour.

After restarting BMD NTCS you should verify the connection and the stored access data by clicking the button ‘Check login details’. The result should look as follows:

From this point on, synchronization in both directions should work. However, as previously mentioned, the first synchronization can take up to an hour.

If the synchronization was not successful, please check the to two log files (BMDMergeService.log and BMDErr-%username%.log) on the server in the share BMDNTCS_PGMDATA\LOG.

E) Employee master data

You have to create a user for the employee in the employee master data (in BMD NTCS under → Master data → Persons → Employee) and fill out the following fields correctly:

1. User-ID
2. E-mail

F) Adjusting BMD NTCS permissions

In order for the users to use the synchronization service you have to grant them the following permissions in BMD NTCS:

Tools → Administration → Authorization → Authorizations

Then select the respective group that the user is/the users are part of and allow the function on the right-hand side (right-click – Allow feature or by button 'Allow function' (F3))

1. CRM/Office- a. document management → CRM → Dates → Synchronisation CRM