11.0 FirstClass Synchronization Services End User Guide
About FirstClass Synchronization Services
FirstClass Synchronization Services (FCSS) provides SyncML and ActiveSync interfaces for FirstClass systems. SyncML and ActiveSync are industry standard protocols supported by a wide variety of handheld devices and desktop applications as a way to synchronize important user data between a server and those devices/applications.
FCSS must be installed on your FirstClass system by your administrator. With FCSS installed, you can synchronize your FirstClass calendar events, contacts, and tasks with up to four remote devices and applications. These can include mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants, and standards-based email clients.
Your SyncML or ActiveSync enabled device communicates with FCSS by sending commands through a standard HTTP data connection over a wired or wireless data network.
This help applies to FirstClass Synchronization Services version 11.
Making sure your device can support synchronization
Some handheld devices and applications have built in synchronization support, some need third party software added to support synchronization, and some can't be made to support synchronization.
Check your device's manual or contact your system administrator or device manufacturer to find out if your device can support synchronization and, if so, whether it uses SyncML or ActiveSync and whether you need to install any third party software.
 NotesIf your device supports both SyncML and ActiveSync, choose only one of these to use. Don't use both.
If you previously used SyncML and would now like to use ActiveSync, see the device configuration details for ActiveSync below for information about how to make this switch.
Configuring your device for SyncML synchronization
1 Locate and open the device's synchronization settings or profile.
This has different names on different devices.
2 Enter the URL of the FirstClass Synchronization Services server as provided by your system administrator.
It will look something like this:
http://<IP address of synchronization server>
3 Enter your FirstClass user ID and password in the appropriate fields.
4 Enter the data types you want to synchronize, named to match FirstClass as follows:
For data type |
Enter |
contacts |
contacts |
calendar events |
calendar |
calendar tasks or to-do items |
tasks |
Configuring your device for ActiveSync synchronization
Notes
If your device supports both SyncML and ActiveSync, choose only one of these. Don't use both.
To switch from SyncML to ActiveSync synchronization, configure for ActiveSync, as detailed below, make sure all your data is on FirstClass, then delete all the data on your device and resync from FirstClass with ActiveSync.
To configure for ActiveSync
1 Locate and open the device's synchronization settings or profile.
This has different names on different devices.
2 Clear "Attempt to detect Exchange Server settings automatically".
3 Enter the URL of the FirstClass Synchronization Services server as provided by your system administrator.
It will look something like this:
http://<IP address of synchronization server>
4 Enter your FirstClass user ID and password in the appropriate fields.
5 Enter any domain name.
6 Select the data types you want to synchronize:
• contacts
• calendar
• tasks
If you want to activate ActiveSync "push"
 CautionUsing "push" can have detrimental effects on the battery life of your device.
1 Choose Menu > Schedule.
2 Select "As items arrive" synchronization for both peak times and off-peak times.
Note
If this option is not available to you, you may need to upgrade your ActiveSync client to a newer version.
Configuring your FirstClass account for synchronization
You use the forms on the Handheld Devices tab of your Preferences form to configure how you want FirstClass to synchronize with your devices. The first time that you synchronize with a new device, FCSS automatically fills in the first available (non-active) device form. Your device provides FCSS with the data for the "Unique identifier" and "Information" fields and FCSS fills in those fields and places a checkmark in the "Active" checkbox of that device form.
You can configure your devices on these forms even if you have not yet synchronized and so the device forms are blank. Just make sure that if, for example, you configure the Device 1 form for your BlackBerry, and the Device 2 form for another client, you sync your BlackBerry for the first time before syncing the other client for the first time.
You can use these forms to configure:
• how conflicts between the data on FirstClass and the data on the device are to be resolved
• a threshold date for the synchronization of calendar events and tasks
• whether you want to export/import attendees with calendar events
• the level of data to be exchanged in the next synchronization
• whether deletions on the device are to be synchronized to FirstClass.
To do this
1 Choose Edit > Preferences on your FirstClass Desktop.
2 Select the configuration options you want on the appropriate Handheld Devices forms.
 TipIf you have more than four devices to sync, you can free up one of the device forms by clearing the Active checkbox temporarily while you sync another device.
More detailed help with filling in these forms is available in the Preferences form help in Online Help.
Configuring your FirstClass contact forms for synchronization
1 Choose Edit > Preferences on your FirstClass Desktop.
2 Select Default at "Contact form" on the General tab.
This will change the format of your existing contact forms as well as any new contacts you add.
Configuring which FirstClass contacts are synchronized with which devices
You can configure your FirstClass contacts to be synchronized with some devices and not with others.
Note
The default is for all your FirstClass contacts to be synchronized with all your devices, so you only need to configure this if you don't want that default behaviour.
To do this
1 Choose File > Open > Contacts on your FirstClass Desktop.
2 Open the contact you wish to synchronize to a specific device.
3 Select the checkboxes on the Notes tab that correspond to the devices you want to sync this contact with.
You must have an 8.3 or higher client to see these fields.
Synchronizing
Once you've synchronized a particular device with your FirstClass account for the first time, you can start synchronizations any time just using the menu command or button your device provides for syncing. There are some special considerations and tasks involved in doing the initial sync, though, as explained below.
Before synchronizing a device for the first time
It's a good idea to make a copy of your contacts, calendar events, and tasks on FirstClass before you sync a device for the first time, so that they can be restored in the event of a synchronization mishap.
To copy your contacts
1 Choose File > Open > Contacts.
2 Choose File > Export.
The Export Contacts form opens.
3 Select "All Contacts" and "vCard (.vcf)".
To copy your calendar events and tasks
1 Choose File > Open > Calendar.
2 Choose File > Export.
The Export Calendar form opens.
3 Select "iCalendar (.ics)".
Synchronizing a device for the first time
We recommend you do a one-way sync the first time to avoid duplication of entries in cases where your data is similar but not exactly the same on your FirstClass account and your device.
To cause a one-way sync, do one of the following:
• Delete all data on the device after making sure that it's all on the FirstClass server (recommended).
• Delete (or move to another container) all contacts on the FirstClass server, leaving the Contacts container empty. Make sure all of your contacts are on the device.
• Consolidate your FirstClass and device contacts to eliminate the possibility of duplicates.
To synchronize
1 Open the SyncML or ActiveSync client on your device.
2 Choose the profile you saved when you configured your device for synchronization.
3 Select the database(s) you want to synchronize.
4 Start the synchronization.
When you synchronize a device with FirstClass for the first time, it performs a slow (full) synchronization. FirstClass Synchronization Services (FCSS) goes through each candidate data item, determines whether it needs to be synchronized or not, and marks the fact that it has been synchronized. Subsequent synchronizations are much faster because only new or changed items are examined.
5 Once the initial synchronization is complete do it one more time.
The server and your remote device should agree on a simple 2-way synchronization. Since none of the data has changed, the synchronization should take just a few seconds. This repeat process provides a confirmation that both ends are synchronized, and should only be necessary after your initial synchronization.
Error/Information messages you may receive
FCSS automatically provides notifications to your FirstClass mailbox whenever a condition exists that needs your attention and/or intervention, as follows:
- a "push" is detected (the message warns you that it may have detrimental effects on the device battery life)
- an attempt to register a fifth device is detected
- a picture is not synced because of a corrupt contact picture
- a new device is registered (this is just an informational message).
If you want to use Calendar and Contact subcontainers
Note
This feature is currently supported only for iTouch and iPhone with ActiveSync.
Calendars and Contacts can contain subcontainers that will be enumerated as part of the parent container. These subcontainers will appear by name as separate groups and their contents will be synchronized to the corresponding group on the device. You can create multiple groups but shared Contacts and Calendars by other users are protected and any modifications on the iPhone will not be propagated to FirstClass. Also, only subcontainers in the next level will be synchronized. Any subcontainers two or more levels deep will not be synchronized. This feature can be used to hide from FCSS any subcontainers that should not be synchronized yet should still be available to the FirstClass client for search (for example, special subcontainers with large numbers of business contacts that should not be synchronized).
Creating a new group on your iPhone
1 Create a new Contacts or Calendar database and populate it.
2 Drag and drop that new folder into the main Contacts or Calendar folder.
3 Synchronize.
When synchronization is completed iPhone will have two groups, Contacts (Calendar) and the new one. You can toggle between the two.
Removing an existing group from your iPhone
1 Drag the group you want to remove from the Contacts or Calendar folder on to your FirstClass Desktop or some other folder.
2 Synchronize.
The group and all its contents will be removed from the iPhone.
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