NotifyLink software

[cmcnabb]

I don't know if this is the right place to ask this question, but I figured why not.

We are interested in using the NotifyLink piece, but don't really want to set up a machine running Win2K or 2k3 to do it. We have been tossing around ideas, and today we realized we have another option. We are currently running VMWare on one of our RHES3 boxes. Does anyone know whether or not we could install 2k or 2k3 in a VM shell and run NotifyLink through it? We really don't want to go the full route of a separate box since, from what I read here and from them, a Linux version might likely be available later this year, once they have been able to test it thoroughly.

For the record, I have already contacted Notify with this question, but wanted to put it here to see if anyone within Scalix has had any luck, or if someone else tried this and had success or failure. It also provides an option for someone who might want to use the software, but not build a new machine for it.

Thanks,
-Chad

[BigJoe]

We have tried it but don't recommend it. If you are testing it - it isn't bad but if you are trying to sync 100 contacts and 50 appts to one account you will see the VM crawl on it's knees. I would definately recommend using an external MS SQL server. We moved it to a physical server and it still thrashes when doing large contact and appointment loads.

[cmcnabb]

Oh, it's just testing. We only have like 5 devices that would be using it, and the machine we are putting it in is a horse. 4 GB of RAM with a 2.8 GHz processor. Only running VMware, with 2 other shells, and no major usage. Worst case scenario, we have it on the machine until the Linux version is available later this year.

[RickC]

Say what? Available for Linux later this year? I did not know they were planning this. Is there a ETA?

Thanks.

Rick

[cmcnabb]

There isn't an official ETA. The rep that I was talking to said that they were looking at a late 2006/early 2007 ETA for it, thanks to all the help they are getting with our friends here at Scalix. Again, nothing official, but it is what I have been told. Delays are always possible.

[florian]

Notify is actually working on porting their NotifyLink Solution to Linux.

Once the actual server is fully available, the Connector component "Scalix Connect for Wireless" that we provided for Notify on Windows will need to be ported and adjusted to the Linux environment; this will actually use different APIs as the ones currently being used on Windows are MAPI related and are not available on Linux.

Bottom line is that there are a number of dependencies and also some serious QA testing will be required. Therefore, as much as we would like to offer a comprehensive Scalix/Wireless solution all based on Linux, we cannot offer a specific timeframe for this. The ETA provided in earlier posts is probably a best-effort educated guessing.

I believe if you want to use the NotifyLink wireless solution, you should now go ahead for a Windows-server based deployment of it and eventually switch over to Linux once this becomes available.

--F

[cmcnabb]

I apologize for getting this turned into an ETA discussion on the Linux port. I understand that the timeframe was best guess, at best, and that nothing official has been announced.

We are going to go ahead and set up the VMWare option, as I said in my original post and see if we can't make it work. Hopefully we will get some good results out of it.

[florian]

Chad, no worries and no need to apologize! ;-) Just wanted to be clear that a full Linux-based wireless solution is certainly a strategic goal for us, but too big an effort to expect it to be round the corner.

Again, stay tuned for a number of exiting Scalix announcements throughout 2006 :-)

-- Florian.