[Kroupware] Free/busy vs. Outlook(s)

[konold at erfrakon.de]

On Sat, 5 Apr 2003, Helge Hess wrote:

Hi Helge,

> BTW: if anybody has commercial interest in that, we would consider
> writing a Kroupware backend for our ZideStore server:

Please note that Kroupware is the term describing the contracted project.
The groupware software suite is build around the Kolab server and the KDE
Kolab client. The later is based on the work of the kmail, korganizer,
kaddressbook people and many others.

http://www.kroupware.org/faq/faq.html#General0

"The companies Erfrakon, Intevation and Klarälvdalens Datakonsult have
been contracted by the German Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der
Informationstechnik (BSI) (Federal Agency of IT-Security) to provide a
Free Software groupware solution accessible with Windows running Outlook
and GNU/Linux running KDE clients. These companies do the develop in an
open manner as much as possible and maximise the benefits for the Free
Software community. Kroupware is the name for the activities done by this
group under this contract."

In the feature the KDE Kolab client will be called Kontact and for the
benefit of the Linux Desktop fully integrated into KDE 3.2.

The client which was made within the BSI contract is for KDE 3.1.x

> http://developer.skyrix.com/02_skyrix/zidestore/ >
> so that Outlook and Evolution can be used to access the Kroupware
> calendar, task and address database.

If I understand you correctly you intend to possibly support the Kolab
Server as a message store for Clients like Outlook or Evolution.

In general we are very much interested in Interoperabilty with as many
clients as possible. This is one of the main reasons why we put much
effort in documenting our technology and our usage of open accessable
standards whereever possible.

From a technical point of view I must admit that I currently do not
understand what the zidestore product will help in this regard.

My limited understandig according to
http://developer.skyrix.com/02_skyrix/SxArchitecture.png is that the
zidestore is a middleware in order to translate between proprietary data
typically residing in a database and clients e.g presenting ical to these
clients.

Please be aware of the fact that it is intentional design of the Kolab
groupware to not use a database backend and not to use an application
server.

I have the impression instead of

	Kolab - zidestore - Ximian Connector - Evolution

technically

			Kolab - Evolution

is a much better approach.

Technically turning Evolution into a Kolab clients should not be a big
issue. Basically there are _no_ KDE specific technolgies in the API
between the clients and the server and Evolution already knows about how
to interpret the data formats used within the Kolab Groupware.

IMHO the work with Evolution is not mainly transport or data format (e.g.
API) but GUI related. Evolution needs some extra work for full support of
the the Groupware Features in the GUI which as it looks to me the
zidestore is not trying to solve.

On the other hand having yet another alternativ to Bynari Connector and
the Konsec Konnector in order to access a Kolab Server is imho a very good
thing. Though again I have to admit that I currently do not understand
what are the supposed benefits of putting an extra piece of middleware
inbetween.

To me it looks like you proposal is like:

	Kolab - zidestore - zidelook - Outlook

I think that

	Kolab - "some connector" - Outlook

is faster, more scalable and easier to deploy. The later is the technical
approach of both Bynari and Konsec.

Of course a native Kolab client for the windows platform which in addition
avoids many security related problems of Outlook is most interesting.

	Kolab - native Win32 client

On the other hand I am currently investigating the technically best way of
designing a Kolab web client capable of handling everything the KDE Kolab
clients is already offering in a secure, scalable and maintainable manner.


Regards,
-- martin

Dipl.-Phys. Martin Konold

e r f r a k o n
Erlewein, Frank, Konold & Partner - Beratende Ingenieure und Physiker
Nobelstrasse 15, 70569  Stuttgart, Germany
mobil: 0175 4148693
fax: 0175 13 4148693
email: martin.konold at erfrakon.de