How to configure your MyInbox webpart automatically ?

How to configure your MyInbox webpart automatically ?

 

It seems to be so difficult to configure your SharePoint Outlook webparts automatically, but it isn't !

Last week, I tried everything, but I failed to configure those Outlook webparts.
It seems to be nobody wants to configure a MyInbox automatically for every user on the MySite. I didn't found any website or blog with information, I just found some questions on forums without an answer.

So, Can I conclude that every user must know the servername and his mailboxname ?
No, it's irrealistic in my opinion !
This morning, I had 'one of my famous intelligent moments' *d'oh*

So, here's the one and only, the solution !

Follow the autoConfig lab below to succeed the configuration for every user at runtime

1. Create a new Webpart Library project
2. Override the CreateChildControls

// import section
using Microsoft.SharePoint.Portal.WebControls;

// attributes
private OWAInboxPart wpInbox;

protected override void CreateChildControls()
{
// inbox webpart
wpInbox = new OWAInboxPart();
Controls.Add(configureInbox(wpInbox));
}

3. Create a new method to configure your Inbox webpart. This method will determine the mailboxname and the servername at runtime for a particular user.

private OWAInboxPart configureInbox(OWAInboxPart wpInbox)
{
//Connect to the portal and get the portal context.
TopologyManager topology = new TopologyManager();
PortalSite portal = topology.PortalSites[new Uri(http://servername)];
PortalContext context = PortalApplication.GetContext(portal);

//initialize user profile config manager object
UserProfileManager profileManager = new UserProfileManager(context);
UserProfile prof = profileManager.GetUserProfile(true);



// use the profile object to retrieve the properties you need in your company to
// retrieve the mailboxname
// example: string workmail = prof[PropertyConstants.WorkEmail].ToString();
wpInbox.MailboxName = "kristofdc";
wpInbox.OWAServerAddressRoot = "http://servername/exchange";

return wpInbox;
}

4. Override the RenderWebPart method

protected override void RenderWebPart(HtmlTextWriter output)
{
try
{
wpInbox.RenderControl(output);
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
output.Write(ex.ToString());
}
}

5. And finally you will add a CAB-setup for your custom webpart.
6. Just compile, deploy and use !

Remarks:
This MyInbox example works also with the MyCalendar & MyTasks.

Success garanteed !