How to Sync PST Calendar with Exchange Server?

A Workaround to Successfully Sync Outlook Calendar with Exchange Server

MS Outlook email program is a powerful standalone mailing tool used widely for the purpose of storing personal info. But, Outlook as a standalone tool works only to send/receive any email data; and there does not exist and exact process for ‘sharing’ any data on this MS Outlook email platform. Still, the client-server collaborative setup brings it with the provision for sharing data with similar domain users. MS Exchange server’s use is largely becoming a kind of backbone for corporate entities, business houses and professional enterprises all over the world for it renders state quality on a larger scale. This emailing client explains the process to sync PST calendar with Exchange Server Calendar as a procedure to share that with some other users of the server-forest.

Syncing of Outlook PST calendar with MS Exchange Server’s Calendar

What is the exact need of sharing components? Why is it required to share MS Outlook data when it is possible to exchange it through send & receive? The answer to these questions is – in spite of all the available methodologies or data exchanging workarounds, MS Outlook program users need to share data due to their data limits. MS Outlook produces a proprietary data storing format file for its profile, which is the Personal-Storage-Table file or the PST file.

The Actual Problem Faced

A PST file is a proprietary file, restricted to individual usage only. Unlike shared folders on MS Exchange platforms, there does not exist any such in MS Outlook program. Therefore, PST file can be used only by the user owning it and no other user in ‘sharing’. PST file is neither designed in such a way nor structured in the way for supporting such shared access. This is the same case as with a Personal-Address-Book inheriting similar traits; thus, can’t be read by 2 different users simultaneously.

NOTE: Users can’t merge PST calendar with Exchange calendar completely through send & receive, rather meeting request can be sent to some user to notify him about this.

Sharing Outlook Calendar with MS Exchange Calendar Using Synchronization

The option for component-sharing has already been integrated in the MS Outlook program. But, only one condition that has to be fulfilled is that the connectivity for MS Exchange Server environment is a must. Let us look at the process of sharing calendar and know the process to synchronize PST calendar with Exchange Server calendar.

NOTE: This is applicable to MS Outlook 2010 program version

The Conditions Applied

The user who needs to share the calendar, along with that user with whom calendar needs to be shared; both must be having MS Exchange account in the same network-domain. The calendar or calendars that would be shared would be visible only to those users who are assigned the permissions for doing it.

NOTE: If any user attempts towards viewing other user’s calendar when permissions are assigned to him; then, Outlook program automatically prompts to ask for it.

Steps for Sharing the Calendar

1. First and foremost, you need to open the Outlook’s Calendar component
2. Now, go to Home tab (if it is not open)
3. And then, in the Share group of the tab, you have to click the button for “Share Calendar” for beginning the process
4. On the screen for Sharing Invitation, you have to specify user’s name to whom calendar would be shared in ‘To’ box that is provided
5. And finally, enter/choose other options for customizing as per requirements just like it is done while sending any mail messages through this MS Outlook program

The RESULT of Syncing Outlook Calendar with Exchange Server

When done with the sharing part, the user who is the recipient gets a mail at his end, rather notifying that you have shared your calendar with him. Additionally, it can also be requested by you to the recipient for sharing his MS Exchange Calendar with you to be viewed.

NOTE: Any calendar that is shared once automatically gets listed in the list of Shared-Calendars inside the Navigation-Pane offering easy access to the users. If sharing such a calendar is required that is not the default Calendar, that calendar, in particular, can be shared from this navigation-pane using the option for Share-Calendar-Name.

Conclusion

Above, we discussed about the process to sync Outlook PST calendar with Exchange Server calendar. In absence of MS Exchange Server, you can employ other ways that are available for synching calendars or sharing calendars from MS Outlook program. One of the most recommended solutions is to use some 3rd party tool for this purpose.