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Syncing Oracle Calendar with Your PDA

Contact Us

• If you need help installing or upgrading your Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) hardware/software or software that will sync your Oracle Calendar, or
  
• If you need help moving these applications to a new computer

Contact the IT Service Desk (Help Desk) at 646-2999, send e-mail to Help@Dartmouth.edu, or call your department's IT support office.

• What Do I Need Before I Begin?
• How Do I Maintain My Address Book?
• How Do I Install OracleSync on a Macintosh or Windows Computer?
• How Do I Configure the Oracle Sync Software?
• How Do I Install SyncML for Wireless Operation?
• How Do I Configure the SyncML Software?
• How Do I setup SyncML Pro and Todo+Cal+Sync, on my iPhone or iPod Touch for Wireless Operation?

 

If you want to synchronize your Oracle Calendar* with a Palm OS device, you will need to purchase a copy of OracleSync** or SyncML as described below. The Oracle Calendar software provided on the Dartmouth Software Downloads Web site does not include the ability to synchronize data with a PDA.

OracleSync software allows you to sync your desktop Oracle Calendar with your PDA using the cradle or cable that was packaged with your PDA. This software is available for purchase from Computer Sales and Service.

SyncML software allows you to sync your desktop Oracle Calendar with your PDA using the wireless network on campus or the cell phone network used by your PDA (dependent on the PDA model). This software is available for download and purchase from Synthesis AG. The Standard version will be sufficient for most needs. You can download and install SyncML for a 30-day trial before deciding to purchase.

*Previously known as CorporateTime

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What Do I Need Before I Begin?

1. An Oracle Calendar account. All faculty and staff in the DND are eligible for an Oracle Calendar account. To request an account if you do not already have one, send an e-mail message requesting an account to Help@Dartmouth.edu or to your department's IT support office.
2. Oracle Calendar software. The College has a site license for faculty and staff to use Oracle Calendar. A copy of Oracle Calendar can be downloaded from the Software Downloads web page.
3. Sync software. This software is licensed separately from the Oracle Calendar software you run on your Macintosh or Windows computer.
4. A network connection. Your computer must be connected to the Dartmouth network via an Ethernet connection, secure wireless, or over a dial-up line. Note that synchronization over a dial-up connection will be slower. The sync software actually establishes a network connection between the PDA organizer and the Oracle Calendar server located within the Dartmouth network. Both the calendar and task items on the PDA organizer are synchronized directly with the server, and not with a local copy of the information that may exist on your computer. The PDA address book will be synchronized to your (local) Palm Desktop address book (or similar application software) on your computer. If your PDA supports wireless but cannot be configured for access to the Dartmouth Secure wireless network, contact your department's IT support office for assistance.
5. PDA Desktop software. You will need to install and configure the Desktop software that comes with the PDA organizer. This software needs to be installed before the sync software.
6. A connection between your PDA organizer and your computer if your PDA does not offer wireless capability. Depending on the type of computer and PDA you have, you may need the appropriate cradle or USB connection cable that came with your PDA. If your PDA offers wireless service, you can connect using the Dartmouth wireless network, or through your PDA cell phone network. In the latter case, you will only need the cradle or cable connection to install new software or to synchronize the address book information.

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How Do I Maintain My Address Book?

The Oracle Calendar address book does not sync properly with many PDAs. We do not recommend using the Oracle Calendar address book for synchronization. Instead, we recommend using the PDA Desktop address book. You can easily update your address information by entering it in the PDA Desktop address book and, when you connect the cradle or cable to your PDA and press the Sync button, your address information will synchronize with your PDA.

Note: Be sure to follow the instructions carefully on the How Do I Install OracleSync on a Macintosh or Windows Computer web page so that the Oracle Calendar address conduit will not be installed.

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How Do I Install OracleSync on a Macintosh or Windows Computer?

The OracleSync software provides a conduit between the PDA handheld organizer and the Oracle Calendar server. We strongly recommend you contact your department's IT support office for help with setting up OracleSync.

You will need to have the following before you start the installation process:

• Your PDA handheld organizer available and ready to connect to your computer.
• A copy of Palm Desktop version 4.01 or higher (or similar application software).
• An Oracle Calendar sign-on name. Generally, the format is Firstname M Lastname (there usually is no period after the middle initial). You will use this when prompted to enter a username and password for OracleSync.
• The ability to successfully sync your PDA organizer with the PDA Desktop software.
  
  
• Setting Up OracleSync (Macintosh and Windows)

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How Do I Configure the OracleSync Software?

There are several necessary steps to configure Oracle Calendar on your PDA organizer.

• Configuring OracleSync (Macintosh and Windows)

Note: The Oracle Calendar addresses do not sync properly in many instances. We recommend using the Palm Desktop address book (or similar application software) instead for maintaining and synchronizing your address list.

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How Do I Install SyncML for Wireless Operation?

The SyncML software is available for download and purchase from Synthesis AG. On this web page, scroll down to the Downloads section and click Show List of Downloads for the appropriate platform (normally PalmOS). The Standard (STD) version will be sufficient for most needs. Click the link associated with the full package with documentation. On the next web page, you can (optionally) fill in the information required, then scroll to the bottom of that page, check the Acknowledge Acceptance check box, then click Download Now. This will download the software as a compressed (zip) file that you can then open.

Once it decompresses, you will see a folder named Palm_Client_std_en. This folder contains a file named syncml_client_std_en.prc that needs to be installed on your PDA.

To install it on your PDA, run your Palm Desktop software (or similar application software) and open the Quick Install (Windows) or Install Handheld Files menu item (Macintosh) and move the syncml_client_std_en.prc file to the install window. Close the install window. Then perform a sync operation to download the file to your PDA.

Note: You can download and install SyncML for a 30-day trial before deciding if you want to purchase it.

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How Do I Configure the SyncML Software?

We strongly recommend you contact your department's IT support office for assistance with setting up SyncML on your PDA.

Configuration

To configure your SyncML software for use with wireless or cell phone operation, open the SyncML application on your PDA. Click the Synthesis SyncML STD menu item and select Settings.

In the Profile Settings window, enter the following information for each of the fields:

1. SyncML Server URL: https://calendar.dartmouth.edu/ocst-bin/ocas.fcgi
2. User: Your Oracle Calendar user name.
   
   Note: This name must be your complete DND (BlitzMail) user name.
3. Password: Enter your Oracle Calendar password (this is your BlitzMail password; you may need to enter it twice).

Under the Synchronize databases section, click the check box next to Events. If you also want to synchronize Tasks, be sure to check that box as well.

Click the More button.

In the next window, enter ./Calendar/Events for the Events Server Path.

In this section, you can also specify the range of dates you wish to synchronize. The default is to synchronize information from 30 days prior to the current date through 90 days from the current date. The current date is the day on which you synchronize. There is no hard and fast rule on what is best; it depends on what you find convenient to have on your PDA organizer and the amount of memory (RAM) your PDA has available. The more data you sync, the longer it will take to sync your data, and the more memory it will use. Setting the date range on your PDA will not affect the information that is already in your Oracle Calendar program that is on your computer.

Note: It is a good idea to test the installation with a short date range first to be sure that calendar events sync properly from your desktop calendar to your PDA and vice versa. After synchronizing and verifying both calendars, go back and reset the date ranges to those desired and sync again.

If you are synchronizing tasks, enter ./Calendar/Tasks for the Tasks Server Path.

Note: Be sure to enter the URL and Path information exactly as it is shown above or it will not synchronize properly.

Click Done, then OK.

Click the double-arrow synchronize button next to Start; your synchronization should begin. Once it completes, check your PDA calendar and your Oracle Calendar events for the date ranges you specified.

Registration

Once you purchase your SyncML software from Kagi.com, you should follow the registration instructions that were e-mailed to you by Kagi. Be sure to enter the information exactly as presented and as the instructions indicate. You can purchase the software anytime during the 30-day trial period and enter the registration information to allow continued use of the SyncML software.

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How Do I setup SyncML Pro and Todo+Cal+Sync, on my iPhone or iPod Touch for Wireless Operation?

Purchase and download

Both SyncML Pro and Todo+Cal+Sync can be purchased from the iTunes AppStore.

Configuration

Follow the above instructions in the How Do I Configure the SyncML software?

Features

SyncML PRO

• Directly synchronizes the native iOS calendars.
• By including desktop (iCal) calendars via iTunes, these can now be kept in sync with SyncML services!
• Synchronizes single or multiple calendars, represents them with category labels in sync
• Only available for iOS 4 and later (so iPad sync will be possible only when iOS 4 is released for the iPad in fall 2010)
• Some aspects (in particular: attendee information) of the calendars can not be synchronized, Apple's API is limited.

Todo+Cal+Sync

• Also includes advanced tasks manager integrated with the calendar
• Separate calendar can synchronize more features (in particular, attendees) than SyncML PRO, because it is not restricted by Apple's limited calendar API.
• Works on both iPhoneOS 3.x and iOS 4.
• Has different audible reminders to select from (iOS 4 only)
• Cannot connect to iCal calendars or other calendar data synchronized via iTunes.

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