Synchronizing Your Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) with Oracle Calendar

If you have any question, please contact the Computing Help Desk at 646-2999 and select from the options provided, send electronic mail to help@dartmouth.edu, or call your department's computing support office.

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Introduction

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.

Note: If you need help installing or upgrading your Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) hardware/software or software that will sync your Oracle Calendar, or you need help moving these applications to a new computer, contact your department's computing support office.

*Previously known as CorporateTime
**Previously known as CorporateSync

Who Needs This Information?

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Anyone who would like to synchronize their Oracle Calendar agenda and task items with their Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Although there are some differences between the way Oracle Calendar and the PDA organizer present this information, it is nevertheless very useful to have your agenda on your PDA when you are away from your computer.

Note: Trying to synchronize the Oracle Calendar address book to a PDA produces very unreliable results and often will not work at all. If you wish to maintain an address book on your PDA, we recommend using the Palm Desktop address book (or similar application software), which can be synchronized along with the Oracle Calendar agenda and task items.

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What Do I Need Before I Begin?

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An Oracle Calendar account. All faculty and staff in the DND are eligible for an Oracle Calendar account. If you do not have one, send an e-mail message requesting an account to help@dartmouth.edu or to your department's computing support office.
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.
Sync software. This software is licensed separately from the Oracle Calendar software you run on your Macintosh or Windows computer. Information about the OracleSync and SyncML software is mentioned in the Introduction.
A network connection. Your computer must be connected to the Dartmouth network via an Ethernet connection, wireless, or over a dial-up line. Note that synchronization over a dial-up connection may be much 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.
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.
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?

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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?

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The OracleSync software provides a conduit between the PDA handheld organizer and the Oracle Calendar server. We strongly recommend you contact your department's computing 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 on a Macintosh
Setting Up OracleSync on Windows

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Setting Up OracleSync On a Macintosh

To avoid problems, we strongly advise you to contact your department's computing support office for assistance in setting up your PDA to sync with Oracle Calendar.

Note: Palm Desktop (or similar application software) must be installed on your computer before you install OracleSync.

Install OracleSync

Insert the OracleSync CD into your computer.
Double-click the CD icon on your desktop to open it.
Double-click the Macintosh folder, then copy the cal_syncpalm_macOSX_904210.hqx file to your desktop.
Double-click the cal_syncpalm_macOSX_904210.hqx file to expand the installer.
Double-click the Oracle Calendar Sync Installer icon on your desktop. Click the lock to begin the authentication process. You will need to enter your computer's Administrator password for your computer to install the software. After you enter the computer's password, the installation process begins. The installation process can take several minutes.
Once the installation has completed, click DONE. Drag the installer CD, the installer, and the installer log icons to the Trash to eject/remove them.

Manage the Conduits

Before syncing for the first time, you will need to switch the Oracle Calendar Address Conduit and the Palm Address Conduit in the Conduits and Disabled Conduits folders.

Open your hard drive, then open the Library folder, then the Application Support folder, then the Palm Hot Sync folder.
Move the Address Conduit from the Disabled Conduits folder to the Conduits folder. Move the Oracle Calendar Address Conduit from the Conduits folder to the Disabled Conduits folder.

Transfer Oracle Calendar to Your PDA

In order for OracleSync to communicate between your PDA and the server, you will need to manually transfer the Oracle Calendar program to your PDA device.

Open the Add-on folder found within the Applications\Palm folder.
Select and Copy the Oracle Calendar Sync.prc file.
Open the Files to install folder found within the Users\(your Macintosh account name)\Documents\Palm\Users\(your Palm user name) folder.
Paste in the Oracle Calendar Sync.prc file.

Configure Your PDA

Finally, you need to sync your PDA, define the appropriate settings, and sync the PDA again.

Sync your PDA. This will install Oracle Setup on your PDA.
Find the program Oracle Setup on your PDA and click once to open it.
In the Sign-in window, enter your User Name and Password as you would for Oracle Calendar.
In the Server field, enter corptime.dartmouth.edu.
In the Node field, enter 1.
In the Dates, Events, and Tasks options in the pull-down menu, enter the date ranges you want to synchronize and configure the other options as you want each to be handled between your desktop and your PDA. Nothing needs to be done in the Addresses window.

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.
Sync your PDA again.

Setting Up OracleSync on Windows

Note: Palm Desktop (or similar application software) must be installed on your computer prior to installing OracleSync.

Installing the Software

Insert the OracleSync CD into your computer.
If the CD doesn't open automatically, double-click My Computer. Double-click the icon for your CD drive, then double-click on the Windows folder, then the Palm folder and the cal_syncpalm_win_1011.exe icon.
An InstallShield Wizard window will appear. It will take a minute to extract the files and prepare the installation. When prompted, click Next. Note: You may see the prompt, "Oracle Calendar Sync for Palm 10.1.1 optionally uses the Microsoft (R).NET 1.1 Framework. Would you like to install it now?" Select No.
The next window will ask you to select a destination folder. Select the default by clicking Next.
A Setup Type window will appear. Click Custom. In the Custom Setup window, select the DateBook Conduit, then select This feature, and all subfeatures, will be installed on local hard drive from the DateBook Conduit pull-down menu. All sub-features will be installed on your local hard drive.
Repeat the process for the To Do List Conduit.
Important: From the Address Conduit pull-down menu, select This feature will not be available. This will decline using the Oracle Calendar Address conduit and retain the Palm Address conduit.
Click Next, then Install to begin the installation.
When the installation has completed, click Finish.

Defining Synchronization Settings

When the installation is complete, the Synchronization Settings window appears.
In the Sign-in dialog box, enter your User Name and Password as you would for Oracle Calendar.
In the Server field, enter corptime.dartmouth.edu.
In the Node field, enter 1.
In the Date Book and To Do Item options, enter the date ranges you wish to synchronize. Configure the other options as you want each to be handled between your desktop and your PDA organizer.

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.
Click Ok to exit the Synchronization Settings window.
Restart your computer, if prompted.

Configuring HotSync Manager

Open Palm Desktop by selecting Start - All Programs - palmOne - Palm Desktop.
From the HotSync menu, select Custom.
In the Custom dialog box, double-click on the Date Book (Oracle Calendar) conduit item.
In the Change HotSync Action dialog box, select Full Synchronization, then click OK.
If you want to synchronize your Oracle Calendar To Do list, perform steps 3 and 4 for the To Do List (Oracle Calendar) conduit item.
Double-click the Calendar conduit item and in the Change HotSync action dialog box, select Do Nothing. This is the calendar for Palm Desktop. You must set this to Do Nothing to prevent a conflict during the synchronization process.
If you have set To Do List (Oracle Calendar) to Full Synchronization, you must set Tasks to Do Nothing.
When you have finished making the Custom settings, click Done.

After completing the above steps, click the HotSync button on your PDA cradle or cable to synchronize the data from your Oracle Calendar account to your PDA organizer.

Note: Use Purge Events from the Tools menu in Palm Desktop to remove old events from your PDA. This speeds up the synchronization process and lessens the likelihood of conflicts with corrupted data.

How Do I Configure the OracleSync Software?

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

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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Setting Up Your Sign-in Information

For Windows Users

Select the PDA Synchronization settings program from your computer by clicking Start, All Programs, Oracle Calendar Sync for Palm, then Settings.

User: Your Oracle Calendar user name. [Note: This name must be your complete DND (BlitzMail) user name.]
Password: Enter your Oracle Calendar password (this is your BlitzMail password; you will need to enter it twice).
Server: Enter corptime.dartmouth.edu.
Node: Enter 1.

Select OK when you are finished.

For Macintosh Users

Locate and click on the Oracle Setup application on your PDA handheld organizer:
Select Sign-In from the menu:
Enter your Oracle Calendar account information into the Sign-In screen (see illustration below):

User: Your Oracle Calendar user name. [Note: This name must be your complete DND (BlitzMail) user name.]

Password: Enter your Oracle Calendar password (this is your BlitzMail password; you will need to enter it twice).

Server: Enter corptime.dartmouth.edu.

Node: Enter 1.

If you attempt to HotSync with Oracle Setup improperly configured, an error message will be reported in the HotSync log. If you have trouble or get an error when syncing, check the HotSync log on your computer. It may help you determine what is causing the problem.

Please Note: If you change your DND password for any reason, you will need to also make this change under Sign-in from the Oracle Setup menu.

Specifying a Range of Dates to Synchronize

For Windows Users

Select the PDA synchronization settings program from the Start menu by clicking Start, All Programs, Oracle Calendar Sync for Palm, then Settings.

Under Date Book, select Date Range. Enter the range of dates you wish to synchronize. The default is to synchronize information from one week prior to the current date through one month 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.

When you are finished, click OK.

For Macintosh Users

Locate and click on the Oracle Setup application on your PDA organizer.
Select Dates from the menu.
Enter the range of dates you wish to synchronize. The default is to synchronize information from one week prior to the current date through one month from the current date. The "current date" is the day on which you synchronize. There's 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.

Setting Up the Specifics for Synchronizing Events

For Windows Users

Click Start, All Programs, Oracle Calendar Sync for Palm, then Settings.
In the left-hand pane of the Synchronization Settings window, expand the Date Book list item.
Click Settings.
The Date Book Settings provide checkboxes for the following:
1. Limit Details to control the amount of PDA memory used.
2. Add Attendee names to Notes.
3. Add Oracle Web Conferencing information to Notes.
4. Synchronize Refused Events.
5. Add Location to Title.
When you have finished defining your Date Book settings, click OK.

For Macintosh Users

Locate and tap on the Oracle Setup application on your PDA organizer:
Select Events from the Oracle Calendar menu:
This screen allows you to control the information synchronized between your Oracle Calendar events and the calendar on your PDA organizer. If you include attendee information, synchronization will occur at a slower rate. If you include extensive detail in this field in Oracle Calendar, more memory will be used on your PDA. If you select Limit Event Details, you can specify the maximum amount of detail information that will be transferred to your PDA. The default is 4 Kilobytes.

Setting the Task and To-do Items Parameters

For Windows Users

From your computer, select the PDA synchronization settings program by clicking Start, All Programs, Oracle Calendar Sync for Palm, then Settings.

Under To Do List, you can adjust the parameters for your To Do items.

Settings: This screen allows you to limit the size of each item, saving space on your PDA device. The size amount is variable.
Date Range: You can limit the dates of items to a specified date range and automatically remove out-of-date items.
Rules: This specifies whether the server overwrites the information on the PDA device or visa-versa.

When you are finished, select OK.

For Macintosh Users

Locate and click on the Oracle Setup application on your PDA handheld organizer:
Select Tasks from the menu:
This screen allows you to control how Oracle Calendar tasks are synchronized with the to-do list on your PDA organizer. The default will not synchronize tasks and to-do items flagged as completed, and will transfer all details associated with a task or to-do item. If you want to synchronize completed tasks, simply check that box. As with events, you can limit the amount of detail information that is transferred. Selecting Limit Task Details presents you with a field to specify the maximum amount of detail information that will be transferred; the default is 4 Kilobytes.

How Do I Install SyncML for Wireless Operation?

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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 computing 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:

SyncML Server URL: https://calendar.dartmouth.edu/ocst-bin/ocas.fcgi
User: Your Oracle Calendar user name.

Note: This name must be your complete DND (BlitzMail) user name.
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.