Making the scheduling add-in available to users

The VMR Scheduling for Exchange feature allows you to create an add-in that enables Microsoft Outlook desktop and Web App users in Office 365 or Exchange environments to quickly and easily add a Pexip VMR to their meeting invitations, enabling any meeting to be held over video.

This topic explains how to make the Pexip VMR Scheduling for Exchange add-in available to Outlook users from their desktop and Web App clients. This involves uploading an XML manifest file to your Microsoft Exchange deployment. There are two ways to do this:

  • For Office 365 users, our recommended method is to use Centralized Deployment. Using this method allows you to deploy the add-in either to all users, or to selected groups of users; when group members are added or removed, the add-in is added or removed accordingly.
  • You can also upload the file via Exchange Admin Center (EAC). Using this method allows you to deploy the same add-in to all users in your Exchange deployment. It is possible to restrict the add-in to a particular group of users using PowerShell, but this is a manual process that must be re-run every time group members are added or removed, and is limited to groups of 1,000 or fewer. For more information, see Restricting the scheduling add-in to specific users.

Prerequisites

Before you start you must have completed steps described in Configuring Pexip Infinity for VMR Scheduling for Exchange.

Downloading the add-in XML file

The add-in XML manifest file contains all the add-in configuration and is generated by the Pexip Infinity Management Node based on the information you provided when Configuring Pexip Infinity for VMR Scheduling for Exchange.

To download the file:

  1. From the Management Node, go to System > VMR Scheduling for Exchange.
  2. Select the VMR scheduling for Exchange integration you have configured.
  3. From the bottom of the page, select Download Exchange add-in manifest.

You must now upload the add-in XML manifest file to your Microsoft Exchange deployment.

Centralized Deployment is Microsoft's recommended way for an Office 365 admin to deploy Office add-ins, provided that the organization meets all requirements for using Centralized Deployment. For information about these requirements, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/office365/admin/manage/centralized-deployment-of-add-ins?view=o365-worldwide.

There are a different ways to upload an add-in XML manifest file using Centralized Deployment. The instructions below are one way; if you do not see the same options when logged in to the Microsoft Office 365 admin center then see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/manage/manage-deployment-of-add-ins for alternatives.

  1. Log in to the Microsoft Office 365 admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com.
  2. From the left-hand panel, select Settings > Integrated apps.

  3. At the top of the Integrated apps page, select Upload custom apps:

  4. From the Upload Apps to deploy page, under Choose how to upload app, select Upload manifest file (.xml) from device and select the file.

    When it has been successfully uploaded you'll see a Manifest file validated notification. Select Next:

    :

  5. From the Add users page, specify whether you want to give access to your Entire organization, or to Specific users/groups. Select Next:

    .

  6. From the Accept permissions requests page, review the permissions and select Next:

  7. From the Review and finish deployment page, select Finish deployment:

    :

  8. After a short delay you see the Deployment completed page. Select Done:

  9. You are returned to the Integrated apps page, which now lists the add-in:

It can take up to 24 hours for the add-in icon to appear to all Outlook users, and users might need to relaunch Office.

When the add-in appears, users will be able to click on it to quickly schedule meetings in Pexip Infinity VMRs.

To upload the add-in XML manifest file to your Microsoft Exchange deployment:

  1. Log in to the Exchange Admin Center (EAC) and select organization > apps (for Exchange 2013) or organization > add-ins (for Exchange 2016).
  2. Select the add icon (+) and then Add from file.
  3. Browse to the manifest XML file and then select Next.

    The Pexip Scheduling Service add-in will appear in the list.

  4. Double click the Pexip add-in to edit it.
  5. Select Make this add-in available to users in your organization.
  6. Select either Optionally, enabled by default or Mandatory, always enabled.

  7. Select Save.

Now, when users access Outlook, the Pexip VMR Scheduling for Exchange add-in will be available for them to use to schedule meetings in Pexip Infinity VMRs. The add-in will be available to all Outlook users in your deployment unless you choose to restrict it to certain users.

Testing the integration

You can test that the add-in is working as expected by logging in to an Outlook client and creating a test meeting, and then joining that meeting using the links that were generated. Note that you should ensure that the test meeting is scheduled to start within the buffer time, otherwise it won't be available to join immediately.

Troubleshooting

If you are having issues installing the add-in, see Troubleshooting VMR Scheduling for Exchange.