Troubleshooting VMR Scheduling for Exchange

This section provides guidance on the troubleshooting of issues with the VMR Scheduling for Exchange feature.

For guidance on the troubleshooting of general issues, see Troubleshooting the Pexip Infinity platform.

When troubleshooting VMR Scheduling for Exchange issues via the Administrator log and the Support log, search for User="schedulingservice". This is an internal system user responsible for all configuration changes relating to the scheduling service (such as creating and deleting scheduled VMRs).

Symptom Possible cause Resolution
General issues
Users are able to use the add-in to generate meeting aliases, but when they send the meeting request they get an email response from the equipment resource with the message configured in the Reject invalid alias ID text field. By default this will begin with This meeting request does not contain valid data, and cannot be processed. The VMR Scheduling for Exchange feature has been enabled on more than one Management Node and both have VMR scheduling for Exchange integrations that are configured with the same equipment resource. This may occur if you have separate test and development environments, each with their own Management Node; you will be prevented from using the same equipment resource for different VMR scheduling for Exchange integrations on the same Management Node. Ensure that each equipment resource is being used by no more than one VMR scheduling for Exchange integration and no more than one Management Node.
A user has changed, removed, or added an invalid meeting ID before the meeting has been accepted by the equipment resource. This ID appears in the format PXPS:-<xxx># or TOK:-<xxx>#. Remind users that they should not edit or delete this text, and use the add-in to generate it.

A user has added the equipment resource as an attendee, but without activating the add-in.

 Remind users that they must always use the add-in to schedule meetings.
The Management Node was offline and did not come back online before the security token expired (usually around 8 hours). Create a new meeting request.
A user has tried to reschedule a meeting that occurred in the past, but the meeting no longer exists in the database because the scheduling service regularly deletes expired meetings. Users should create new meetings rather than attempt to reschedule meetings that have occurred in the past.
There is a long delay between a meeting being scheduled and a response being received from the meeting resource. In deployments where the VMR Scheduling for Exchange feature is receiving consistently high levels of usage (i.e. more than 30 meeting requests per minute), the processing of emails by the equipment resource may be delayed.

The workaround is to:

  1. Split users into several smaller groups.
  2. Create an individual Exchange Integration (with a different equipment resource mailbox) for each group of users.
  3. For each Exchange Integration, deploy the add-in manifest file to that specific group of users only.
Users are able to use the add-in to generate meeting aliases, but when they send the meeting request no response is received from the equipment resource. The scheduling license has expired. Renew the scheduling license or delete the add-in from the Microsoft Exchange server.
The equipment resource has been deleted from the meeting request. Remind users that they must not delete the equipment resource as an attendee.
When a user attempts to activate the add-in, they get message stating that there was an Invalid Token or Token error.

The FQDN in the security token does not match the FQDN of any of the configured Microsoft Exchange servers. This occurs when not all Microsoft Exchange server FQDNs have been configured under Exchange Metadata Domains and URLs.

 Ensure that the FQDN of all Microsoft Exchange servers in your deployment are listed under Exchange Metadata Domains and URLs. This is required even if you are using just one Microsoft Exchange server.
Outlook for Mac users who activate the add-in before they have added any participants to the invitation get the configured Error inserting single-use VMR message. By default this is There was a problem adding the joining instructions. Please try again. This is a known Microsoft issue and has been resolved in Outlook for Mac version 16.27 (19062615). As a workaround, until users have upgraded their clients to Outlook for Mac version 16.27 (19062615) and later, users should add at least one participant to the meeting invitation before they activate the add-in.
Users get the configured Error inserting single-use VMR message. By default this is There was a problem adding the joining instructions. Please try again

along with The token is not valid until <time> and/or

The token is not valid after <time>.

(Mac users)

There is a known issue with Outlook for Mac where time does not synchronize properly after a user's laptop has been "asleep" for a period of time.

 Restart the Outlook for Mac client.

The security token has expired, or is not yet valid.
  • Restart the Outlook client.
  • Check that both the Management Node and the Exchange server are synchronizing their time with an NTP server, and that both systems are showing the same time.
Users who attempt to connect to a VMR get the message "Cannot connect to <alias>. Check this address and try again" or "Invalid conference <alias>". The VMR was created using the VMR Scheduling for Exchange feature but the user is attempting to connect to it outside of the allowed time (which is the scheduled meeting time plus the configured Join before buffer and Join after buffer). Remind users that VMRs created using the VMR Scheduling for Exchange feature are only available for use during the scheduled meeting time.
The equipment resource has accepted the meeting but the scheduled conference is not listed on the Management Node (Services > Scheduled conferences). The equipment resource has automatically accepted the meeting invitation. This is the default behavior for an equipment resource, but in order for VMR Scheduling for Exchange to process meeting invitations, automatic processing must be disabled. Disable automatic processing for the equipment resource - see Configuring Exchange on-premises for scheduling.
When Microsoft's OWA is used to connect to an Office 365 account and an add-in is activated, the absence of a horizontal scroll bar in the add-in panel may mean that not all text is visible. This is a known Microsoft issue. To view all text, VMR Scheduling for Exchange users should either widen the window or pop-out the meeting request.
Users who attempt to join a scheduled meeting by clicking the link under "From a Pexip App" from within the meeting invite get a Microsoft Outlook Security Notice warning that "This location may be unsafe". Links to meetings that are to be opened using the Infinity Connect desktop client begin with pexip: However, Outlook does not recognize the pexip: protocol, so it will bring up a warning when a user attempts to open such links. It is possible to modify the registry to disable warnings for specific protocols. Consult Microsoft support documentation for the appropriate way to do this for your version of Outlook.
Add-in issues
The add-in button appears but is grayed out.

Outlook is not connected to the Exchange Server or is running in Offline or Cached mode.

Ensure that Outlook is connected to the Exchange server and is able to send and receive email.

(Desktop client users)

The user is attempting to use the add-in in a calendar to which they have delegate access.

Enable delegate access - for information, see Support for delegate access to calendars

Alternatively, users can use the OWA client.

The add-in icon has been changed but the old icon is still showing in Outlook clients, even after deleting the Outlook profile. The image icons are being cached on the client device.
  1. Close the Outlook client.

  2. Delete the "Wef" folder which stores the add-in manifests, from the following location:

    For Windows users:
    ..\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Wef

    For Mac users:
    ../Users/<user>/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Outlook/Data/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/AppData/Microsoft/Office/16.0/Wef).

  3. Clear the cache in Internet Explorer, ensuring you delete temporary internet files and website files.
The add-in appears for OWA users, but not for desktop client users Desktop client users' registry settings may be preventing the download and display of the add-in.

Ensure that the users' registry settings include the following settings for downloadcontentdisabled and controllerconnectedservicesenabled (for more information, see Microsoft's documentation):

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\common\privacy]
"downloadcontentdisabled"=dword:00000001
"controllerconnectedservicesenabled"=dword:00000001
The add-in button does not appear, does not show the correct image and/or there is an error loading the add-in.

The Conferencing Node or reverse proxy specified by the Add-in server FQDN does not have a valid, trusted certificate.

To check this, enter the FQDN in a web browser. If the certificate is not valid, a message to that effect will appear.

 Ensure that the Conferencing Node or reverse proxy has a trusted, valid certificate.

The user's device cannot connect to the Conferencing Node or reverse proxy specified by the Add-in server FQDN.

To check this, from a web browser on the same device, attempt to connect to:

https://<Add-in server FQDN>/api/client/v2/msexchange_schedulers/<connector_id>/images/addin_icon_80.png

where <connector_id> is the ID of the VMR scheduling for Exchange integration on the Management Node. To find the ID, select the VMR scheduling for Exchange integration; the ID will be the number that appears between the slashes at the end of the URL. For example, if the URL is

https://testmgr.example.com/admin/platform/msexchangeconnector/1/

the ID is 1.

 Resolve the connection issue between the user's device and the Conferencing Node or reverse proxy.
  The add-in XML manifest file being used by the Outlook client is out of date. This may occur if an Administrator has changed the server FQDN or has re-added a VMR scheduling for Exchange integration without then downloading a new XML file and uploading it to Microsoft Exchange. Ensure that after making any changes to the configuration of a VMR scheduling for Exchange integration on the Management Node, you download a new add-in XML manifest file and then upload the file to Microsoft Exchange.

(Desktop client users)

The add-in XML manifest file has not been received by the Outlook client from the Microsoft Exchange server. To confirm that it has been received:

  1. From the Exchange admin center, select the Pexip add-in and note the version number:

  2. On the user's device, go to the folder for the Outlook manifest files e.g. ..\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Wef\{uuid}\random_string\Manifests\ and check whether there is a file that ends with the same number:

Resolve the connection issue between the Outlook client and the Microsoft Exchange server.

The add-in was specified as Optional..., and the user has disabled it. To check this for Office 365 users:

  1. Log into OWA as the user, and then select Settings.
  2. Search for Manage integrations.
  3. Select My add-ins to view the Add-ins page. The Pexip Scheduling Service should be listed here, and shown as On.
  • Re-enable the add-in.
  • Specify the add-in as Mandatory.

(Desktop client users)

The Outlook email account being used was added manually (rather than via the auto account setup option).

Delete the Outlook email profile and re-add it automatically. Note that DNS must be set up properly to allow the auto-discovery service to work.

(Desktop client users)

The "apps for Office" button has not been enabled.

Ensure that the "apps for Office" button is enabled.

Refer to Microsoft's Outlook add-in troubleshooting guide.

(Desktop client users)

The version of Outlook being used is out of date.

Update Outlook to use the latest available version.

From Outlook 2016 this can be done via File > Office Account > Office Updates.
The pop-up window that opens to allow users to authenticate when using personal VMRs does not automatically close after the user has signed in, and instead appears blank.

(OWA users connecting to Exchange 2016 or 2019)

This is a known issue with OWA (for more information, see https://github.com/OfficeDev/office-js/issues/1286).

 Users can manually close the blank pop-up window and click the sign-in button again. They will not be asked to sign-in again (if they signed in successfully the first time); instead, they will be presented with a list of VMRs to select from, as expected.
OWA users in on-premises Exchange deployments are presented with a message saying that the add-in has been disabled.

Following a recent update to Exchange on-premises, when activating add-ins OWA users are now required to agree that they trust the hosted domain (for more information, see https://github.com/OfficeDev/office-js/issues/1441).

Ensure that your on-premises Exchange servers are updated to the latest Cumulative Update (CU) and run Windows update.

  Other issues not listed above. Refer to Microsoft's Outlook add-in troubleshooting guide.