Server scripts (2003 SP2)

[dbustell]

Running Small Business Server Exchange 2003 and clients on Outlook 2003:

I want to automatically send a monthly reminder message to a distribution group. My research indicates it could be possible using a server side script. I have located and installed the "Server Scripting" add-in in Outlook. Now I can't figure out how to invoke a "Server Script" nor can I find any documentation other than how to install it.

[BTW, I did find out how to use CDO and the task scheduler on the server but I would like a method that does not require an administrator mucking about on the server.]

TIA,
Donald

[HansV]

I don't know anything about scripting Exchange, but a Google search for exchange server script or exchange "server scripting" turns up a lot of information that looks useful.

[dbustell]

I spent over 2 hours yesterday going through all that stuff as well as digging through all the crap at Micro$oft.
The "how to's" all reference Outlook 2002 and Exchange 5.5 and from that I was able to locate the add-in. But the interface for Exchange changed from 5.5 to 2003 (version 6) and I can't find the equivalent rat hole in my version to enable it. The technet stuff at M$ only covers how to recover the add-in if you "accidently delete" it. There is nothing, nowhere, nohow that tells me how to use the dang thing or where to invoke it.

I have been earning money working on computers for over 30 years and one thing I can tell you is, the quality of manuals has gone down the tubes . . . big time. It's web sites like this that allow work to get done as people share their discoveries.

Sorry for barking at you, but this is a relatively minor documentation frustration compared to some of the other things I have been working on for the last couple days.

Thanks for the reply - no one even acknowledged this question over at Petri.
Donald

PS. Why would they even have the thing available if no one knows how to use it and there's no documentation? IMWTK

[JohnBF]

Have a look at, and search elsewhere on, these sites:

http://www.outlookcode.com/archive0/d/scripting.htm
http://www.msexchange.org/pages/sear...ery=script#TUT (see the articles on VBScript and ADSI in the Articles section)
http://www.cdolive.com/agent.htm

and I expect you've been to:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcen...s/exchange.mspx

[dbustell]

I've been through half of those but the others gave me a few more clues. Still missing info on version 2003 of both programs - lots of stuff on 2000 and Exchange 5.5. The thing I can't sort out is that there is talk about using VBScript but they don't say where you put it; anything that gets more specific runs you into the VBA interface -- and that's not VBScript (to my way of thinking.)

Thanks for the suggestions.
Donald

[JohnBF]

VBScript is much like VB and VBA, perhaps you should look for VBScript info that is not specific to Exchange. In this and the VBA Forum, there willbe plenty of help on writing the scripts, if you can figure out where to attach the scripts on the Server side. Within Outlook 2003 VB code and VBScript can be attached to Rules under the Run a Script Action option. If Exchnage has a similar Rules interface you might look there.

[dbustell]

I know how to code in VB, VBScript, and VBA. The trick, as you point out, is where to attach it and that is the missing information. I have found detailed explanations of how to attach in Exchange 5.5 - - but I'm running 6.5 and the System Manager interface is completely different. Apparently there was a complete design overhaul - I don't know for sure because I never ran 5.5.

My original goal was to *automatically send* a message; Outlook rules work on messages you receive and messages you send *after you send them*, so that doesn't help me. As I said, I can do it on the server with CDO so I'm going to have to abandon this search.

Thanks for your help.
Donald