Managing a Resource Account

A resource account is set up for either a location or piece of equipment that can be scheduled for a meeting. The resource has its own mailbox and can accept or reject invitations automatically based on availability.  The administrator does not need to monitor these mailboxes on a regular basis. The contents of the resource mailboxes are purged according to the mail purge policies.

When you create a resource account, a directory account is created on the LDAP server.

When you initially create a resource, you can configure the following:

Resource name.

• Name: Descriptive name for the location or equipment.

• Email: The email address for the resource. This field is automatically populated with the name. You can change this.

Resource Setup.

• Type of resource, select either location or equipment.

• Status. Active or unavailable. An active resource can be scheduled. When a resource status is unavailable, the resource is not included in resource list.  

• Scheduling policy. The scheduling policy establishes how the resource's calendar is maintained.

Check Auto decline all recurring appointments when the resource can be scheduled for only one meeting at a time, no recurring appointments can be scheduled for this resource.

Select one of the following to handle other types of requests:

1. • Auto accept if available, auto decline on conflict.  

     Automatically accept appointments unless the resource is already scheduled. The free/busy times can be viewed. You can modify the auto-decline rule to accept some meetings that conflict.

   • Manual accept, auto decline on conflict.

      Appointment that creates a conflict are declined. All other appointments must be manually accepted. Appointment requests that do not conflict are marked as tentative in the resource calendar and must be manually accepted. If you use this policy, configure the forwarding address so a copy of the invite is sent to the account that manages this resource. You can modify the auto-decline rule to accept some meetings that conflict.

Conflict Rules. For recurring appointments that are enabled with one of the above options, you can set up a threshold (either as a number of conflicts or a percentage of all the recurring appointments) so that some instances of  recurring appointments can be available for this resource.

• For Auto accept if available, auto decline on conflict and Manual accept, auto decline on conflict, the scheduling policy can be set up with conflict rules for recurring appointments.  

• Maximum allowed number of conflicts and/or Maximum allowed percent of conflicts can be configured to allow a recurring resource to be scheduled even if it is not available for all the requested recurring appointment dates.

The resource accepts appointments even if there are conflicts until either the number of conflicts reaches the maximum allowed or the maximum percentage of conflicts allowed is reached.  If you set both fields, the resource declines appointments whenever either of the conditions is met

1. When a resource is invited to a single-instance appointment, if the resource scheduling policy is configured to auto decline, the single instance is always declined. The conflict rules do not apply.

1. • Auto accept always.   

     The resource automatically accept all appointments that are scheduled.  In this case free/busy information is not maintained, thus more than one meeting could schedule the resource for the same time. Because the resource always stays free, the suggested use for this policy would be for a frequently used location off premises so that the location address can be included in the invite to attendees.

   • No auto accept or decline.

     The resource scheduling policy is to manually mange the resource. A delegated user logs into the resource account and accepts or declines the reservation request.

• Forward calendar invitations to these addresses. You can add one or more forwarding addresses of users who manage the resource's Calendar.

Password.

• Enter the password for this account and reenter the password to confirm.

Notes.

• Description of the resource. Description can be helpful information about the resource such as room layout, number of occupants, or type of projector, etc. Details in Description are shown to users as a note attached to the resource.

• Notes. Notes can be used to record any type of information. Details in Notes are not exposed to users.

Resource Location/Contact Information.

• Resource location includes, site details, capacity and street, city, state address. The information from Building, Floor, and Room fields is automatically populated to the Location Display Name field, if auto is checked. If auto is not checked, you can enter a location display name.  The content of this field appears as the location information for the resource.

• Contact information, including name, email address, and phone number. This information is not exposed to the user.