4. Configuring the Module
- Michael Goss
The Outlook Bridge for Ignition module can be configured in two different ways: with an existing User Source configured on the Gateway (i.e an internal directory, database, or Active Directory); or a new User Source can be created that synchronizes users and their relevant contact details from Azure Active Directory. Read on to learn more about the differences between these two options.
Option 1 - Existing User Source (recommended)
If an existing User Source exists on the Ignition Gateway that you are already using with on-call rosters, you will likely want to go with this option. For instance, let’s assume that an Internal User Source exists with two users:
Each user has a unique Username and populated Contact Info details to be used for alarm notifications. The Username field is what we need to pay attention to, as this will drive the connection between an event in an Outlook calendar and the automatic mapping of user(s) to an On-Call Roster.
When a Calendar Roster Mapping is setup for the first time, you must specify a Mapping Method, which tells the plugin how to match an attendee on an Outlook calendar event with a user in Ignition. There are two Mapping Methods to choose from:
Like-for-Like: The full User Principal Name (UPN) of an Outlook calendar event’s attendee(s) must match the full username in the Ignition User Source. So if Bob Smith, with a User Principal Name of bsmith@contoso.com, is an attendee on an Outlook calendar, the plugin will look for a username of bsmith@contoso.com in the Ignition User Source. If it matches identically, Bob Smith will be added to the On-Call Roster; if it doesn’t exist, he will not be added to the On-Call Roster.
Username-Only: Only the username portion of the User Principal Name (UPN) will be pulled from an Outlook calendar event’s attendee(s). So if Sue Perkins, with a User Principal Name of sperkins@contoso.com, is an attendee on an Outlook calendar, the plugin will look for a username of sperkins in the Ignition User Source. If it matches on “sperkins” only, Sue Perkins will be added to the On-Call Roster; if it doesn’t exist, or if it exists as sperkins@contoso.com, she will not be added to the On-Call Roster.
Option 2 - Azure Active Directory User Source
The Outlook Bridge for Ignition plugin includes a custom User Source that allows for one-way synchronization of users from an Azure AD (also referred to as Microsoft Entra) tenant. With this type of User Source, users are only imported for the purpose of ensuring that an organization’s attendees that exist within Outlook calendar events exist in the Ignition Gateway – users imported this way cannot login, authenticate, or access the platform (this would instead require a SAML configuration, which is outside the scope of this documentation).
Outlook Bridge for Ignition relies upon a custom User Source that must be created prior to configuring a calendar mapping. The User Source is not intended to be used for authentication, but instead to act as a placeholder for Roster mappings.