Test EMS for Outlook Client Installation

EMS Software recommends that you test new versions of EMS for Outlook before deploying them to production. Ideally, you should have separate PROD and TEST Exchange environments to pair with the PROD and TEST EMS environments, and separate machines for each environment with a machine dedicated to being connected to the test environment.

When you create a reservation in EMS for Outlook, the application stores a unique PAM ID on the reservation in EMS and stores the EMS Reservation ID on the Exchange object (meeting/appointment) to establish the link between the two systems.

If you have both PROD and TEST linked to the same exchange environment, there is a risk of inadvertently affecting production reservations:

1. Create reservation 1234 while connected to TEST EMS.

2. Switch the connection by changing the Platform URL to PROD EMS.

3. Cancel reservation 1234 from Outlook, which was originally created in TEST EMS.

4. Since the connection was changed to PROD, instead of canceling 1234 in TEST, 1234 is canceled in PROD. Reservation 1234 in TEST and PROD are almost guaranteed to be two completely different reservations for different people. As a result, you might accidentally cancel an unrelated reservation in PROD.

Having separate TEST and PROD Exchange environments is the best way to avoid this problem; however, this is often impractical and costly. The alternative option is to follow these guidelines carefully:

1. Use a single machine.

2. Install the TEST EMS for Outlook version and connect with the TEST Platform URL.

3. Make reservations according to test cases and include TEST in the subject line of all meetings created to help distinguish them.

4. If you are tracking with UAT test cases, document the date, time, and reservation ID used for each test case to help track these.

5. Before switching back to PROD EMS for Outlook, cancel all TEST reservations while still connected to TEST EMS.

6. After you cancel all test reservations, uninstall the test EMS for Outlook and reinstall the production version. Ensure the Platform URLs are correct.