For organizations that have deployed a version of Microsoft Exchange Server supported by Active Roles, and use a Microsoft-supported version of Outlook as their standard email client, Active Roles provides an approvals management facility integrated in Outlook. This allows Microsoft Office end-users to manage approvals in Active Roles through the email application they use on a day-to-day basis.
The Add-in for Outlook component that is included with Active Roles offers the basic functionality for processing and submitting approvals. Active Roles Add-in for Outlook allows Microsoft Outlook users to approve or reject requests that are sent to them for approval. Requests are delivered through notification email messages, and can be approved or rejected directly from the notification email message, without having to use the Active Roles Web Interface. In every email message from Active Roles that notifies of an approval request, Active Roles Add-in for Outlook adds the Approve and Reject buttons along with Approve and Reject menu commands allowing the approver to respond by selecting the appropriate button or command.
For more information on the Microsoft Exchange Server versions supported by Active Roles, see System requirements in the Active Roles Release Notes.
Integration with Microsoft Office Outlook requires the following software and configuration prerequisites:
-
A supported Microsoft Exchange Server version: Integration with Outlook requires at least one server running an Exchange Server version supported by Active Roles. The Exchange server must hold the Client Access server role and the Mailbox server role, to be deployed in your Exchange organization. For more information on the Microsoft Exchange Server versions supported by Active Roles, see System requirements in the Active Roles Release Notes.
-
A supported Microsoft Office Outlook version: The approvers must use a Microsoft Outlook version that is still supported by Microsoft as their email client application.
-
Active Roles Add-in for Outlook (32-bit): The Add-in for Outlook component of Active Roles is installed on the computer running Microsoft Office Outlook. The software requirements specific to Active Roles Add-in for Outlook are listed in the Active Roles Quick Start Guide.
NOTE: The Active Roles Add-in for Outlook does not support the 64-bit version of Microsoft Office Outlook.
-
(Optional) Approver mailboxes: The mailboxes by which requests can be approved or rejected must be located on a mailbox server running an Exchange server version supported by Active Roles.
TIP: Although setting up approver mailboxes are not mandatory, One Identity highly recommends configuring them.
-
Active Roles mailbox: A mailbox reserved for the exclusive use of Active Roles. This mailbox must be on a mailbox server running an Exchange server version supported by Active Roles.
-
Exchange Web Services: The approval workflow has the approval rule notification settings configured so that Active Roles uses Exchange Web Services to communicate with Exchange. These settings include the address (URL) of the Exchange Web Services endpoint on an Exchange server that holds the Client Access server role, along with the credentials that identify the Active Roles mailbox.
For organizations that have deployed Microsoft Exchange Server, but use an email client application other than Outlook, Active Roles offers the ability to approve or reject change requests by simply replying to notification messages that inform approvers of approval tasks. In this case, the notification message contains selectable options that, when clicked or tapped, cause the email application to create a new message in reply to the notification message. The reply message contains indication of the approval decision (approve or reject) and prompts the approver to supply a comment on the approval decision (approval or rejection reason). Then, the approver sends the reply message, thereby completing the approval task.
The ability to manage approvals from non-Outlook email clients calls for the same software and configuration prerequisites as Outlook integration (see Integration with Microsoft Outlook), with the following exceptions and additions:
-
The email client applications that can be used to manage approvals are not restricted to Microsoft Office Outlook 2010 or later. It is possible to use, for instance, earlier Outlook versions or email applications on mobile devices.
-
Active Roles Add-in for Outlook does not need to be installed on the computer running the email client application.
-
The approval rule notification settings are configured so that the notification messages originated by Active Roles have integration with the Web Interface turned off. Ensure that the Send approval response by e-mail option is selected in the properties of the email configuration that is used by the approval rule (this is the default setting).