MAPI/COM: where is the server?

[Bill Tutt]

Its talking to the local MAPI COM object that talks to the Exchange MAPI
provider which uses whatever method it wants to communicate with the
Exchange server. I believe it uses Win32 RPC.

Cute diagram:
+---------------------+
|  MAPI.Session       |
|  COM Object         |
+---------------------+
|  Core MAPI          |
|     Code            |
+---------------------+  
|  Exchange MAPI      |
|     Provider        |
+---------------------+
|  Win32/DCE RPC      |
+---------------------+
|  Network            |
+---------------------+
|  Exchange Server    |
+---------------------+

Bill

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	ge at nowhere.none [mailto:ge at nowhere.none] 
Sent:	Wednesday, July 05, 2000 3:05 PM
To:	python-list at python.org
Subject:	MAPI/COM: where is the server?

My MAPI/COM e-mail fetcher (running under win95) does this:

    self.session = win32com.client.Dispatch("MAPI.Session")
    self.session.Logon("MS Eschange Settings")

    [message fetching code left as an exercise for the reader]

This was all developed without any basic understanding of DCOM
or MAPI by copying other people's examples and semi-random
trial-and-error.

Question: Is it talking to Exchange server (which runs on a
          remote machine), or is it talking to a local copy of
          MS Outlook which is then acting as an intermediary?

If it's talking directly to Exchange server, then there's a
possibility I could do the same thing from Linux using either
Software AG's product or GCOM.

If my program is just talking to the local copy of MS Outlook,
then running the program under Linux isn't very useful, since I
still have to run that win95 machine that's sitting over in the
corner.

-- 
Grant Edwards                   grante             Yow!  I have the power
                                  at               to HALT PRODUCTION on all
                               visi.com            TEENAGE SEX COMEDIES!!
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