Work offline with InLoox for Outlook

Important This feature requires an InLoox PM Enterprise Server or an InLoox now! account. 

Starting with InLoox 10, you can easily access your project data offline. As soon as InLoox reconnects to the database (InLoox PM Enterprise Server) or the cloud (InLoox now!), the data is automatically synchronized. Whether the data of the InLoox PM Server respectively the InLoox now data cloud or the data of the client are prioritized in case of processing conflicts can be set in the InLoox options for all users. Read here how to proceed.

Not the entire database is cached locally on the user's device, but only the data for which the user is authorized is stored. For example: There are 100 projects, but you only have read and edit permissions for 20 projects. Then only the data of these 20 projects will be cached for working offline and then again synchronized when you are online again.

For InLoox PM users:

InLoox does not directly fetch or write data from/to the SQL database during the synchronization. The Outlook client communicates with InLoox Web App. Web App only needs to be installed, you do not need to have any Web User or Universal User licenses. The only requirement is that you have an InLoox PM Enterprise Server and install the Web App server. Please, refer to the whitepaper on the InLoox PM Server and Web App installation.  
 

Content

1. How to enable offline availability

2. When offline availability is enbaled: Check settings for default document storage

3. Conflict resolutions settings

1. How to enable offline availability

1. Click in Outlook on File
2. Click on InLoox PM or InLoox now
3. Under Tools for working with InLoox PM/now, click on Work Offline
   

   

4. Offline availability is being prepared. This process can take a few minutes, depending on how much data InLoox has to synchronize.

   

5. To follow the synchronization process, double-click on  in the Windows toolbar to open the synchronization window.

   

6. Once all entries have been synchronized, you can click on Complete. 

Tip To check whether offline availability is activated, click on File -> InLoox PM/now. If the feature is active, available offline appears next to the account name under Account information.

 
 
2. When offline availability is enabled: check settings for default document storage

When offline availability is enabled, the download and upload of documents is automatically guided via the web server. If you want to continue to access documents as usual, you need to activate the following setting in the InLoox options:

1. Click on File and select InLoox options. 

2. A new window opens: Click on Documents on the left side. 

3. Activate the second checkbox "Enable direct filestore access in offline mode and for the web application server".

4. Click on Apply and OK to save the setting. 

3. Conflict resolution settings

NOTICE You specify these settings in the InLoox options. For this you need administrator permissions.
By default, client-side changes are preferred for resolving editing conflicts during the synchronization of the same online and offline data entries. You can change this default setting in the InLoox options under General >> Resolve Conflicts.

Server wins: Select this setting if the data available on your InLoox PM Server or in InLoox now! cloud should be prioritized. If changes to the same data row are detected during synchronization, the data from the client is NOT transferred to the database or cloud. (Existing online data wins)

Client wins: Select this setting if, in the event of a processing conflict of the same data row, the changes from the client are to be adopted during synchronization in the database or cloud. (New offline data wins)

Client wins (exception: Server wins in conflicts with resource allocation for tasks): In this case all data of the client will be accepted, except those in the data row "resource" in tasks. This means that the resource assignment of tasks cannot be changed by the client, but the status of the task and other data can. (New offline data wins, except changes to the resource allocation of tasks)

Display event log
If errors occur during synchronization, they are displayed in an InLoox notification window. If you click on it, the event log opens and displays these errors. In this case, please contact your administrator or IT manager to ensure that a connection to the InLoox PM Server or InLoox now! cloud can be established. If you need technical support, please send a ticket via the InLoox website or get in touch with your InLoox contact person.