The Autodiscover Song
Published Aug 08 2008 02:31 AM 8,750 Views

 

Update! The actual song is now available for download as the attachment to this post. Enjoy!

So, how exactly do you encourage developers to adopt good development practices when such practices are not explicitly enforced?  We thought about embroidered socks and matching hats, but that was universally frowned upon.  Whitepapers and technical articles are good options, but in the end it was decided that Autodiscover was too important of a development practice to treat like any other feature in Exchange.  It needed something different and unique.  It needed.. a song.  Yes, a song - to immortalize the virtues of Autodiscover in verse, hoping that in the end, everyone would use Autodiscover in their applications and would rise up in chorus and sing this song together as a unified front.

Ok, maybe all developers singing in unison is a stretch. But one day while working on some changes in Autodiscover for the next version of Exchange, the chorus melody and words came to me and wouldn't leave me alone. I started to tinker on the piano and the rest of the song took shape. I didn't think much of it, but after discussing the idea with some other team members, it was decided that I should record and master it and make it available to the Exchange development community.

So here it is:

Chorus:

>>Autodiscover
>>There is no other
>>Way to decide
>>Where your mailbox is stored

>>Autodiscover
>>Your sister and brother
>>Exchange Admin and mother
>>Will be proud if you do

You may be tempted to wing it
Use a hardcoded link submit it
But performance will suffer
When you're left to your druthers
Should have Autodiscovered
Then all would be well

>>Chorus

Call it once for each mailbox of interest
Pair the link and mailbox for each request
If you encounter errors
Refresh once again
For more information search M-S-D-N for

>>Chorus

Exchange won't exist in a bubble
If you think that it will you're in trouble
Add a site, one or two
And your perf will be through
Unless you step up and decide that your app will just...

>>Chorus

Autodiscover,
Autodiscover,
Just AutoDiscover for me.
It's just plain XML

David Sterling 
Senior Software Development Engineer - EWS

21 Comments
Not applicable
very cool post indeed, but when I went for the attachment I thought it will be recoreded... so why don't you record it and upload it?? :)

it will be awesome :)
Not applicable
I was expecting a recording in the download link, can we have a recording of the exchange team singing please

the text is very nice though!

Peter
Not applicable
I miss the Piano partition :-(
Not applicable
This would sound good with MORE COWBELL!
Not applicable
Must be a hidden track :)  We will get this fixed today.  There is indeed a song...
Not applicable
Hey everyone, sorry for the mixup! the song is now available for download. enjoy!
Not applicable
Excellent!
Are you going to make an album? :)
Not applicable
you guys rock -- literally :P

seriously, nice work
Not applicable
I wish I could make Outlook play this in the background when it's performing an actual Autodiscover. :)
Not applicable
Great. Now it's stuck in my head.
Not applicable
It`s awesome )
I think it can be number one on the charts!
Not applicable
Actual not acutual
Not applicable
Hi,

I think you all have too much time on your hands and need to get some lives !
Not applicable
Are you trying to make us cry?  How about putting autodiscover to some rock music?
Not applicable
Wow, so that's what a Senior Software Development Engineer does.

Hey, I have an idea! How about spending a little more time developing the Exchange Management Console, rather than writing inane songs?
Not applicable
That link doesn't seems to work ???   I get an empty page when clicking ..  too bad ..
Not applicable
David DV,

Hmmm try again? I just tried it and it seems to work? Perhaps it was a one time thing?
Not applicable
Also you could try right clicking on the download link/button and choose "save target as"

its a wma file btw
Not applicable
I think you all have too much time on your hands and need to get some lives !
Not applicable
I'm expecting to hear it on the radio any day now!

LMAO!  Great work!
Not applicable
Fantastic :) certainly a contender for the Xmas no1 slot in the charts.
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Last update:
‎Apr 28 2020 01:42 PM
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