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Evan Kontos's avatar
Evan Kontos
Copper Contributor
May 14, 2020

Creating a SHARED GROUP CALENDAR in Exchange 2016

What is the best practice for creating a group calendar in exchange 2016?  Can everyones calendar be linked to the group calendar or when someone creates an appointment in their calendar do they just invite the group calendar?  

 

I've been reading about doing it in public folders and as shared mailboxes.  I would like it to be available in both Outlook prem and OWA. 

 

I cant find any clear instructions to take me all the way thru.

 

I created a public folder and given rights to all the users and can actually see the folder item in OWA but it says I have no rights to open it.  How do you actually create the calendar in the folder?

 

OR is it better to use a shared mailbox, or perhaps create the calendar on an asset like a room? 

Lots of questions, hopefully have all have some answers.  Thanks.

2016
Exchange Server
  • Daniel Kharman's avatar
    Daniel Kharman
    Brass Contributor
    May 14, 2020

    Evan KontosI would advise against using public folders. A Shared mailbox would certainly work, although as you mentioned the users would need to invite the Shared mailbox and by default would also need to accept the invitations.

    That can at least be circumvented by enabling automatic processing, similar to a Room mailbox. To do so, run the below pwsh cmdlet:

    Set-CalendarProcessing <Identity> -AutomateProcessing AutoAccept

    Here are the defaults for reference:

    AllowConflicts : False
BookingWindowInDays : 180
MaximumDurationInMinutes : 1440
AllowRecurringMeetings : True
EnforceSchedulingHorizon : True
ScheduleOnlyDuringWorkHours : False
ConflictPercentageAllowed : 0
MaximumConflictInstances : 0
ForwardRequestsToDelegates : True
DeleteAttachments : True
DeleteComments : True
RemovePrivateProperty : True
DeleteSubject : True
AddOrganizerToSubject : True
DeleteNonCalendarItems : True
TentativePendingApproval : True
EnableResponseDetails : True
OrganizerInfo : True
ResourceDelegates : {}
RequestOutOfPolicy : {}
AllRequestOutOfPolicy : False
BookInPolicy : {}
AllBookInPolicy : True
RequestInPolicy : {}
AllRequestInPolicy : False
AddAdditionalResponse : False
AdditionalResponse :
RemoveOldMeetingMessages : True
AddNewRequestsTentatively : True
ProcessExternalMeetingMessages : False
RemoveForwardedMeetingNotifications : False

     

    Do note that this is how I would achieve the outcome using Exchange only. Obviously you could use Teams/SharePoint/M365 Groups. To your point about resource mailboxes, that would work though I like to keep my resource mailboxes strictly for resources.

     

    Let me know if you need help, happy to assist.

     

    Cheers

    Daniel K

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