[LIR]

Dear All: We are implementing our BES infrastructure, which includes a BES server with the configuration database and some other BES servers that are connected to that database.

I would like to know how connect those BES instance to the remote database.

And also How can assign different roles for administrators, I don't want that everyone knows the BESAdmin password, but I want to delegate some tasks, including installation of BES server and a group of BB devices (Like as Active directory, install domain controllers and create and admin users in a specific Organizational unit).

Best regards

LIR

[jibi]

For your first question, are all of your BlackBerry servers utilizing a single database, or do each have their own separate database within that SQL instance? If they are separate databases, for complete functionality, you will have to do a wipe/reactivate migration of the devices onto a single BES server and then reinstall the BES and point it to the share database.

If all of the BlackBerry servers are already pointing to the same configuration database, then they should all show up in BlackBerry Manager.

For the latter question, if you have BES 4.1.x, open BlackBerry Manager then click on BlackBerry Domain then click on the Role Based Administration tab (top left).

I would recommend configuring security groups in Active Directory for your purposes and add users to them. Add the group(s) in BlackBerry Manager (which configures the group in AD with the appropriate permissions and roles). The users will then install BlackBerry Manager on their desktops (using the BES installation), using their own mailboxes for the MAPI portion (no requirements for Exchange permissions). The only caveat is that if they aren't Exchange administrators, they won't be able to manage a user's folder redirection configuration.

[LIR]

Jidi: we have BES implemented in our HQ, with a configuration database there. We want to implemented BES in our country offices in Latin America now. Per our meeting with RIM, we should installed BES server in each office connected to our configuration database in HQ. (WAN's ping 250ms). I don't know if they meant one SQL server with multiple databases or only one. What should it be your recomendation? Which functionality will I lost if I have only one configuration database for all BES server around Latin American?

Thanks a lot, your advice will be really appreciated.

Best regards

LIR

[jibi]

PM responded to... however for public sake, here you go.

RIM's recommendation would have been based on a single configuration database for you with each remote site having their own BES server connected back to it.

Your configuration should really follow a guideline of where your Exchange servers reside. Does each site have its own Exchange server (based on RIM's recommendation, I would assume this is the case)? If so, place a BES in each site. If all Exchange mailboxes come back to your HQ, then you will need only one BlackBerry domain (in the HQ). As for the placement of the database(s), I would say this depends on not just the latency between the remote offices and HQ, but also the network stability. Do some trending analysis over the last few months and see how many times, if at all, connectivity has been lost between the sites. If it's fairly frequent (or far less than 100% uptime), I would recommend configuring the databases local to the BES (separate BlackBerry domains), possibly even looking into configuring individual BlackBerry service accounts in each of those sites.

If you end up doing this, the tricky part is to configure batch scripts to manage each BlackBerry domain. If you decide to go this route, let me know and I'll make available my batch files we use to manage each of our BlackBerry sites. If you have Citrix deployed, it would be very easy to configure published applications for each managed BlackBerry site, as well.

[LIR]

Jibi:thanks a again for your help. I will discuss it with my boss, and back to you if I have any question.

I was reading about administrative roles. We have an exchange server in each site, but the local administrator does not have administrative permissions in exchange. So, Am I able to give her/him enterprise permissions in blackberry domain? They don't have administrative permissions in exchange, but I would like that they will be able to install her/his blackberry enterprise server by they own.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Best regards

LIR

[jibi]

Exchange permissions no longer matter with role-based administration. I would give them the Senior Help Desk role and make sure they know they will not be able to configure folder redirection (this can be done very easily by the user from the device), although that is the only restriction. If you want to allow them to restart services and manage at the server level (given your description of their roles, I wouldn't advise of this), add them to the Enterprise Administrator role.