Calling all messaging gurus

ipchain

Hi guys,

I came across a question on a past interview that I am unsure as to whether or not I answered it correctly. Here's the question:

A user calls you and tells you that they started working at a new department. A co-worker logs them into their computer every morning. The user is accessing their e-mail through Outlook Web Access. The user wants to be able to setup and use Outlook on their computer. What do you do?

My answer: We would have to configure Outlook on the end user's computer. It's a fairly simple process, all we need is his username/password and the mail server name. Then, it's just a matter of clicking next and following the prompts.

Was I on the right track here? If not, any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Regards,

IP

Mishra

First I would have attacked the decision that a co-worker logs them into their computer because that is usually against company policy and even if not, it isn't good practice. So they would need to get their own user account and log into the machine.

After that then you can configure Outlook to point to the Exchange server to display their mailbox and/or configure their new mailbox if it isn't already configured.

Also, if the co-worker was logging them on every morning then you could never achieve pass through authentication and the user would need his own user account anyways in order to even have the ability to get an exchange mailbox. After that he would have to log in every time he launches Outlook.

HeroPsycho

If the new user in question can log in to check his or her own email through OWA, I would have asked why do they need a co-worker to log them in everyday? Just log into the machine as themselves. If that can't work, why is AD designed in that fashion? Is the computer not joined to the domain?

Sometimes the right answer is asking the right questions in response. They want evidence through your thought processes that you know what you're talking about, you approach things from not just band aid approaches, but total solutions that involve sound design using best practices.

Slowhand

I think the "trick" in this question is that part about another user logging the new user in. I would have answered by telling the interviewer that the new user needs to log in for themselves, using a dedicated AD username and password. After that, it's only a matter of installing and configuring Outlook on that users computer, in order for them to receive email. I think you may have lost points for not explicitly mentioning that the new user should have a dedicated account and be logging in on their own.