You cannot assign a delegate for your mailbox if you are using an Entourage 2004 for Mac client that connects to a front-end server that is running Exchange Server

Consider the following scenario. You are using a Microsoft Entourage 2004 for Mac client computer. The client computer connects to a front-end server that is running Microsoft Exchange Server. In this scenario, you cannot assign a delegate for your mailbox.

This behavior occurs because the delegate access setup process in Entourage points to the back-end Exchange server that contains the user's mailbox. This behavior is the default behavior. Therefore, the delegation rules must be set on the back-end Exchange server.

If you want to assign a delegate for your mailbox, Entourage must have direct MAPI access to a back-end Exchange server. Entourage uses packaged MAPI libraries to obtain direct MAPI access to the back-end Exchange server. Entourage uses these MAPI libraries to perform the following tasks:

• Enable a forward rule to send meeting-related items to the delegate. When the forward rule is enabled, the Delegate receives copies of meeting-related messages sent to me check box on the Delegate Permissions dialog box is selected.
  
  Note This check box applies only to the Calendar folder when you assign Editor permissions to your delegate.
• Enable the "send on behalf of" permission on the server side. This permission is automatically enabled when you assign a delegate for your mailbox. The Entourage UI does not have a check box for this setting.

To work around this behavior, use either of the methods that are described in this section.

Method 1: Point Entourage to the back-end server

You can point Entourage to the back-end Exchange server if the following conditions are true:

• The Entourage client is located inside the corporate network.
• Entourage has direct access to the back-end Exchange server.

Note These steps will not work if the Entourage client is located outside the corporate network.

To point Entourage to the back-end Exchange server, follow these steps:

1. Start Entourage.
2. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
3. On the Exchange tab, click the Exchange account, and then click Edit.
4. On the Delegates tab, click Advanced under My Delegates.
5. In the Delegation server box, type the name of the back-end Exchange server.
6. Click OK.

To specify a user as a delegate for your mailbox or for folders that are inside your mailbox, click Add under My Delegates on the Delegates tab.

Method 2: Assign sharing permissions directly on the folders for which you want to assign a delegate

If the Entourage client is located outside the corporate network, you can assign sharing permissions directly on the folders for which you want to assign a delegate. You can assign sharing permissions on the Inbox folder, the Calendar folder, and the Contacts folder. To assign sharing permissions on these folders, follow these steps:

1. Start Entourage.
2. In the Folders list, right-click the Inbox folder for the Exchange mailbox, and then click Sharing.
3. On the Permissions tab, click Add User.
4. Type the user name or the display name of the user to whom you want to assign sharing permissions, and then click Find.
5. Click the appropriate user, and then click OK.
6. On the Permissions tab, click the user who you added in step 5, and then click the appropriate setting in the Permission Level box. Alternatively, you can customize the permission level by selecting appropriate individual permissions.
7. Click OK.
8. Repeat steps 1 through 7 for the Calendar folder and for the Contacts folder.

The user to whom you assigned sharing permissions can now access your folders on a Microsoft Outlook or Entourage mail client. Note that the user will not have the "send on behalf of" permission. Therefore, the user will not be able to send mail or to schedule meetings on your behalf.

This behavior is by design.