SharePoint 2010 comes with a revamped calendar list, you can now add up to 10 other calendars as overlay layer so the result is one calender view displaying data from several calendars:
When adding overlay calendar you can choose from two calendar types: SharePoint and Exchange.
And here is the catch. You can add Exchange calendar... but ONLY ONE... and ONLY YOURS! If you try to add another Exchange shared resources, you'll get either some weird permission errors or the calendar will be empty. Unfortunately this SharePoint feature is poorly documented so I raised Microsoft Support ticket and after more than one month I got my answer from Microsoft Specialist:
Our technicians think the “Calendar overlay” solution was never intended for Exchange resources or multiple user calendars. It was intended only for multiple SharePoint calendars.
So why the hell there is the option to add Exchange calendar?
Anyway if you were trying to integrate SharePoint with Exchange, this is not a way. The only solution would be a custom development. Hope this will save your time.
Thanks for this. I have been trying to figure this out for a while. I agree 100% when you say "So why the hell there is the option to add Exchange calendar?". Now if you know where any guides to this procedure are, I would greatly appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteThanks again.
[kp]
Hi Kennneth,
ReplyDeleteThat's a problem, a lot of SharePoint features are poorly (or not at all) documented and users are left to find out by themselves. SharePoint 2010 is out for more than year and there's still a lot of confusion around this topic. Isn't weird? It just proves how badly is this feature documented and explained.
Cheers,
D.
This worked for us.
ReplyDeletehttp://weblogs.asp.net/sharadkumar/archive/2010/03/29/aggregate-sharepoint-event-items-with-exchange-appointments-into-your-calendar-view-using-calendar-overlay.aspx
However, that only pulls the "current authenticated SharePoihnt user"... not a shared calendar that isn't your personal calendar.
DeleteSo, to the best of my knowledge, this can't be done, short of some sort of custom developed solution.
Thanks a lot for this. Saved me time!
ReplyDeletewow...is that true?
ReplyDeleteThis is what MS said:
A SharePoint calendar enables you to work with multiple Exchange and SharePoint calendars at the same time. For example, a group calendar is helpful when you schedule a team meeting, because you can see the Exchange calendars of team members and SharePoint calendars of resources, such as conference rooms, in one group calendar view.
This is the link:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-foundation-help/work-with-multiple-exchange-and-sharepoint-calendars-in-one-sharepoint-calendar-HA101777171.aspx
"because you can see the Exchange calendars of team members..."
Isn't it a false statement?
Actually, this is word for word:
DeleteIf you use a SharePoint calendar on your site, you can overlay {wait for it, wait for it, they must have gone back and reworded...lol}
your own Exchange calendar onto it
to create a combined calendar view. Alternatively, you can overlay another SharePoint calendar. In all, you can add up to four Exchange or SharePoint calendars.
I agree. Only able to show your calendar and one exchange calendar seems useless.
ReplyDeleteMicrosoft is famous for statements that are later discovered to be false. This issue is making me consider just updating my Drupal intranet rather than converting to sharepoint at all. Along with all the other failings I've seen within sharepoint...
ReplyDeleteHey... You have nice Blog.. Keep follow this excellent work.
ReplyDeleteSharepoint 2010 Archiving
That is really great, the integration exchange-sharepoint is terrible. Or "not working properly" is better.. :(
ReplyDeleteAny news?
showing scheduling views in calendar
ReplyDeleteCan you guide on the same for SharePoint 2013. I have just signed up for a free SharePoint 2013 site with http://www.cloudappsportal.com
ReplyDeleteAcetech have many years of experience in custom software development. Find out more about custom software development at http://www.acetechindia.com
ReplyDeleteThanksfor this helpful information I agree with all points you have given to us. I will follow all of them.
ReplyDeleteSharePoint 2013 Online Training
what is the difference between connect to outlook & calendar overlay
ReplyDeleteWith "connect to Outlook" the calendar shows up in your Outlook. The Overlay-Thing is within SharePoint, you get an additional Overlay and the Infos will be shown on the SharePoint
ReplyDeleteSharePoint is not the greatest solution at all for office collaboration. Honestly, with most of the OOTB it is so daunting to set up and you really need to do more custom development to get it to behave the way you want. What is the point honestly? You might as well use Google Calendars to do the job! It is easier.
ReplyDelete