Events in Exchange are separated into two types: appointments and meetings. Appointments are events limited to individual users and that do not involve reserving a location or physical resource. Meetings are shared events, and the space resources they use are maintained in Exchange with what are called resource mailboxes. Resource mailboxes are email addresses used internally that maintain room schedules and provide information on space availability to users throughout the network.
In Exchange, before confirmation, space reservations undergo an approval process akin to that of establishing a meeting with another person. Users interact with resource mailboxes and calendars as though they were other human users. In generating a meeting request, the user begins by inviting the prospective attendees as well as the space resource itself. Just as invitations are sent to the mailboxes of the human users, the resource request is sent to the resource mailbox. Exchange then processes the resource request, checking against existing bookings to ensure no scheduling conflicts occur. If a user has sufficient permissions and the space is available, the resource can be scheduled right away, or it may receive the Tentative status pending approval from an administrator.
Resource mailboxes have calendars that can be inspected to find schedule openings prior to placing a reservation. Resource mailbox calendars can be organized and grouped for the convenience of the user with room list distribution groups,” which provide an aggregated calendar for all spaces in a group. Grouping space resources by building, type, size, etc. helps users browse distribution groups using the Room Finder tool to choose a type of space based upon the requirements of the meeting and confirm availability.
Note: In the Exchange nomenclature, an “event” is considered any appointment or meeting scheduled for more than 24 hours. However, we use the term “event” for appointments or meetings scheduled for any length of time.