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ndMail Administration

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Iryna Kuziv

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NetDocuments ndMail is a matter-based email management application built for the NetDocuments Trusted Cloud Platform and integrated within Microsoft Outlook.

NetDocuments in combination with ndMail provides key activities for busy law professionals, for filing emails and documents into a unified, matter-based solution.

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Administration Overview

This section describes how to set up ndMail for your organization.

Product Workflow 

The ndMail Product Workflow diagram shows the components of the ndMail architecture so that you can set up a working environment for your organization.

The components are:

  • ndMail Services. The main ndMail Services component in the cloud interacts with other ndMail components to provide predictive search, quick filing location recommendations, and to file items (emails, documents, and others) to the NetDocuments Content Repository.
  • ndMail Client Add-In for Outlook. The main location where the user receives predictive filing location recommendations and submits a request to file an item to a certain filing location.
  • Microsoft Exchange (on-premises or online). ndMail uses Exchange Web Services (EWS) for communication between the ndMail Services and Microsoft Exchange.
  • NetDocuments Content Repository. After interaction with the ndMail Client Add-In for Outlook and communication via EWS, the ndMail Services component searches for already filed copies of an item, and if it does not find any (or a user does not have sufficient rights to view the filed item), then it uploads an item to the NetDocuments Content Repository.

ndmail_diagram_contentflow-01.png

Administration Setup and Configuration

To set up and configure ndMail successfully, you as an administrator must meet all the setup requirements. On the client side, ensure ndOffice and ndMail work correctly with the exchange server.

First, configure the server-side components:

  1. Ensure that you met all ndMail client- and server-side setup requirements.
  2. Configure Exchange web services for ndMail.
    1. Enable Exchange web services.
    2. Configure ports.
    3. Add NetDocuments to Inclusion List  for Exchange Web Services.
  3. Configure the Impersonation Account for Microsoft Exchange.
  4. Configure the Exchange connection in the NetDocuments content repository.

Second, push out ndMail to client end-points and configure clients. See:

Third, provide the ndMail (User Help and Download) page to your users to help them in using ndMail.

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Client- and Server-Side Setup Requirements

Ensure to meet the following setup requirements to install the ndMail successfully.

Setup Prerequisites
Comments
Supported Operating System
Windows 10 (32- or 64-bit)
Microsoft Office Outlook
 2013, 2016, 2019/Office 365 (32- or 64-bit)
Visual Studio Tools for Office
Version 10.0.50903+
.NET
Version 4.8+
ndOffice application
Version 2.2+
Microsoft Exchange
2010 SP3, 2013, 2016, Online (Office 365)
Windows Updates
Latest available updates
NetDocuments
Ensure you have an Admin Account with both Repository and Cabinet rights in order to generate the cabinet tokens

Warning: Close Microsoft Outlook before installing, repairing, or uninstalling the ndMail application.

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Download ndMail Add-in Software

The ndMail software is an add-in purchased separately. To subscribe to the ndMail add-in, contact Sales@netdocuments.com.

After subscribing, download ndMail:

Server-Side Configuration for Admins

Configure Exchange Web Services for ndMail

Configure Exchange Web Services (EWS) for the interaction of ndMail with user email messages and folders.

Note:  To find out more about the Exchange Web Services, see https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/jj900168(v=exchg.150).aspx.

Enable Exchange Web Services

EWS is a foundational access method in the Exchange architecture. To view how EWS fits into the Exchange environment, see the architectural diagram at https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/dn595100(v=exchg.150).aspx.

Configure Ports

ndMail is a cloud-based service and ndMail Services requires access to EWS. EWS is enabled on the Exchange Server by default using port 443.

For more information, see https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb331973(v=exchg.160).aspx.

Outlook Client and ndMail Services Interaction

The ndMail Service interacts with the Outlook client using Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2. Previous versions are not supported.

Add NetDocuments to Inclusion List for Exchange Web Services

If you want to set up ndMail without exposing EWS publicly, add the NetDocuments data center outbound IP addresses to inclusion list relevant to your NetDocuments service/data center.

Outbound

US Data Center

192.100.0.196

United Kingdom Data Centre

185.83.176.148

German Data Centre

        185.83.178.4

Australian Data Centre

103.225.142.196

Full Inclusion List article: https://support.netdocuments.com/hc/en-us/articles/205219820-Adding-NetDocuments-to-Inclusion-List 
For MPLS customers, please reference this article too: https://support.netdocuments.com/hc/en-us/articles/360012809951-FlexConnect-and-DNS-Forwarding

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Configure Impersonation

ndMail requires the ability to impersonate users in the Exchange domain to retrieve and file email for subscribed users. Use RBAC (role-based access control) on the Exchange Server to enable impersonation. This section describes how to configure impersonation on Office365/Exchange Online or on-premises Exchange Servers.

Impersonation Service Account

A new account specifically for the ndMail Exchange service account is called the Impersonation service account. When correctly configured with the impersonation rights, this Exchange user account can read emails of ANY user in the Exchange domain.

Important: The account used as the Impersonation service account needs an Exchange license.

To access the service application:

  1. Create a service account.

ndMail uses basic and modern authentication with the optional second factor of limiting access to our data center IP address for EWS with an impersonation role assigned, allowing it to impersonate Exchange users to read folders and emails. 

  1. Grant the service account a user impersonation role.

As an administrator, you can manage EWS access controls using Exchange Management Shell and the following cmdlets:

Get-CASMailbox
Set-CASMailbox
Get-OrganizationConfig
Set-OrganizationConfig

Open the web-based Exchange Admin Center (EAC) of the Exchange Server.

To configure impersonation on Office365/Exchange Online:

  1. Open Outlook for Office365.
  2. Sign in as a user with administrative rights.
  3. Select the app launcher mceclip0.png in the upper-left corner, and choose Admin.

365.png

  1. If Admin Centers is not visible, select More, then expand Admin Centers, and select Exchange.

ExchangeW.png

  1. Choose permissions.

perm.png

  1. To create a new administrative role, select the icons8-plus-math-26.png icon.

plus.png

  1. In the Name box, enter a name for your role.
  2. You might enter a description for the role.
  3. Leave the Write scope as Default.
  4. Under Roles, select the icons8-plus-math-26.png icon, and select ApplicationImpersonation.
  5. Under Members, select the icons8-plus-math-26.png icon, and select the service account you created previously for ndMail.
  6. Select Save.

Note: Configure Exchange 2013 and 2016 using the Exchange Management Shell cmdlets to control access management for EWS applications and the RBAC for impersonation. For more information, see the following table, which includes steps and links on how to use Exchange Management Shell - a PowerShell-enabled command-line processor with command handlers for Exchange.

Exchange Server Version Link
Exchange 2010 SP3 https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/bb204095(v=exchg.140).aspx
Exchange 2013/2016 https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/dn722376(v=exchg.150).aspx

Note: Do not install the New-ManagementRoleAssignment cmdlet in your Exchange Management Shell. To add the cmdlet, type Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Exchange.Management.PowerShell.E2010 in the Exchange Management Shell, and then press Enter.

To configure impersonation on Exchange Server 2013, 2016:

  1. Open the web-based Exchange Admin Center (EAC) of the Exchange Server.
  2. Select Permissions.
  3. To create a new administrative role, select the mceclip1.png icon.
  4. In the new role group dialog box:
    a. Enter a name for the new administrative role.
    b. Under Roles, select the icon, and select ApplicationImpersonation.
    c. Under Members, select the  icon.
    d. To collect the mailbox data from Exchange Server (SyncUser), select the account > OK.
    e. Select Save.

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Configure Exchange Connection in the Repository

Important: After setting up the Impersonation service account, you might have to wait for a minimum one hour before you can use the account to sign into the Exchange Configuration. The error says that you are unable to connect, but the account is not quite set up.

Changing certain cabinet or repository settings could cause end-users settings to become unusable/obsolete which could then cause filing requests to fail for those users. 

To file your emails using ndMail, configure your NetDocuments repository with your Microsoft Exchange Settings.

To configure your Microsoft Exchange Settings with ndMail Configuration Settings in NetDocuments:

  1. Log into NetDocuments, and select the <your name>.
  2. Select Admin > Repository > ndMail Configuration.

    If you do not see the option for ndMail Configuration, your repository administrator needs to enable your repository. Contact Sales@netdocuments.com to purchase the ndMail add-in. If you already are an ndMail subscriber, contact NetDocuments support.ndmail_configuration.png


  3. On the ndMail Configuration page, on the Connections tab, select Create Connection.

connections_tab.png

  1. The Create Connection dialog box appears:

mceclip1.png

      • Connection type - Choose Exchange Online or Exchange On-Prem, and the authentication type.

Note: If you're using Exchange Online, we recommend choosing OAuth/Modern Authentication as the Connection Type. See Configure OAuth/Modern Authentication for the ndMail Impersonation Account.

      • Host - Provide the DNS name of your Exchange host. For example, outlook.office365.com or exchange.acmecorp.com.

Note: In some cases, an IP address can be more applicable.

      • Verification Email - Provide an SMTP address <user@domain> for a user on your Exchange system. The user's email address is required for a one-time verification to confirm the successful configuration of the Exchange service account with the necessary permissions to impersonate Exchange users. This user account can be any standard user account on your Exchange system. It should not be an administrator. 
      • Exchange Admin Email - Enter the full email address that is configured for impersonation. That is the same impersonation user that you created in the steps earlier. In most cases, this is the full SMTP address for this user.
      • Exchange Admin Password - For Basic Authentication, enter the password for the impersonation user. For Modern Authentication, see OAuth/Modern Authentication.
  1. Select Save to save the configuration.
  2. Repeat for additional Exchange server hosts. Typically, multiple Exchange servers are used in an environment where both on-premises and Exchange Online hosts are used.
  3. After you created a connection, select it to view the details. On the Details panel, you can select Test connection to ensure that the connection is configured properly. 

Choose Cabinets for Filing

  1. Log in to NetDocuments.
  2. On the Home page, select the <your name>.
  3. In the drop-down menu, select Admin > Repository > ndMail Configuration.

    If you do not see the option for ndMail Configuration, your repository administrator needs to enable your repository. Contact Sales@netdocuments.com to purchase the ndMail add-in. If you already are an ndMail subscriber, contact NetDocuments support.


  4. ndmail_configuration.png
  1. On the ndMail Configuration page, under the Cabinets tab, enable cabinets in the list to which users are allowed to file emails.

Configure OAuth/Modern Authentication for the ndMail Impersonation Account

ndMail leverages an Exchange impersonation account to perform filing actions for all mailboxes/users in your organization who use ndMail.

OAuth authentication (Often referred to as Modern Authentication by Microsoft) is a preferred way to grant ndMail access to the Exchange service without providing Microsoft credentials directly in the NetDocuments admin interface.
Note that you must use Exchange Online with Azure AD serving as the identity provider.

To configure OAuth authentication for the ndMail Impersonation account:

OAuth prerequisites

Verify the following items before you continue:

  • NetDocuments repository administrator role
  • Exchange Online / Office 365 account with full impersonation access to all ndMail users' mailboxes
  • Azure Active Directory Administrator role (can be delegated from the Exchange account)
  • The email address of a regular user account on the Exchange service to test the configuration

Setup

  1. Go to the Azure portal. We strongly recommend you log out of any Microsoft account in this browser before you start this process.
  2. Sign into NetDocuments as a NetDocuments repository administrator.
  3. In the upper-right corner, select your name > Admin >
  4. In the Navigation Pane, select ndMail Configuration.
  5. On the ndMail Configuration page, under Exchange Configuration, select Add Exchange Server. In the Add Exchange Configuration dialog box, enter the following:
    1. Enter the Exchange Host (for example, outlook.office365.com)
    2. Enter an active Verification Email Address
    3. Select the Oauth Authentication Method
    4. Select Authorize & Save
  6. Go back to the ndMail Configuration page where the newly defined Exchange Server will be listed.
  7. Select Validate next to the new Exchange Server. ndMail will use the provided verification email account to check access to the user’s Exchange service and verify access to a sample email message for that email address.

 If you need to reset granted permissions, see OAuth Troubleshooting.

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Client-Side Configuration for Admins

ndMail Installation for Administrators

Before installing the ndMail add-in, ensure you have all the ndMail Administration Setup Requirements.

To install ndMail on the individual client:

  1. Ensure the account on the PC has administrative rights before installation.
  2. Download ndMail Installer, and then follow the steps below to begin the installation.
  3. Double-click the ndMailSetup.exe, then select Next.
  4. When the NetDocuments Terms of Use dialog box appears, read the license agreement, select that you accept the terms, and select Install.
  5. In the Completed the NetDocuments ndMail Setup Wizard dialog box, select Finish.

To install ndMail from the command line:

  1. As an administrator, open a command prompt.
  2. In the command prompt, navigate to the installation folder.
  3. To install from the command prompt, enter the following command:

    msiexec /i ndMailSetup-1.0.0.X.msi
  4. To install ndMail silently, enter:

    msiexec /i ndMailSetup-1.0.0.X.msi /qn
  5. To perform the all-user installation, add:

    ALLUSERS=""'

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ndOffice Configuration Steps for ndMail

Ensure to install ndOffice before configuring ndMail because ndMail requires ndOffice and shares the network and user-related settings.

Note: If ndOffice is already in use by the end-users, skip this section.

To configure ndOffice Settings to use ndMail:

  1. After installing ndOffice, log in and select a host.
  2. On the taskbar, select the nd.png icon.
  3. In the ndOffice Activity dialog box, select , and then select Settings.
  4. In the ndOffice Settings dialog box, select the Network tab.
  5. From the Host drop-down menu, select one of the following hosts:
    • vault.netvoyage.com – United States Data Center.
    • eu.netdocuments.com – United Kingdom Data Center.
    • de.netdocuments.com – German Data Center.
    • au.netdocuments.com – Australian Data Center.
    • preview.netdocuments.com – For previewing the new functionality before the beta release of NetDocuments.
    • ducot.netdocuments.com – For testing purposes (restricted access to the DUCOT system).
  6. Under Proxy, select one of the following:
    • No proxy
    • System proxy
    • HTTP proxy

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ndMail Registry Information

The ndMail install within the registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\NetVoyage\NetDocuments hive either adds or changes the ShowExtOutlookFeatures and PromptFileEmails values to False.

Thus, the install suppresses the following ndOffice features in Outlook:

  • The ND Send group (contains Send & File).
  • Suggested Locations and the Private Access button in the ND Save group. The ND Save button and Suggested Locations still exists in the dialog box.
  • ND COLUMN – If this value appears from an earlier version, you must remove it manually.

Note: Registry changes take effect after exiting the ndOffice application. For more information about these registry settings, see ndOffice User Settings and Registry Settings.

 

For a list of ndMail Registry Keys, see the following:

 

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