Devices running iOS 6 are cancelling calendar appointments sent to distribution lists

Singebad,

We can't touch Exchange Calendar Repair Assistant, because our Exchange 2010 is managed by Microsoft Office 365 (although one note here suggested that the Assistent was possibly already enabled in Exchange 2010?)

F

I've also seen the case where... apple mail and iCal and/or iPhone can keep resetting an invite acceptance. Accept on one, and it's unaccepted on the other... back and forth. They stay out of sync.

We are running Exchange 2007 in our environment. Some of the users have started upgrading to iOS 6. We first noticed the calendar hijacking last week. So far, our MS TAM has provided a similar email as well:

As discussed, I would like to let you know that the issue you are currently experiencing is being addressed collaboratively by Microsoft and Apple.

Because the issue is only happening with iOS 6 devices, I would also suggest you to open a case with Apple support as well.

Microsoft is aware of multiple issues that are happening with iOS6, Outlook and Exchange is actively collaborating with Apple to find a resolution for these issues. The issues are not known to be happening with previous versions of iOS.

• Attendee becomes the organizer of a meeting and iOS6 device sends out a meeting cancellation
• Exchange Push issue

Steps for mitigation/workaround that we currently have worked out. I have indicated which version of Exchange each workaround applies to…

Based on KB article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924470 and KB http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309185, and findings from the discussions between Microsoft and Apple, what we recommend for mitigation is as follows:

1. Update the Delegate and Manager pair to the same version of Microsoft Outlook at Outlook 2007 Service Pack 2 or higher. (Exch 2003/2007/2010)
2. For Exchange Server 2007 and 2010, enable the Calendar processing on the server per KB 309185. (Exch 2007/2010)
3. For Managers, ensure that only the Delegate receive the meeting requests and responses. (Exch 2003/2007/2010)

Also, we recommend enabling the Exchange Calendar Repair Assistant* (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee424432.aspx). To configure this feature, use the following document:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee633469.aspx (Exch 2010)

If it is currently not enabled for all users, and you wish to implement for a single user at a time for testing, use the following document:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee633473.aspx (Exch 2010)

*Please watch the http://msexchangeteam.com blog for any new post on the ExCRA, currently in review.

I've followed up with our TAM to let them know that the KB articles being referenced do not apply to our situation. I'm still waiting for a response. I'm curious as to why neither Apple or Microsoft has released an official announcement about this when our rep is clearly stating that both companies are fully aware of the issue. Has anyone else been able to reach out to their TAM for additional information?

I just spoke with Microsoft Office 365 support, and they indicated that the Calendar Repair Assistant is OFF by default in Office 365 (Exchange 2010).

However, they are going to supply us the PowerShell commands to enable Calendar Repair Assistant in our Office 365 setup.

F

BTW, As the default setting for CRA (calendar repair assistant) is disabled, has anyone heard of any negative reason not to enable CRA on Exchange 2010?

( http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee633469.aspx )

Thanks for the input guys, we have had the same issue, happen only to people with IOS6 and if they have a Delegate(s). We change settings on outlook so delegates only receive Meeting Invitations, and turned off notifications on the iPhone for calendar.

It happens to me on iOS5... and I do not have any delegates.

However, some of the people who forward external organization invites to me do have delegates (or are an delegate of another)... and it's these invites that appear to most often have the problem.

F

If anyone wants to use me as a reference to this issue, we've opened an enterprise support case - 361 829 086

Apple stated their engineering team is currently investigating the issues with Exchange and iOS 6. I'm not sure if that provides enough comfort, especially having over 7000 employees and no way of stopping people from upgrading their devices. Even though a global communication gets sent out, well, you know the rest.... 😉

Perhaps if enough people open similar support cases we can get this issue expedited?

I'm reluctant on making any changes to the environment, especially when our users with iOS 5 have not reported any issues with the meeting hijacks.

I did, however, read a very interesting article (should have bookmarked the link, sorry guys) about the concept with Exchange not being at fault. A test was conducted by sending a meeting invite to a DL, which was then forwarded to an external GMail account. The GMail user then accepted the meeting, but the way it handled the request was by deleting the original request, making a duplicate, and resending the request out to the entire DL. Therefore, the users who originally replied internally received a duplicate notification of the request from the GMail user, who then became the organizer of the meeting. This concludes, theoretically, that Exchange is not the culprit here. It is how iOS 6 handles the meeting requests on the OS level.

Then, I started reading up on the licensing agreements, etc, etc, with Apple and Microsoft in regards to ActiveSync. Again, I came across a very interesting analogy that I want to share:

You start approaching a stop sign. If you run a stop sign, and get a ticket from a cop, is it his fault you ran the stop sign? You have every right to run the stop sign, but you may be penalized for it.

Same with ActiveSync. Microsoft provides the suggested methods of use to Apple, but Apple does what they please with the technology. So, even though they aren't violating any TOS, they could possibly be abusing the system by misusing it, crippling its' capabilities to handle the calendaring correctly.

I'm no expert in the messaging field, but does any of this make sense to you guys? This is the first time I've really had to start digging in to iDevices and conflicts with email handling. I've been a Blackberry guy for too long, and we never had this type of problem creep up.

@singebad (and others)

The problem still occurs, despite the new settings.

In this case one meeting is about 5 times cancelled without any action from the user. When i am reading the internet header, i can read the meeting is cancelled by Apple.

We are running exchange 2003.

BishopTJ - can you provide your TAM's name publically or privately? We have reached out to our TAM with the article you received and he can not find any mention of this, we were hoping to bypass level 1 support since it appears they are already aware of the issue but he cant find anything.

dangmi - can you provide your TAMs name? Ours can not find anything internally about this leaving us to have to start at level 1 PSS support - if there is internal knowledge ont his issue I want to get my TAM informed!

Are people on Windows with iOS devices also seeing this problem, or just OS X and iOS ?

Windows on IOS 6 devices.

For windows on iOS devices... is iCloud involved?

Just checking for our Windows users here (only saw it for OS X users under iOS5.x)

However, with the CRA (calendar repair assistant) solution... I don't see how this fixes the larger problem.

CRA only runs on your OWN Exchange Server... but it appears you can mess up an External exchange server (which doesn't run CRA and doesn't repair the bad event).

Or is the case that You are made the Organizer for your own Exchange Server... and the external originator remains the organizer on their exchange server?

I've replied to an external event forwarded to me, been converted to the organizer, and then had a hundred people start replying to my calendar "change".

Not sure the fixing my local Exchange with CRA would have prevented this... unless it rippled out to the original Exchange generator and/or all of the receipients.

F