Calendar Updates Sync Problems with EAS

Hello, we currently encounter some problems with Exchange Active Sync (EAS) with iOS devices in our company.

We manage to find some cases, when meetings updates are not updated properly in EAS connected devices calendars after complaints from user side.

This devices are heavily used by higher management, so we take this as our priority to solve as IT department. This problems start about time of update our iOS devices to iOS 7 and newer. With iOS 8 it got even worse. First only some users have this problém but after latest update it starts for all of them.

Scenarios which we manage to identify are based on situations when mailbox “Manager” has set delegated access rights to his calendar “Assistant” with Outlook client:

• Manager create long recurring meeting in his calendar. Assistant open and change one occurrence date or time. This occurrence is not synced to device and stay in original date and time. – FAIL
• Assistant create long recurring meeting in Manager calendar. Manager open and change one occurrence date or time. This occurrence is synced to device properly. – OK
• Manager create long recurring meeting in his calendar. Assistant open and change one occurrence date or time. Manager open and change same one occurrence date or time. This occurrence is not synced to device and stay in original date and time with first change from Assistant. – FAIL
• Assistant create long recurring meeting in Manager calendar. Manager open and change one occurrence date or time. Assistant open and change same one occurrence date or time. This occurrence is synced to device properly and stay in original date and time with first change from Manager – FAIL

We also find out that the last two scenarios show in Outlook calendar incorrectly from which this update came. Assistant see that change was made by him. Manager see that change was made by him. But time is same in both. This occur only if error occur in EAS device.

In OWA are meetings displayed properly. Also if we reset account acdess on device, it syncs properly last change. Side problems is, if this meeting is broken this way, is broken also reply’s for another’s persons which are invited to meeting.

Our environment:

• Exchange Server 2010 Service Pack 3 with Update Rollup 7
• Office 2010 Professional Plus Service Pack 2 with all updates from Microsoft Update¨
• iOS devices with current latest update 8.1.2

We tested turn off Outlook Cached Mode and make test with EAS sync logs, but we don’t find anything strange based on http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2563324. It seems as error pointed at 7.1 but is stated that it was fixed by Apple.

We also find article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3015401 but it states different problems. We run Exchange Calendar Repair Assistant, and mailbox repair and move to another database, but without success. CRA is not active before this problems.

We tested also Windows Phone and Google Android devices with this scenario, but there was no problem and meetings was updated correctly. It seems to be only problem with iOS devices.

We also tested, if we encounter this behavior also with Office 365 Exchange Online, but problem is basically same. We find some people on another forums, which stated that iPhone 6 with latest iOS updated does not this problem. They encounter same bad behavior but only account reset or buy new device was solution. We also try reset iPhone after apply updates to factory setting, but we manage to broke meetings again.

In environment was one only minor changes by regularly patching Outlook clients and Exchange server. We encounter this problem mostly after upgrading iOS to version 7 or higher with one person only. After upgrading to iOS problem start go even bigger and all manager encounter him.

After finishing tests with Office 365 we have this matrix of situations and resolution on device end:

Exchange (On-Premise 2010)

Test 1:

• Manager > Change Assistant = Problem with iOS
• Assistant > Change Manager = OK

Test 2:

• Manager > Change Assistant > Change Manager = Problem with iOS
• Assistant > Change Manager > Change Assistant = Problem with iOS

Test 3:

• Manager > Change Manager mobile > OK
• Assistant > Change Manager mobile > Problem with iOS

Office 365 (Cloud Exchange 2013)

Test 1:

• Manager > Change Assistant = OK
• Assistant > Change Manager = OK, only attendants with Windows Phone see right time of changes meeting only with acceptance first invite.

Test 2:

• Manager > Change Assistant > Change Manager = Problem with iOS, only attendants with Windows Phone see right time of changes meeting only with acceptance first invite. If they don’t accept, changes are not synced properly.
• Assistant > Change Manager > Change Assistant = Problem with iOS, only attendants with Windows Phone see right time of changes meeting only with acceptance first invite. If they don’t accept, changes are not synced properly.

Test 3:

• Manager > Change Manager mobile > OK, iOS warn, that we changing recurring appointment, also WP and Android.
• Assistant > Change Manager mobile > OK, iOS warn, that we changing recurring appointment, also WP and Android. But Android change it incorrectly.

I appreciate your feedback to this issue.

With Regards

Petr Vlk