Peer-to-peer personal information management using MS Outlook and .NET

Abstract

In this dissertation we shall be extending the use of Microsoft's PIM, MS Outlook, by transforming it from a stand-alone PIM into a server-less groupware tool. This project, OLSync will be able to synchronise several PIMs at the same time. All the different PIMs in a group are of equal importance and any of the PIMs can initiate a synchronisation session. The different peers which need to be synchronised do not have to be connected all the time, the PIMs can be used even when they are not connected. As soon as the peers are connected, a synchronisation session can take place, merging all the modifications which were made when the peers were offline. Thus all the data which is created or modified on different stand-alone PIMs will be reproduced on all the other PIMs in the group. OLSync will also handle situations where two or more peers in the same group, would simultaneously start a synchronisation session. The project which will be addressed, is a peer-to-peer PIM which allows its users to access or modify their personal data from a number of different locations.