Bidirectional synchronization
The Exchange connectorConnectorAn integration that links Dime.Scheduler to a back-office system, routing data in and scheduling decisions back out. keeps appointmentsAppointmentA task scheduled to a resource for a specific period - the scheduled instance you see on the planning board. in sync in both directions: from the Dime.Scheduler planning boardPlanning boardThe main graphical scheduling surface where dispatchers drag tasks onto resources across a timeline. to the resourcesResourceAn entity that can carry out work - a person, vehicle, tool, or room - that you schedule on the planning board.' Outlook calendars, and from those calendars back to Dime.Scheduler. It does this through the Microsoft Graph API, the gateway to data and intelligence in Microsoft 365, and layers its own rules and logic on top to decide what gets shared and how.
Think of the connector as a messenger that takes data from one system and makes sure it lands correctly in the other. The most important part of that job is data reconciliation, which maps data between the two systems and connects what would otherwise be two isolated data silos.
Business rules matter too, because they protect the privacy of the resources. Resources can decide which types of events are shared with the planner in Dime.Scheduler. The connector acts as the gateway between Dime.Scheduler and Exchange and applies these rules, which include the busy status and the sensitivity of the event in Exchange. Any property of the Dime.Scheduler appointment can also be used to decide whether to send data to someone's Outlook calendar.
When an appointment changes in the planning board, the connector does a few things. First, it checks whether Dime.Scheduler appointments should be synchronized with Exchange for that resource. It then checks whether the event already exists in Microsoft 365 and creates, updates, or deletes the event in Exchange accordingly.
The reverse works the same way. When an event changes in an Outlook calendar, the connector decides whether it should be sent to Dime.Scheduler. It takes the resource's preferences into account, such as the show-as status and sensitivity, then maps the Outlook event to a Dime.Scheduler appointment and creates, updates, or deletes it accordingly.