About transparent prepopulation
When enabled, this feature sustains Microsoft Exchange connections between client and server even after the Outlook client has shut down. During such times, email data is still delivered between the Exchange Server and the client-side SteelHead. When the user logs back into their Outlook client, the data, already prepopulated on the client-side, is retrieved with LAN-like performance.
SteelHead achieves this by creating virtual MAPI connections to the Exchange Server for offline Outlook clients. When the remote SteelHead detects a shut down, the virtual connections are triggered and the SteelHead pulls mail data from the Exchange Server.
MAPI prepopulation doesn’t use any additional Client Access Licenses (CALs). The SteelHead holds open an existing authenticated MAPI connection after a client is shut down. No user credentials are used or saved by the SteelHead when performing prepopulation.
The client-side appliance controls MAPI v2 prepopulation, which allows for a higher rate of prepopulated session, and takes advantage of the accelerated MAPI read-ahead feature.
If a user starts a new Outlook session, the MAPI prepopulation session terminates. If for some reason the MAPI prepopulation session doesn’t terminate—for example, the user starts a new session in a location that is different than the SteelHead that has the MAPI prepopulation session active—the prepopulation session eventually times-out per the MAPI configuration setting.
MAPI transparent prepopulation is not started with Outlook Anywhere connections.