Blackberry Enterprise Server 4.1 Service Pack 5

RIM have released the long-awaited fifth service pack for the Blackberry Enterprise Server 4.1, bringing the solution up to version number 4.1.5. I say ‘long-awaited’, not because of any well-publicised or hyped marketing campaign, but because it simply seems to me to be a long time since 4.1.4 was released. In fact, this service pack almost passed me by, such is the unassuming nature of RIM’s marketing. However, the old addage is true: the best things do come to those who wait and the list of new features in the release notes is impressive…considering that they’re all free (assuming you have a copy of BES 4.1 already).
The highlights, in my opinion, are as follows:

•    View meeting invitee availability
•    Remote search for email messages
•    Download native attachment formats
•    Attachment support for the ‘.amr’ format
•    Preserve original message format when replying to or forwarding messages
•    Separate messages list on Blackberry devices for messages received from Blackberry Enterprise Servers
•    Wireless Application push monitor
•    Support for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 64-bit
•    Enhanced control of lost and stolen Blackberry devices
•    ‘Weak’ algorithm blacklist
•    Firewall whitelist policy rule


Installation

I ran the upgrade on an existing installation of BES 4.1.4, and encountered no problems at all. The installation process does involve upgrading the MSDE SQL database(s) (all installed databases are upgraded – how many you have will depend on which roles you have installed), so the safety-conscious of you would be advised to make a backup of the database before upgrading. I suspect that the upgrade is also an incremental one as with its predecessors, so for users of the original BES 4.1, I would upgrade to 4.1.1 first, and then through the other service packs in sequence before installing 4.1.5, just to be on the safe side.
Unlike its predecessors, the upgrade does already ‘remember’ your previously-entered SRP and license key details so there is no need to re-enter that information (and ferret around for the card they came on in the back of the safe!)

Once installed and the server rebooted, the first thing you notice is that the Blackberry Manager has an extra tab:

 
The Software Config Status tab is a new addition, I will come onto this in a moment.

Otherwise, the same familiar administrative interface is preserved, and behind the scenes nothing seems to have changed.


Features

Let’s have a look at the principle improvements in turn:


View meeting invitee availability

With BES 4.1.5 installed on the server, users can view the availability of meeting invitees on Blackberry handhelds that are running version 4.5 of the device software or later. This feature can be enabled or disabled by the administrator via the Blackberry Manager:

 

If you are using Exchange 2007, before this feature will be available you will need to configure the system public folder’s Schedule+ Free/Busy properties. For more information, visit www.microsoft.com and search for article 397221 and 691120


Remote search for email messages

This feature enables users to search for email messages on the messaging server (be it Exchange or Lotus Domino). This feature also requires software version 4.5 or later on the handheld device and can be enabled or disabled by the administrator on the server via the Blackberry Manager (in fact is the option above the Free/Busy Lookup in the above screenshot)


Download native attachment formats

Again, provided that your device is running software version 4.5 or later, then it is possible to download attachments to your device in their native format, rather than having the Blackberry Attachment Service convert it into plain text.
Once on the handheld, attachments can be edited and otherwise manipulated provided that the you have an appropriate third party application installed on the device.
This feature can also be enabled or disabled by the administrator via the Blackberry Manager.

Attachment support for the ‘.amr’ file format

The AMR file format is the ‘Adaptive Multi Rate’ format, or better known as the codec used by the GSM mobile telephony infrastructure – so you could, say, effectively get your mobile network operator voicemail messages emailed to you as attachments and listen to them.
The administrator can enable and disable individual attachments via the Blackberry Server Configuration application (Start → Programs → Blackberry Enterprise Server → Blackberry Server Configuration). Click on the Attachment Server tab and select the Attachment Server configuration option:

 


Preserve original message format when replying to or forwarding messages

This feature is a natty one: although the Blackberry synchronisation service will convert messages so that they can be displayed correctly on the Blackberry handheld, should you need to forward that message without necessarily editing it, why not preserve that formatting? SP5 enables messages to be forwarded, and replied to, in their original formatting. RIM mention that images may not be preserved in RTF-formatted messages.

Separate messages list on Blackberry devices for messages received from Blackberry Enterprise Servers

This feature enables the user to add separate message lists on their handheld to display messages that have been received only from BES servers. This feature is aimed at users who have BIS/BES devices and wish to have some graphical indication on the screen as to which messages have been received from their work connection and which messages are personal.
For more information about enabling this feature, visit www.blackberry.com/support and view article KB15003. This feature can, naturally, be enabled or disabled via the Blackberry Manager, but is turned off by default.

Wireless Application push monitor

As mentioned above, the Blackberry Manager now sports a Software Config Status tab:

 

This view enables the administrator to view the status of an ‘application push’ to a specific user in real time.

Support for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 64-bit

Service Pack 5 adds official support for SQL Server 2005 64-bit as the database back end for the BES solution.

Enhanced control of lost and stolen Blackberry devices

This release enables the administrator to specify a delay (in hours), when using the ‘Erase Data And Disable Handheld’ command, after which the handheld is deactivated over the wireless network. This feature requires that device software version 4.5 or later be running on the handhelds.

The administrator can also set the device password remotely on the device, provided that the handheld is running software version 4.3 or later.

‘Weak’ algorithm blacklist

This feature enables the administrator to specify a minimum ‘strength’ that external SSL-encrypted web sites need to satisfy before the BES will allow connections to them from Blackberry handhelds. This feature requires that the handheld be running version 4.3 or later of the device software.


Firewall whitelist policy rule

This feature enables the administrator to specify the list of email addresses that the Blackberry device firewall allows. Once ‘whitelisted’, the Blackberry device will receive messages from email addresses even if the user blocks them on the device. This feature requires device software 4.2.3 or later on the handheld.