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What exactly is the Zextras Team?
Inside the Zimbra WebClient, Zextras Team combines a full-fledged corporate instant messaging platform, including Group and Corporate Messaging, File Sharing, Screen Sharing, and casual Video Chat features.
Frontend Functions
The following front-end functionalities are included in Zextras Team:
- Message conveyance and read comprehension
- Instant Messaging on a One-to-One Basis
- Messaging in Groups
- Corporate Communication (Spaces and Channels)
- Video Calls in Groups
- Video calls via channel
- Sharing of files
- Sharing a Screen
- Emojis
- Turn off alerts and discussions.
Backend Functions
Backend features of Zextras Team include the following:
- COS and user accessibility
- TURN server compatibility is included in.
- There is no requirement for a core installation. Install Zimlet using a package manager.
- There is no need for setup.
- WebRTC protocol for peer-to-peer communication to avoid server load
- a separate audit log
Zextras Team is licenced on an individual basis.
Only “advanced” users count towards any licencing restriction, and Global Admins can enable its Advanced capabilities for any number of users up to the maximum permitted by the licence.
The total number of users with Advanced features enabled may be seen in the output of the zxsuite core getLicenseInfo command as teamChatActiveCount:
This counter is refreshed every 15 minutes.
Zimlet installation by Zextras Team
The com_zextras_Team Zimlet may be launched from the Zextras Administration Zimlet’s “Core” section.
After the Zimlet has been deployed and enabled, no setup on the mailboxd side is required.
Ports and URLs
Zextras Team uses the default Zimbra settings for the domain of the account in use to construct URLs and links (for example, for External Shares) – the zimbraPublicServiceHostname property is used for the URL itself, while the zimbraPublicServicePort field is used for the port.
If neither of these are configured, the system will always default to the server-level attributes zimbraServiceHostname and zimbraMailPort or zimbraMailSSLPort.
The following regulations apply to video chats and instant meetings:
- The team will work around firewalls and NATs as long as the peers can interact with each other – either directly or via a TURN server (which, when combined with suitable network rules, is generally the solution to any WebRTC connection problem).
- When no TURN server is configured, a default STUN server is utilised, allowing clients to transmit outbound traffic to ports 19305/19307. Based on the client setup and network, the real P2P connection is made between the clients on a random unreserved port between 1 and 65535.
- The default handshake/negotiation port used by most TURN servers is 3478 (incoming, UDP), however any port can be used as long as it is correctly configured> on the Team side, the port is supplied when adding the TURN server, and the clients will be prompted to connect through it. When utilising a TURN server, the default P2P connection range is 49152-65535 (typically customizable on the TURN side), therefore clients should be able to transfer data to that port range to the TURN server.
Most TURN servers may be set to utilise TCP rather than UDP.
Administration of the Zextras Team
Zextras Team features may be activated and disabled in the Zimbra Administration Console by going to the “Team” section of Accounts and Classes of Service.
Compatibility with browsers
The browsers listed below are known to fully support all Zextras functionalities.
Items labelled “Limited” are only compatible with the browser’s two prior stable versions.
To utilise the Screen Sharing function, Firefox users must be running at least version 66 of the browser.
There is a specific Zextras Team mobile app for both Android and iOS.
Android Device Notifications
Several Android device makers have stringent default settings on which applications may display notifications, which occasionally prevents the Zextras Team App from notifying new messages.
Follow these steps to ensure that your device permits all essential notifications:
Team Tab on the User Interface
The Team Tab is a full-featured Zimbra feature tab that may be used in the same way as other feature tabs (for example, Mail or Calendar). The Zextras Team UI works in tandem with the Zimbra Web Client.
The Team Tab is the full-sized Zextras Team UI, and it includes all corporate instant messaging capabilities including Spaces and Channels. Although the tab is accessible to both Basic and Advanced users, corporate features are only available to Advanced users. The look of the tab changes depending on whether textual or video communication is employed.
Organising Meetings on a New Browser Tab
Users may now begin meetings in a separate browser tab or continue the conversation in the same tab.
The following window occurs when consumers initiate a call.
Default Setting
The Team app launches from the same tab as the Zimbra application.
Mode Dedicated
In a new tab, launch the team app.
SAVE SETTINGS to make one of the two aforementioned settings the default for each meeting.
Modifying the Selected Mode
The instructions below assist in changing the mode for future encounters.
- Connect to Zimbra.
- From the app bar, choose Teams.
- To open Settings, click the gear symbol in the left pane.
- Scroll down to Meetings Environment Settings in the Team Settings window.
- Choose between Default and Dedicated modes. The selection is applied automatically.
Spaces and Textual Conversations (Chats)
Team allows you to communicate with a single (1-to-1) or more people at the same time. File sharing is an option in addition to text.
The Team tab is split into three sections:
- The left-hand column offers a list of discussions (including 1-on-1 and group chats), spaces, and current instant meetings. It also enables the development of new communication channels (chats, groups, places, and instant meetings).
- The middle panel displays the messages in the chat, which are organised by day. Furthermore, if a Video Conversation occurs between the users, the start and finish times are displayed in the message flow.
- The right column displays information about the current discussion or area and provides the option to mute notifications or delete all chat history.
The UI changes when you utilise Video Chat or Instant Meeting, as described in the section Video Conversations (Video Chats) and Instant Meetings.
Minichats
By pressing the arrow in the upper right corner of the centre area, you may minimise chats as well as talks in Spaces and Channels. This also redirects the UI to the Mail page, with the conversations shown as little overlays on the Mail tab. They may be reduced further by clicking the title bar, returned to normal browser size by clicking, or dismissed by clicking.
By clicking the symbol, you may also initiate Instant Meetings (if minichat is a chat) or Video Chats (if minichat is a Space or Channel conversation).
Incoming Space or Channel conversations are opened as Minichats if the user is on a tab other than the Team tab.
Instant Meetings and Video Conversations (Video Chats)
Individuals or members of spaces and groups can join a video call for real-time spoken conversation using Video Conversations. Any user can initiate a Video Conversation or an Instant Meeting with another user; the receiving users will be alerted via a modal window in the browser and an audio signal lasting no more than 10 seconds.
The Team tab is divided into four sections during video chats and quick meetings. However, there are minor changes while utilising Video Chat (a chat between two people) or Instant Meeting (a video conference between three or more people). The latter also has two alternate UIs, Cinema Mode (similar to Video Chats) and Grid Layout.
The following UI elements are shared by Video Chat and Instant Meetings:
- The text chat is located in the left column.
- The core region, which houses the video feed
- The right column contains a miniature of the other participant (or Instant Meeting participants). Carousel is the name of this column.
- The bottom bar is a self-hiding bar that allows you to control the video call as well as the UI. You may conceal the conversation, maximise the centre area to full screen, deactivate the microphone or webcam, share the screen, or end the call from the bottom bar.
- Furthermore, until another person joins a Video Chat or an Instant Meeting, the initial participant will hear a sound and see a visual animation.
Sharing a Screen
Screen sharing is a chat tool that allows users to exhibit a single window, one screen, or all of their workstation’s screens. Multiple people can share their screens at the same time, and the last person’s screen will immediately become active and displayed in the centre area. When a screen sharing is terminated, the central area returns to the previous active screen share (if any), or to the previous view, Cinema mode, or Grid Layout (if no further screen shares are active).
Furthermore, when a person in a video chat or instant meeting shares a window or the entire screen, both the user’s video and the screen share are displayed in the right column. This occurs because the camera feed and the screen sharing stream are unique and considered as separate individuals.
When utilising the Instant Meeting in Cinema Mode (see Fig. 13), the middle area retains the stream of the person who is taking, however the video of another participant can be pinned at any time. In cinema mode, the following extra features are available:
- In the right column, there is a miniature for each participant.
- To the right of the bottom bar, a button to hide the list of participants has been added.
- Another button for switching between Grid Layout and Cinema Mode has been added to the bottom bar’s centre.
- If a participant’s video stream is pinned and another participant speaks for more than two seconds, the latter’s stream is displayed in the right-hand Carousel, framed in green.
- An symbol indicates if the participant’s microphone or camera is turned off.
The Instant Meeting Grid Layout (see Fig. 14) displays all attendees in the middle area. The following are the distinctions between Cinema Mode and other modes:
- Because it is part of the core area, there is no left column.
- The button to conceal the list of participants in the bottom bar is removed.
- The stream of the person speaking is framed in green.
Corporate Communication and Instant Messaging
It is possible to establish new instances of Chats and Group Chats, Spaces, and Instant Meetings in the left-hand column. The user experience has been enhanced, and the process for creating a new instance is now the same: First, choose Chats, Spaces, or Instant Meetings, and then select CREATE. Choose whether this is a 1-to-1 or group conversation in Chats (See Fig. 15), then simply add members from the dialogue box that displays. You may also add a title or topic to Spaces and Instant Meetings.
Only signed in users can participate in Instant Meetings. External users are welcome to join, but they must give a username and a valid email address.
Because this is an internal aspect of spaces, the method for creating a Channel is slightly different. To build a Channel, first create a Space, then click the Add Channel button in the right column. You’ll now see a window similar to the one shown above, where you can enter a title and a topic. The Channel will be indented beneath the space name to emphasise how close it is to the space.
After creating an instance, you may instantly begin a textual conversation with all participants or a video call by clicking on the camera icon in the upper right corner of the centre area. An arrow symbol next to that icon allows you to dismiss the Zextras Team tab.
Recent conversations are shown in the left column for easy access.
The remainder of this section describes the main characteristics of the various communication methods.
Moderators in the Rooms
The user who starts a room (which we call a Channel, Space, or Group) instantly becomes the Room Moderator and may oversee the room’s textual and video chats. The Mute For All and Add New Members functions, in particular, are exclusively available to Moderators.
A moderator can elevate any user to moderator and leave the room only if there are no other users present or another moderator is present.
The moderator status can be set either using the icons from the GUI, next to each room participant, or from the CLI, using the zxsuite team addOwner command. For example, to make user2@example.com owner of the rooms with conversation_id aced5e2e-f457-4d30-a3fb-9b18fac486a6@example.com this command can be issued from the CLI: Groups Groups are used to communicate with multiple people at the same time (by default up to 5 in total). Those are non-persistent entities not tied to any specific space. Any user can create a group inviting people, and any group member can invite more people in the same way. When all users leave a group, the group itself ceases to exist.
- A user in a Group can add other participants to the Group up to the permitted limit and share the whole conversation history with them.
- A user in a Group can communicate with all of the other members. All Group members have access to all messages sent to the Group.
- A user in a Group can transmit files to everyone else. Files sent to a Group are accessible to all Group members.
- A user in a Group can initiate a video chat with the whole group. Group video conversations can be joined at any moment by all Group members.
Global Administrators can alter the maximum number of group members under the Zextras Team section of the Admin Console’s Global settings.
Spaces are themed containers that can accommodate an unlimited number of Channels. Consider a Space to be a community centre where people assemble to discuss various topics in designated sections (dubbed Channels).
Features of Spaces
- Each area has its own name and theme. By clicking on the relevant option in the Space’s settings, you may alter both the name and the Topic.
- Members are free to leave a slot at any moment.
- Using the proper buttons, Space Administrators can build new channels and invite new users to the space.
- Members may use Spaces to upload, exchange, and forward messages and attachments.
Space Configuration
Its General Channel Info defines the settings of a Space (see below).
The Space’s founder is also the first Space Administrator, and any other user can be granted the same powers by clicking on the crown icon in the relevant item of the participant list.
Space Administrators are the only ones who may invite new participants, create new channels, kick people, and delete channels inside the space.
Channels
Channels are topic-specific sections inside the same space. These can have any number of participants, and unlike Groups, users can join any Channel in a Space they are in without being invited by a member.
Each new Space immediately creates a “General” channel within it, which establishes the space’s attributes (e.g., Title and Topic) and which all users join when they join the Space.
Features of Channels
- A user in a Channel can communicate with everyone else. All messages sent on that channel are seen by all members of that channel.
- A user in a Channel can initiate a video conversation with everyone else. All Channel members can participate in video conversations at any time.
- In a Channel, a user may upload, share, and forward messages and attachments.
Mute Conversations and Notifications
When a message or attachment is received in a 1-to-1 Chat, a Channel, or a Space, alerts such as noises, mini-chats, or other pop-ups are utilised if the browser with Teams, the Android app, or the iOS app is running in the background.
This default behaviour can be altered to muffle all or some alerts, even if the users conversing are on separate servers. This silent or active state is saved and maintained in the attributes of each Chat, Channel, or Space and is retained even if a Mailbox is relocated to a different server.
If there is feedback or background noise in 1-to-1 talks, users can silence the microphones of other participants. A toast notice appears on the screen for mute participants. By clicking Unmute or the notice, participants can reactivate their microphone.
Users in Video Chats can silence other participants selectively; however, a moderator can mute everyone at the same time.
When you click on a file within a chat window, it will be downloaded to the local client using the browser’s download mechanism.
Files sent via Team will be kept in the sender’s Drive in a protected root folder named Team transmitted files, counting against the sender’s mailbox quota, and will be available for download in the chat window for all participants until deleted from Drive by the sender.
Autocomplete
Internal autocomplete and External autocomplete are the two types of autocomplete in Team.
When selecting a target for 1-1 Chats, Group Chats, Spaces, and Channels, Internal Autocomplete is utilised, but External Autocomplete is only used for Instant Meeting attendees.
This may be adjusted by utilising the zxsuite config [get/set/empty] CLI toolset to alter the teamCrossDomainSearchMode COS property to local, extended, or global.
Local mode (by default), in which Internal Autocomplete pulls information from the GAL and External Autocomplete pulls information from the user’s Contacts and GAL.
Mode 2 (Extended)
It is a subset of local in that it matches the complete email addresses of any user in the same infrastructure as internal users.
As long as the right email address is given, this allows you to establish a 1-1 Chat with or add to a Group/Space/Channel any person who is on the same infrastructure but not in the GAL.
The global mode
A subset of extended mode in which autocomplete users in the same infrastructure do not require a precise match on the email address.
In contrast to the rigorous email address match required in extended mode, this enables for autocomplete of any user in the infrastructure.
Presence In Zextras Team, presence is controlled automatically: anytime a person signs in, regardless of whether the Team Tab is focused, they display as online.
All messages are presented with a customizable number of tick symbols as part of the user presence system:
- 0 grey checks, message did not reach the server
- 1 grey tick, message successfully delivered to the server
- 2 blue checks, all users have seen the message
When sending a text message with privacy enabled, only one grey tick appears, indicating that the message was received by the server. The receiving user will not respond with an acknowledgment.
Unread Messages The number of unread messages in any conversation (Group, Channel, space, instant meeting) appears on the right side of the Chats, Spaces, Instant Meetings label from which the message originated, as well as in the list of conversions beneath, next to the actual chat generating the message.
Messages can be edited, replied to, forwarded, and deleted.
Right-clicking or hovering over a message and clicking on the arrowhead that appears on the right side of the message bubble brings up a context menu with the following options:
- Change the message’s content by editing it. The string “edited” will be shown next to the message delivery symbol.
- Reply means to respond to a communication. The response will take place in the same conversation and will not be private.
- Send a message to another chat, group, or channel.
- Delete: remove a message from the system. The colour of the message bubble will turn to grey, and the string “Deleted Message” will show in place of the original content.
The table below summarises all message interactions
Chat History Chat History is available in the same window for each 1-to-1 Chat, Group, and Channel (e.g., join a Channel to see all of that channel’s history), and messages delivered to offline users appear in the corresponding IM chat, Group, or Channel.
Server STUN/TURN
Because WebRTC is a peer-to-peer protocol, all participants in a video chat must be able to access each other’s client in order for connections to be created.
If this is not feasible due to network NAT regulations or a Service Provider’s policy, employing a TURN server assures proper communication between all peers. Zextras Team is designed to allow you to use a STUN/TURN server right away by simply entering the TURN server’s URL and login credentials in the zimlet setup.
Configuring Zextras Team to utilise a TURN server
The zxsuite team iceServer’s [add | get | delete] commands expose a specific set of TURN configuration tools via CLI.
Multiple TURN servers can be installed to support various users or Classes of Service (as indicated by the command’s optional user and cos arguments).
For convenience of usage, it is strongly advised to have a single user on the TURN server, authorised using a username and secret key, as a 1:1 correlation between Zimbra users and TURN users is not required.
CLI Zextras Team
The index of all zxsuite team commands may be found in this section. The whole reference may be found in the section ZxTeam CLI Commands.
addOwner groupClearChatDB status doConversationsMessagesdoDeployTeamZimlet doImportChannels doMoveAllRooms doMoveRoom doRestartService doRoomsdoStartService doStopService doUsers cleanupDump cleanupSessions flushConversationsgetServices should be cached. iceServe with iceGet some ice for the server.Server remove monitor rooms space add video-server delete video-server