Exchange Integration with Azure Application Authentication

Introduction

This step-by-step guide will show you a popular method for creating a Microsoft Exchange application for Communications Mining in your Azure Cloud Platform. You'll learn how to create an Application (client) with an ID and Client Secret, and find your existing Directory (tenant) ID. This will allow users to access Exchange mailbox integrations in Communications Mining.

Why is a successful integration important?

Failure to create an Exchange-Communications Mining application in Azure can lead to permissions errors that prevent users from accessing their mailbox integrations. To gain the full benefits of Communications Mining, follow these steps and complete the process in its entirety.

The Integration Process—step by step

1. Sign in with Azure.
   Sign into your Azure Cloud Portal.
2. Register a new application for Communications Mining.

   Access the App Registrations menu and select the New Registration option.

   
   

   

   
   

   Register a new application:

   1. Enter an application name—for example reinfer-exchange-integration.
   2. Under Supported account types, select the single tenant option.
   3. Hit Register to complete the registration.

   
   

   

   
   

   Azure will give you an Application (client) ID and a Directory (tenant)ID.

   
   

   

   
   
3. Create a Client Secret for your Communications Mining application.

   To keep your application secure, you must create a Client Secret to log intoyour application. First, click on Certificates & Secrets under the Manage sidebar, then follow the steps below:

   1. Select the Client secrets option if it's not already selected.
   2. Select New client secret.
      
      
      
      
   3. In the sidebar, add an easily recognizable description and select an expiry date—we recommend 12 months.
   4. Hit Add.
      
      
      
      

   You've now created a Secret Value for your Communications Mining application.

   
   

   

   
   

   Note: Azure will only display this Secret Value to you once, so make sure to copy it. If you ever lose your secret value, simply complete Step 3 again to create a new one.
4. Set API permissions
   1. Navigate to API permissions under the Manage sidebar.
   2. Select Add a permission
      
      
      
      
   3. Select APIs my organization uses.
      
      
      
      
   4. Search for and select "Office 365 Exchange Online"
   5. Select "Application Permissions"
      
      
      
      
   6. Select the option "full_access_as_app"
   7. Hit Add permissions
      
      
      
      
   8. Back in the API permissions menu, hit Grant admin consent for Communications Mining.
   9. In the Grant admin consent confirmation pop-up, select Yes.
      
      
      
      
5. Restrict access to the mailbox with a conditional access policy
   At this point, you will likely want to limit the applications permissions so that it can only access certain mailboxes within your organisation. To learn how to do this, read Microsoft's article Limiting application permissions to specific Exchange Online mailboxes.
6. Sign into Communications Mining
   Sign into Communications Mining through UiPath Automation Cloud as usual.
7. Create a new integration in Communications Mining
   1. Navigate to the Integrations page through the settings cog at the top right.
   2. Select New Integration.
      
      
      
      
   3. Select an existing project and enter a name for your integration, and add a title if desired.
   4. Click Continue.
      
      
      
      
   5. Populate your oauth authority using the tenant ID generated in Step 2, in the following format: https://login.microsoftonline.com/{tenant_id}.
   6. Populate your client ID generated in Step 2.
   7. Populate your Client Secret generated in Step 3.
   8. Select the option With application access.
   9. Click Validate & Save Credentials to check that your credentials are valid.
   10. Click Continue.
       
       
       
       
   11. Click Add Mailbox to open the mailbox form.
   12. Enter the email address for which you wish to copy emails into Communications Mining.
   13. Click Add Mailbox again to save the mailbox.
   14. Click Create Integration.
       
       
       
       

Final steps

You have now successfully created an integration between Communications Mining and Microsoft Exchange through Azure. You can disable the integration by hitting the switch in the top-right corner of the Integrations page. To delete it, select the trash can icon.

You can also enable attachment syncing at mailbox level on an Exchange integration. The streams API then makes the attachments retrievable via an attachment reference. Check more about syncing attachments in the Attachments and Using Exchange Integrations pages.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the integration process, please contact UiPath support.