Learn how to create and configure Exchange Server 2007 recipient objects, such as mailboxes, users, contacts, distribution groups and address lists, using the Exchange Management Console (EMC) or the Exchange Management Shell (EMS). In this book excerpt from "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: A Beginner's Guide," author Nick Cavalancia also explains how to create and manage customized address lists.
Once Exchange Server 2007 is installed and any transitions have occurred from previous versions of Exchange, it's time to get down to the business of managing your Exchange 2007 environment.
One of the main functions in managing an Exchange 2007 environment is the creation and configuration of recipient objects. Now, let's not be fooled here -- this involves much more than just mail-enabling a user account or public folder. Once enabled, there are a host of configuration parameters that need to be considered. In addition, the types of recipients have drastically changed from Exchange 5.5 and have somewhat changed from that of Exchange 2000/2003. As well as using graphical tools to accomplish administrative tasks, Microsoft now enables nearly everything you can normally do via the graphical user interface (GUI) through the new Exchange Management Shell (EMS).
In this chapter, I'll illustrate how to create and configure each of these recipient types, both through the primary graphical tool, the Exchange Management Console, as well as the Exchange Management Shell. Then we'll look at how to create and manage customized address lists for your users.
Creating and managing recipients
Let's start out by covering the various types of recipients. You would naturally figure a mailbox is the first type, but with Exchange 2007, there are four types of mailboxes you can create. A user mailbox is an Exchange 2007-based mailbox associated with an Active Directory user. A room mailbox is a mailbox that is associated with a disabled user for the purpose of room scheduling. An equipment mailbox, like a room mailbox, is associated with a disabled user, but is used for the purpose of scheduling equipment within your organization. Last, a linked mailbox is a mailbox that is accessible by a security principle (such as a user account) in a separate forest that exists across a trust.
The next set of contacts are used to represent external recipients without Exchange mailboxes. The first is a mail contact, which is an Active Directory object representing a person external to your organization who has an associated email address pointing to an external messaging system. You could use mail contact objects, for example, to ensure that important clients are in the global address list. The second type of external recipient is a mail user, which is an Active Directory user that has no Exchange mailbox, but instead uses an external messaging system. This object is perfect for situations when you have a contractor on site who needs to log on to Active Directory to access resources, but has his or her own messaging system at his or her office.
A distribution group is an Active Directory group that is mail-enabled, having an email address on the Exchange system. Messages sent to a distribution group will be sent to each of the members of that group. Lastly, public folders are automatically assigned email addresses. Table 3-1 compares the various recipient types.
While you have been using Active Directory Users and Computers on a server that has the Exchange management tools installed to manage your recipients for years, in order to manage Exchange 2007 recipients, you'll need to focus your attention on the Exchange 2007 management tools.
| Recipient Type |
Associated Object Type in Active Directory |
Accessed By |
Internal or External Recipient? |
Example of Usage |
| User mailbox |
User |
Associated user account |
Internal |
Internal user |
| Room mailbox |
User |
Other users |
Internal |
Conference room |
| Equipment mailbox |
User |
Other users |
Internal |
Video projector |
| Linked mailbox |
User |
User account in a trusted domain in a separate forest |
Internal |
Centralized company email mailbox accessed by a user in a business unit using a separate (but trusted) Active Directory forest |
| Mail contact |
Contact |
n/a |
External |
External person commonly sent email |
| Mail user |
User |
n/a |
External |
Contractor with temporary internal user account but external email |
| Distribution group |
Group |
Associated user account |
Can include internal and external recipients |
Combines multiple recipients into a single destination |
| Public folder |
Public folder |
n/a |
Internal |
Receives messages needed to be viewed by multiple users |
Table 3-1. Comparison of Exchange 2007 recipients
| Tip: If you have a mixed Exchange 2007/Exchange 2000 or 2003 environment, you can use the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in to manage Exchange 2000/2003 recipients. |
In this chapter, I'm going to focus on how to manage recipients using the Exchange Management Console and the Exchange Management Shell. I'll cover managing public folders in the next chapter. If you would like a refresher on managing recipients using Active Directory Users and Computers while you are still running a mix of Exchange 2000/2003 and 2007, please refer to the Exchange Server 2003 Administration Guide.
Let's start by looking at how to create and manage the four mailbox types.
Tutorial: Creating and managing recipients in Exchange Server 2007
Home: Introduction to Exchange 2007 recipients
Part 1: Creating and configuring Exchange Server 2007 mailboxes
Part 2: How to configure Exchange Server 2007 mailboxes
Part 3: Deleting and reconnecting Exchange Server 2007 mailboxes
Part 4: Setting up Exchange Server 2007 contacts
Part 5: Creating mail users in Exchange Server 2007
Part 6: How to create and configure Exchange Server 2007 distribution groups
Part 7: Managing Exchange Server 2007 address lists
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This chapter excerpt from Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: A Beginner's Guide, by Nick Cavalancia, is printed with permission from The McGraw-Hill Companies, copyright 2008.
Click here for the chapter download or purchase the book here. |
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