Recipient Management Using the Exchange Management Console

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Recipient management in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 can be completed by using either the graphical user interface (GUI) in Exchange Management Console or by using command lines in the Exchange Management Shell.

In Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, these procedures were completed by using Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC). In Microsoft Exchange, this recipient management functionality has been integrated into the Exchange Management tools.

This topic focuses on how to use the Exchange Management Console. The Exchange Management Console organizes the navigation tree into four work centers. You use the Recipient Configuration work center node for recipient management. Under this node are the following recipient type nodes:

  • Mailbox

  • Distribution Group

  • Mail Contact

  • Disconnected Mailbox.

In this topic we discuss how to use the Exchange Management Console in Exchange Server 2007 to complete the following top five recipient management procedures:

  • Create a new mailbox, distribution group, or mail contact

  • Modify properties on a mailbox

  • Configure "Exchange Features" on a mailbox

  • Move mailboxes

  • Check or change e-mail addresses on a mailbox or on a mail-enabled object

For information about how to use the Exchange Management Shell to perform recipient management, view the following topics:

Recipient Management Consolidation from ADUC to Exchange Server 2007

In Microsoft Exchange, recipient management has been integrated into the Exchange Management tools. Legacy Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC) extensions are not installed on Microsoft Exchange computers or on admin-only consoles. Instead, the ADUC extensions have been consolidated into a single, updated management interface in the Exchange Management Console and in the Exchange Management Shell.

This change was made for the following reasons:

  • To reduce the cost of managing users by introducing automation. Because the Microsoft Exchange recipient management tools are built on top of Powershell cmdlets, we have introduced automation and a powerful bulk management solution. This makes it easier to complete management tasks such as adding, deleting, or changing mailboxes.

  • To truly support the split-permissions model, in which an Exchange administrator can do everything relevant to Exchange by using one console.

  • To simplify the management of the Global Address List (GAL) and recipient types from the Exchange Management Console. Only the objects and attributes that pertain to Exchange are shown in the console.

  • To make recipient types explicit, rather than implicit. Microsoft Exchange has 13 different explicit recipient types. Differentiating these types makes it easier to manage recipients. This helps to lower labor costs.

Customers who have used ADUC for recipient management can now use the Exchange management tools.

Note

Customers who use ADUC to complete non-exchange related user management together with mailbox management may want to create a custom Microsoft Exchange console snap-in that shows only the recipient configuration node and its children. This console snap-in does not include the organizational or server management nodes. By creating the custom Microsoft Exchange console snap-in, you will not have to use two tools to complete tasks. For more information, see the "How to Create a Recipient Management-Only Console" section in this topic.

Top 5 Recipient Management tasks

This section describes how to complete the top five recipient management actions by using the Exchange Management Console.

Create a New Mailbox, Distribution Group or Mail Contact

The most common task that is completed by Exchange administrators is to create a new mailbox (new user who have mailbox properties). This also includes mailbox-enabling an existing user. The creation of a new distribution group or a mail contact is a similar process. These actions are easily completed in Exchange Server 2007 by using the Exchange Management Console.

To perform this procedure, you must grant the following permissions to the account that you use:

  • "Windows Account Operator" permission to create a new user

  • "Exchange Recipient Administrator" permission to create a mailbox for an existing user

For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Microsoft Exchange, see Permission Considerations.

Create a New Mailbox for a New User

  1. In the Exchange Management Console, right-click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Mailbox. Or, click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Mailbox in the action pane. The New Mailbox wizard starts.

  2. On the Introduction page of the New Mailbox wizard, click to select the type of mailbox that you want to create, and then click Next.

  3. On the User Type page, click to select New user, and then click Next.

  4. On the User Information page, type the required information about the user in the applicable boxes, and then click Next.

  5. On the New Mailbox page, type the alias for the mailbox user in the Alias box. In the Mailbox database area, click Browse, and then locate the mailbox database that will contain the new mailbox. If it is necessary, click to select the Managed folder mailbox policy check box, and then click Browse to locate the policy that you want to apply. If required, click to select the Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy check box, and then click Browse to locate the policy that you want to apply. Then, click Next.

  6. On the New Mailbox page, verify that the information in the Configuration Summary is correct. Then, click Next.

    Note

    If you must change something, do not click Next. Instead, click Back to return to the previous pages to make the correction.

  7. On the Completion page, click Finish.

Mail-enable an Existing User

  1. In the Exchange Management Console, right-click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Mailbox. Or, click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Mailbox in the action pane. The New Mailbox wizard starts.

  2. On the Introduction page of the New Mailbox wizard, click to select the type of mailbox you want to create, and then click Next.

  3. On the User Type page, click to select Existing user, and then click Add.

  4. In the Select User box, click the name of the existing user that you want, and then click OK.

  5. On the User Type page, click Next.

  6. On the Mailbox Settings page, type the alias for the mailbox user in the Alias box. In the Mailbox database area, click Browse, and then locate the mailbox database that will contain the new mailbox. If it is necessary, click to select the Managed folder mailbox policy check box, and then click Browse to locate the policy that you want to apply. If it is necessary, click to select the Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy check box, and then click Browse to locate the policy that you want to apply. Click Next.

  7. On the New Mailbox page, verify that the information in the Configuration Summary is correct. Then, click Next.

    Note

    If you must change something, do not click Next. Instead, click Back to return to the previous pages to make the correction.

  8. On the Completion page, click Finish.

Create a New Distribution Group

  1. In the Exchange Management Console, right-click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Distribution Group. Or, click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Distribution Group in the action pane.

    Note

    The New Distribution Group wizard starts.

  2. On the Introduction page, click to select Existing Group, and then click Browse.

  3. In the Select Group box, click the existing group that you want to mail-enable, and then click OK.

  4. On the Introduction page, click Next.

  5. On the Group Information page, enter the account information for the distribution group, and then click Next.

  6. On the New Distribution Group page, verify that the information in the Configuration Summary is correct. When the information is correct, click New.

  7. On the Completion page, click Finish.

Mail-enable an existing Distribution Group

  1. In the Exchange Management Console, right-click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Distribution Group. Or, click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Distribution Group in the action pane.

  2. On the Introduction page, click to select Existing Group, and then click Next.

  3. On the Group Information page, enter the account information for the distribution group, and then click Next.

  4. On the New Distribution Group page, verify that the information in the Configuration Summary is correct. When the information is correct, click New.

    Note

    If you must change something, do not click New. Instead, click Back to return to the previous pages to make the correction.

  5. On the Completion page, click Finish.

Create a New Mail Contact for a New Contact

  1. In the Exchange Management Console, right-click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Mail Contact. Or, click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Mail Contact in the action pane. The New Mail Contact wizard starts.

  2. On the Introduction page, click to select New contact, and then click Next.

  3. On the Contact Information page, enter the account information for the mail contact, and then click Next.

  4. On the New Mail Contact page, verify that the information in the Configuration Summary is correct. When the information is correct, click New.

    Note

    If you must change something, do not click New. Instead, click Back to return to the previous pages to make the correction.

  5. On the Completion page, click Finish.

Mail-enable an Existing Contact

  1. In the Exchange Management Console, right-click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Mail Contact. Or, click Recipient Configuration in the console tree, and then click New Mail Contact in the action pane. The New Mail Contact wizard starts.

  2. On the Introduction page, click to select Existing contact, and then click Browse.

  3. In the Select Contact box, click the existing group that you want to mail-enable, and then click OK.

  4. On the Introduction page, click Next.

  5. On the Contact Information page, enter the account information for the mail contact, and then click Next.

  6. On the New Mail Contact page, verify that the information in the Configuration Summary is correct. When the information is correct, click New.

    Note

    If you must change something, do not click New. Instead, click Back to return to the previous pages to make the correction.

  7. On the Completion page, click Finish.

Modify properties on a recipient object

After you create a recipient object, you may want to manage some properties on the recipient object. Microsoft Exchange recipient management tools enable you to manage both the Exchange property set and some portions of the Windows and Active Directory directory service property set.

To perform this procedure, you must grant the following permissions to the account that you use:

  • "Exchange Recipient Administrator" permission to modify the Exchange property sets

  • "Windows Account Operator" for the Active Directory property set

For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Microsoft Exchange, see Permission Considerations.

Modify properties on a recipient object

  1. In the Recipient Configuration node on the console tree, click the recipient object node that contains the recipient object that you want to modify.

  2. In the results pane, click the recipient object that you want to modify, and then click Properties in the action pane. Or, right-click the recipient object that you want to modify, and then click Properties.

  3. Make your changes on the tabs in the recipient object properties page, and then click OK.

Configure "Exchange Features" on a mailbox

After you create a new mailbox, you may want to manage the status and settings of some Exchange Mailbox features. In Exchange 2003 these are named "Exchange Features" and include configuring the various mobile services and protocols that are available to access a mailbox.

In Microsoft Exchange, use the Exchange Management Console to configure Exchange Mailbox features.

Configure "Exchange Features" on a mailbox

  1. In the Recipient Configuration node on the console tree, click Mailbox.

  2. In the results pane, click the mailbox that you want to configure, and then click Properties in the action pane. Or, right-click the mailbox that you want to configure in the results pane, and then click Properties.

  3. In the mailbox properties, click the Mailbox Features tab.

  4. Select the feature that you want to configure. Click Enable, Disable, or Properties depending on the feature that you select and how you want to configure the feature.

    Note

    The options that are available depend on the feature that you select. Some features let you access to feature-specific properties, and some features let you enable or disable the feature.

Move mailboxes PU

The process to move mailboxes between mailbox databases or servers is simplified in Microsoft Exchange by using the Exchange Management Console. You can select many mailboxes to be moved in one action.

To move mailboxes

  1. In the Exchange Management Console, click Mailbox in the Recipient Configuration node of the console tree.

  2. In the results pane, select the mailboxes that you want to move.

  3. In the actions pane, click Move Mailbox. The Move Mailbox wizard starts.

  4. On the Introduction page, type the name of the mailbox database where you want to move the mailboxes. Or, click Browse to locate the destination mailbox database. Click Next.

  5. On the Move Options page, select how you want to handle corrupted messages. If applicable, select the Active Directory servers for the mailbox move. Click Next.

  6. On the Move Schedule page, select when you want the move to occur. If you want, you can click to select the Cancel tasks that are still running after (hours) check box to set a time limit to the move process. Click Next.

  7. On the Move Mailbox page, verify that the information in the summary area is correct. If you must change the move information, click Back and make the required changes. When the information is correct, click Move.

  8. On the Completion page, click Finish.

When the criteria to move mailboxes are complex, use filters in the results pane of the Exchange Management Console to help you select the correct mailboxes. For example, if you want to move all mailboxes in a specific distribution group, or all mailboxes with a particular custom attribute set, you can use the Create Filter feature to retrieve the mailboxes that meet the criteria. The following list describes the Create Filter feature:

  • A filter contains one or more expressions. Each expression consists of an attribute, an operator, and a value. The attributes vary depending on the items for which you are creating the filter. For example, you can filter mailboxes based on attributes such as Alias and Display Name.

  • The list of operators that are available is based on the attribute you select. For example, when you're filtering recipients, the Display Name attribute can have Starts With as an operator.

  • The list of acceptable values is also based on the attribute you select. Acceptable values are selected from a drop-down list, such as the Role attribute for servers. In addition, you can type the values for some attributes in the Value field, such as the Display Name attribute.

  • When you are building expressions for a filter, you can't specify what is an AND or an OR expression. However, the default behavior of the filter is as follows:

  • Multiple expressions that use the same attribute are considered an OR expression.

  • Expressions that use different attributes are considered an AND expression.

To Filter mailboxes in the results pane

  1. In the Exchange Management Console, click Mailbox in the Recipient Configuration node of the console tree.

  2. At the top of the results pane, click Create Filter to start defining your filter.

  3. Use the list boxes to create the first filter expression.

  4. To create a filter with more than one expression, click Add Expression. Additional expressions make the filter more restrictive, which allows you to focus more on the list of items. You can add up to 10 expressions. You can modify any expression as you create it. To remove any expression from your filter definition, click the red X.

  5. To view only the items that match the criteria defined by the expressions in the filter that you created, click Apply Filter.

  6. To remove all expressions and close the filter, click Remove Filter. The result pane then displays the full list of items in the Exchange organization.

  7. To save the filter as the default filter, click Save Current Filter as Default on the View menu.

Verify or change the e-mail addresses on a mailbox or a mail-enabled object

There may be times where it is useful to inspect the email addresses that are stamped onto a mailbox or mail-enabled recipient. Or, there may be times where you need to change the application of Email Address Policy for a particular mailbox or mail-enabled recipient and control their email addresses directly.

The procedure title

  1. In the Recipient Configuration node on the console tree, click Mailbox.

  2. In the results pane, click the mailbox that you want to verify or change, and then click Properties in the action pane. Or, right-click the mailbox, and then click Properties.

  4. Click the E-mail Addresses tab. On this tab you have the following options:

  5. Click Add to add a new e-mail address.

  6. Click an address in the E-mail addresses list, and then click Edit to change the address.

  7. Click an address in the E-mail addresses list, and then click the red X to delete the address.

  8. Click an address in the E-mail addresses list, and then click Set as Reply to change the default reply address for an e-mail type. Note that this option is available only if more than one address is listed for the e-mail type.

  9. By default, the Automatically update e-mail addresses based on email address policy check box is selected. When this option is selected, the mailbox will fall under Email Address Policy control and some options are disabled. If you want to control all aspects of the mailbox email address assignment, click to clear the Automatically update e-mail addresses based on email address policy check box.

How to Create a Recipient Management-Only Console Snap-in

You can create a custom console snap-in that includes only the Recipient node of the console. This may be useful for customers who use ADUC to complete user management tasks that are non-Exchange-related together with mailbox management tasks.

To create a Recipient Management only console snap-in

  1. To start the Microsoft Management Console without any snap-ins added, click Start, type MMC.exe in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

  2. On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snap-ins.

  3. In the Available snap-ins list, click Exchange Server 2007, and then click Add.

  4. Click OK.

  5. In the console, expand Microsoft Exchange, right-click the Recipient Configuration node, and then click New Window from Here.

  6. On the File menu, click Options.

  7. In the Console mode list, select the mode that you want to use for the Recipient Management console, and then click OK.

  8. On the File menu, click Save and then save the custom Recipient Management console as an MSC file.

  9. Use the MSC file to start the Recipient Management Only console.

More information

For more information about how to use the Exchange Management Shell to complete recipient management actions, view the following topics: