How to Determine the Expansion Server for a Distribution Group

Expansion servers route messages that are sent to a single distribution list or group for each of the recipient objects in that list or group. When a user sends a message to a group, the Exchange server that is acting as the expansion server expands the group to its individual members. This expansion permits members of the distribution list or group to receive the message. An expansion server also resolves the names of all recipients in the distribution list or group, and then determines the most efficient path for routing the message.

Before You Begin

Before you perform the procedure in this topic, read Troubleshooting Non-Delivery Report Messages.

The following permissions are required to perform this procedure:

• Member of the local administrators group and a member of a group that has had the Exchange Administrators role applied at the administrative group level

Procedure

To determine the expansion server for a distribution group

1. In Active Directory Users and Computers, right-click the distribution group and then click Properties.

2. Click the Exchange Advanced tab, and look in the value under Expansion server.

   The Exchange Advanced tab of the Distribution group properties dialog box

   

3. From a command prompt, type the following:

   NLTEST /DSGETDC:<domain> /GC
   

   where domain is the name of your domain