Recipient Configuration > Distribution Group

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Distribution groups are mail-enabled Active Directory group objects that are created to expedite the mass sending of e-mail messages and other information within an Exchange organization.

There are two types of distribution groups:

  • Mail-enabled universal distribution groups can be used only to distribute messages.

  • Mail-enabled universal security groups can be used to distribute messages as well as to grant access permissions to resources in Active Directory.

It's important to note the terminology differences between Active Directory and Exchange 2010. In Active Directory, a distribution group refers to any group that doesn't have a security context, whether it's mail-enabled or not. In contrast, in Exchange 2010, all mail-enabled groups are referred to as distribution groups, whether they have a security context or not.

Use the Distribution Group node under Recipient Configuration for a variety of distribution group management tasks. You can create new distribution groups (including security groups) and modify, remove, or disable existing distribution groups.

To focus on a set of items in the result pane that have specific attributes, you can use a variety of expressions to filter the list. For more information about filters, see Filter the Result Pane.

When you select the Distribution Group node under Recipient Configuration, the following distribution group-specific actions are available either by right-clicking Distribution Group or by using the action pane.

Note

You can also use the Exchange Management Shell to manage all aspects of distribution groups. For more information, see Recipient Cmdlets.

  • Modify the Maximum Number of Recipients to Display
    Click Modify Maximum Number of Recipients to Display to open the Maximum Number of Recipients to Display dialog box. You can use this dialog box to set the maximum number of recipients to display in the result pane.

    By default, a maximum of 1,000 recipients is displayed. Increasing this value can be beneficial in large environments. However, increasing the value also increases the time it takes to display the results. Depending on the size of your organization, it may also have a performance impact on the domain controller to which you are connected.

    For more information, see Modify the Maximum Number of Recipients to Display in the Result Pane.

  • Find
    Click Find to open the Find dialog box. You can use the Find dialog to search for recipients in your organization. For more information, see Using the Find Dialog Box.

  • New Distribution Group
    Click New Distribution Group to open the New Distribution Group wizard. Use this wizard to create a new distribution group or security group.

    For more information, see Create a Distribution Group.

  • New Dynamic Distribution Group
    Click New Dynamic Distribution Group to open the New Dynamic Distribution Group wizard. Use this wizard to create a new distribution group or security group.

    Unlike regular distribution groups that contain a defined set of members, the membership list for dynamic distribution groups is calculated each time a message is sent to the group, based on the filters and conditions that you define. When an e-mail message is sent to a dynamic distribution group, it's delivered to all recipients in the organization that match the criteria defined for that group.

    For more information, see Create a Dynamic Distribution Group.

  • Export List
    Click Export List to open the Export List dialog box. You can use this dialog box to save the list of recipients in the result pane to a text file. For instructions about how to use the Export List feature, see Export Lists from the Exchange Management Console.

  • View
    Click View in the action pane to modify how objects are displayed in the console and to record and view the Exchange Management Shell commands that run in the console. The following options may vary depending on your location in the console tree:

    • View Exchange Management Shell Command Log

      Click View Exchange Management Shell Command Log to view the Shell Command Log dialog box. The Command Log allows you to view all the Shell commands that have been executed in the console. For more information, see Using the Exchange Management Shell Command Log to Track Tasks Performed in the EMC.

    • Add/Remove Columns

      Click Add/Remove Columns to select which columns you want to display in the result pane and to change the order. The available columns depend on the node that you select. The MMC automatically saves your settings. To revert to the default column view, click Restore Defaults in the Add/Remove Columns dialog box. For more information, see Add or Remove Columns in the Exchange Management Console.

    • Visual Effects

      Click Visual Effects to set the visual effects to be never on or automatic. Use the visual effects setting to configure how Exchange wizards are displayed. If your connection is slow when running wizards, you can increase performance by turning off visual effects. Use the Automatic setting to have the console detect if your system should have visual effects turned on or off.

    • Save Current Filter as Default

      Click Save Current Filter as Default to make the existing filter the default filter for the servers listed in the result pane.

    • Customize

      Click Customize to select the console components and snap-ins to display or hide. These settings apply to the entire console. For more information, see Customize the Exchange Management Console.

  • Refresh
    Click Refresh to refresh the information displayed in the result pane.

For More Information

Understanding Recipients

Managing Distribution Groups

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