How to Specify the Versions of Offline Address Book to Be Generated

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This topic explains how to specify the versions of offline address book to be generated. You make this specification by configuring the doOABVersion attribute of the Offline Address Lists object in the Address Lists container in Active Directory. By default, on servers running Microsoft® Exchange Server 2003 SP2, Offline Address Book versions 2, 3a, and 4 files are generated. On servers running Exchange Server 2003 SP1, Offline Address Book versions 2 and 3a files are generated.

Before You Begin

You must edit this value using a tool such as the Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) Edit snap-in, the LDP (ldp.exe) tool, or another Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) version 3 client.

Note

You can also specify whether you want to generate OAB v1 files by selecting the Exchange 4.0 and 5.0 compatibility option in System Manager. For detailed steps about configuring this setting, see "Enable Offline Address List Support for Legacy Exchange Users" in the Exchange Server 2003 online Help.

Warning

If you incorrectly modify the attributes of Active Directory objects when you use ADSI Edit, the LDP tool, or another LDAP version 3 client, you may cause serious problems. These problems may require that you reinstall Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003, Exchange Server 2003, or both. Modify Active Directory object attributes at your own risk.

Procedure

To specify the versions of offline address book to be generated

  1. Use an Active Directory editor, such as ADSI Edit, to locate the CN=Offline Address Lists object in Active Directory.

    The Offline Address Lists object can be found at:

    CN=Configuration, CN=Services, CN=Microsoft Exchange, CN=<OrganizationName>, CN=Address Lists Container, CN=Offline Address Lists

  2. Under CN=Offline Address Lists, open the properties of the offline address list object for which you want to specify the versions of offline address book to be generated. For example, to specify the versions of offline address book to be generated for the Default Offline Address List using ADSI edit, double-click CN=Default Offline Address List.

  3. Edit the value for the doOABVersion attribute to specify the offline address books that you want to be generated. For example, to edit the value for doAOBVersion of the Default Offline Address List using ADSI Edit, in CN=Default Offline Address List Properties, select doOABVersion, and then click Edit.

    Use the following table to help you specify the appropriate value for your organization.

    Decimal Binary Versions generated

    0

    0000

    2, 3a, and 4

    6

    0110

    4

    2

    0010

    3a and 4

    1

    0001

    1, 2, 3a, and 4

For more information about using the LDP tool, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 260745, "XADM: Using the LDP Utility to Modify Active Directory Object Attributes."

For more information about working with ADSI Edit, see the topic "Adsiedit.msc: ADSI Edit" in the Windows Server online Help.

For More Information

For information about deployment considerations, see "Specifying the Versions of Offline Address Book to Be Generated" in Deployment Scenarios for Outlook 2003.

For information about how to view the versions of offline address list that are being generated, see How to View the Offline Address Book System Folders in Exchange System Manager.

For information about the differences between OAB v2, v3a, and v4, see Improvements for Offline Address Books.