Creating or Changing Distribution Lists

To create and change distribution lists, use the Directory Import command.

Creating Distribution Lists

For each new distribution list, you should define at least four fields in the directory import file:

Obj-Class   Must be the first field in the header. Each data line has this value set to DL.

Display Name   Not strictly required, unless you are trying to maintain a naming convention.

Directory Name   You can use the key word common name. The directory name must be unique in the Recipients container.

Members   Lists each member by their directory names. If you have multiple Recipients containers, you should also include the Recipients containers' names.

Other fields can also be added. Here are some sample directory import files for creating distribution lists:

Obj-Class, Display Name, Directory Name, Members
dl,zSales,Sales,Recipients/cn=BillL%Recipients/cn=BrentJ%Recipients/cn=PaulBorm

Obj-Class, Display Name, Common-Name, Members
dl,DL-Social-Sports Fans,DLSOCSP,BillL%BrentJ%PaulBorm
dl,DL-Org Network Ops,DLorgNO,ShannonB%BrentJ

Obj-Class, Display Name, Directory Name, Members,Owner,Hide From AB
dl,DL-Org Network Ops,DLorgNO,ShannonB%BrentJ,BrentJ,0
dl,Presidents Group,pg,PaulBorm%BillL,,1

Using Directory Information to Create Distribution Lists

You can create distribution lists with directory information. There are many reasons to use this option, for example:

• Your existing system doesn't have distribution lists.
• Distribution lists are difficult to migrate from your existing system.
• You want distribution lists to be nested or to be in a hierarchy, neither of which can be accomplished with your existing system.

For example, you can create distribution lists based on directory attributes such as manager name, department name, office location, or title.

   To create distribution lists from manager name information

1. Using the Directory Export command, export custom recipients and mailboxes to a file with the following header:

obj-class,common-name,department,reports,display-name,manager

2. Edit the exported file as follows:
 
• Sort the file by reports.
• Delete all entries with no reports.
• Delete the common-name column.
• Change reports header to members, change manager to owner, and change department to common-name.
• Add some text before the data in the common-name field to make each value unique.
• Appends Direct Reports to the display name.
• Change obj-class to DL.
3. Import the edited file.

Changing Distribution Lists

You may want to add or remove members of a distribution list. You can either change the distribution list, or you can change the recipient by adding a distribution list to the recipient. This section discusses adding or removing members by changing the distribution list.

   To change a distribution list

1. Select Directory Import from the Tools menu.
2. Use the Mode field as the second field in the header, and set it to modify.
3. In the Directory Import dialog box, set the Multivalue Field setting to Append.

Adding Members to Distribution Lists

The following are sample directory import files for adding members to distribution lists:

Obj-Class,Mode,Directory Name, Members
dl,modify,Sales,Recipients/cn=ShannonB%Recipients/cn=DFunk

Obj-Class, Mode, Directory Name, Members
dl,modify,DLSOCSP,ShannonB
dl,modify,DLorgNO,BillL%DFunk

Obj-Class, Mode, Common-Name, Members,
dl,modify,DLorgNO,DFunk
dl,modify,pg,DFunk

For example, the following import file adds the new mailbox DFunk to the distribution lists LorgNO and PG:

obj-class,mode,common-name,members
mailbox,modify,DFunk,LorgNO%PG

You can also use this format to add mailboxes, distribution lists, and custom recipients to distribution lists as they are created:

obj-class,mode,common-name,target-address,members
remote,create,HOWARDS,PROFS:SANFRAN(HOWARDS),LorgNO%PG

Removing Members of Distribution Lists

To remove recipients from distribution lists, you can modify the distribution lists, or you can modify the recipients.

   To remove members by modifying distribution lists

1. Create a text file with the following header:

obj-class,mode,common-name,members

2. Export distribution lists to this file.

obj-class,mode,common-name,members
dl,,LorgNO,DFunk%Howards%BillL
dl,,pg,DFunk%Howards%BillL%BrentJ

3. Add Modify to all mode fields. Delete the users' common names from the appropriate distribution lists.

obj-class,mode,common-name,members
dl,modify,LorgNO,DFunk%Howards
dl,modify,pg,DFunk%Howards%BrentJ

4. Import the modified file with the Multivalued Properties set to Overwrite.

   To remove members by modifying the recipients

1. Create a text file with the following header:

obj-class,mode,common-name,members

2. Export to this file.

obj-class,mode,common-name,members
mailbox,,DFunk,LorgNO%PG
remote,,Howards,PG%Sales

3. Add Modify to all mode fields. Delete the distribution lists' common names from the appropriate recipients.

obj-class,mode,common-name,members
mailbox,mode,DFunk,LorgNO
remote,mode,Howard,Sales

4. Import the modified file with the Multivalued Properties set to Overwrite.