Distribution Lists Add members not in AD

[jvandebogert]

In exchange 2003 I would like to add members that are outside of my AD. They are external email address. But, I don't want to have to create them in my AD. I see that when I add members there is an object type of contacts that I can select. Where would I type in those email addresses so when it tries to resolve the name it is in the contacts container?

 

[Topkapi]

The process to create a contact allows you to attribute a non-AD ( external) address to that contact.

Hope this helps

 

[jvandebogert]

Yes, I got that. But, how do I create a contact so that when I add the external email it resolves under the contact object?

 

[Topkapi]

I'm not sure I'm too clear what you're unsure about now.

When you first create the contact you define the external(presumably) SMTP address for it. This means that any message addressed to this contact itself, or as part of a Distribution List , will be sent to that address.

If I'm still missing your point please give more details to assist my understansing.

 

[jvandebogert]

My goal is not to add a bunch of external contacts in our AD just for the purpose of a DL. So in the DL under members when I click add members it looks in objects under AD and tries to resolve them from there. However there is an object type named contacts. What is that object type looking at. If I create all these external emails under that object type I am assuming that will solve my problem of not having to create these users in the AD. But, I don't know how to create contact objects.

 

[Topkapi]

Expand the AD tree until you can see the Users folder.

Right click this and select "New" when you will see the option to add a Contact. The first screen allows you to Name the contact then after clicking next you will see a button labelled " Modify" this will allow you to select what type of external address you wish (SMTP?) and to specify the external email address e.g.joe.bloggs @domain.com

Hope this is clear now.

 

[jvandebogert]

Ok I see. So, there is no way to just add the members email instead of adding all these users to my AD?

 

[jvandebogert]

The reason I ask is because I have like 100 hundred of these external email address to and and it would be nice to just copy and past a CSV file into the members area of the DL.

 

[athelu]

yes, the only way to have a DL deliver to an outside address is by creating a mail enabled contact. Once you create this contact and assign it to the DL, you can choose the option to Hide it from the Exchange address book so you do not have to see them there if you like.

Also, there is no restriction upon where you store contacts. if you want, you can create a new folder (OU) inside AD to place all of these contacts in.

It would be possible to create a VBScript to create contacts based upon a .CSV, but thats a different issue all together.