Multiple domain, multiple mailboxes, single user

[ilceres]

Hi guys,
I hope someone can solve this.

I already implemente a fully working Exch 2k7 system, configured with a Edge Transport server in a perimeter network managed by ISA 2006 and protected with GFI software. All other Exch rules are installed on a big server in LAN.
With this system I must manage about 250 users with 400 mailboxes in 7 smtp domains.

Here come my trouble, hope you can help me:

How to manage different domain?
Exch 2k7 work very closely with active directory, and at the moment my AD configuration is simple: one forest, one local domain. So the situation is:

AD domain: local.lan

Mail public domain: public1.com, public2.com .... public7.com

Some user have 2 or more mailbox, like this:
User1 has user1@public1.com, user1@public2.com, ecc.. as mailbox, but only one local logon as LOCAL.LAN\user1
I don’t want for the user to add the SMTP address to one mailbox, but 2 (or more) separate mailboxes.

How to manage this according to AD?
It’s a bit hard to admit after years working with MS but a LINUX environment not integrated with AD is more simple to manage from this point of view!

Thank you in advance

MC

 

[markdmac]

Not sure I am following you here. Exchange can manage multiple domains without a problem. And a user ID can have multiple SMTP addresses (from different domains) while still maintaining only a single mailbox.

To break that out to different mailboxes would require additional CALs, so you are wasting money. What is the reason behind this?

If the desire is for the user to be able to reply from the individual SMTP addresses, that can easily be done via Outlook. All that is needed is to enable IMAP. Create an IMAP connection to each SMTP address. Once that is done, the user will see an Accounts button near the send button in outlook which will let them specify the account to send from. Since the configuration is IMAP, you are accessing all the mail directly on the server and thus not duplicating messages. The main SMTP address will remain the default address and it will be used to allow a cached copy of ALL mail in the mailbox. The user can further use rules to filter the mail from the different accounts into folders to avoid any confusion.

If you REALLY want to go down the path you have outlined above, then the easiest way to do it is to configure outlook to have a profile for each account. Set the profile manager to prompt for the profile to use. There will then be a drop down to select the account to check when opening Outlook. This will require unnecessary work on the part of the user and likely cause delays in responding to email.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

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[ilceres]

Thank you for reply

Yeah, I agree with you that the best way is to set all the SMTP address to one mailbox and manage the incoming mail via Outlook rules.

But this is a migration from a Linux IMAP server, and a lot of users use 2 or more mailbox on the same client, an I have to emulate the same scenario with Exchange.

I know that is possible to set full access permission for a user to other mailbox, and this can be a way for me. The only issue is that I have to create duplicate users in AD (only for associate the second, the third mailbox ecc) and I'm not sure this is the correct way to do that.

Hope this clarify the situation.

 

[markdmac]

I still think you are taking this in a bad direction. There is no reason why you can't have multiple SMTP addresses on a single mailbox and allow the user to send and receive from each of those accounts individually.

Why should the user care if the separation of the mail is from a folder or another mailbox link in Outlook. The result is the same, the look is such a slight difference it won't matter and there is a cost savings in licensing which is in the best interest of your company.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.