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Bulk addition of new SMTP addresses

We have a large number of distributed sites running various flavours of Exchange from V5.0 up to Exchange 2003. Each of these Exchange boxes hosts a number of mailboxes. We have a requirement to add a new Internet mail address to every mailbox and to make this new address the primary SMTP address. Any ideas on the best way to do this considering the different Exchange platforms? In total there are over 25,000 mailboxes spread over 34 boxes so manual updates is just not feasible.

We will be totally upgrading our setup soon but we need to implement this for business reasons now

I know that we can do a directory export to a csv file, modify and then re-import on the 5.0 and 5.5 boxes. Can this be done on the Exchange 2000 and 2003 boxes as well?

Are there any limits to the number of records that can be imported in this fashion?
This is an urgent requirement

zookeepa1

...Darcy,

What you are asking is actually fairly easy to do. However...the outcome is a product of how well user information (detail) has been maintained across nework. You can actual use a custom recipent policy in 5.5/2k/and 2003 to do just what you are trying to do. Take a look at this link http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;319188 but (and here is the kicker)...If your various users or mailboxes need to have serveral different smtp addresses added; and your user detail is wrong it will make it more difficult. FOR example let's say you have 3 users...Two in Chicago and a Third in DC.

For the two Chicago users user-detail was correctly added to the the user profile and Chicago was placed within the address of those two users but on the DC user someone didn't add the location detail. If you created a custom policy that created and applied an email address based on the location of containing the word "DC" this one user would not receive the new policy and thus would not receive the new address. And if 4500 or so users were done the same way...you'd have a small problem. But you can clean all that up before hand....and hopefully not run into any problems.

Also you can set the policy to set a new stmp address as the primary. (sorry for being long winded)

kristinaw

I'm not really following all of zoo's post, but anyways...here's my two cents. The csv directory import should work just fine for the 5.0/5.5 boxes. As for the 2000/2003 boxes, all you need is a recipient policy with the new address (or add the new address to the existing recipient policy) and you will be good to go.

Here's a link on how to set one up. The link zoo posted is actually about mailbox management, i think you'll find this one more useful:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319201

are all the servers, or at least the 2000/2003 servers part of the same Exchange organization?

Kris.

eoindarcy

ASKER

Thanks Kristina,

This goes some of the way there but there is an added complication. Say a user has an existing address of jsmith@abc.com. The new SMTP address, which will be the primary address, will have the form john.smith@xyz.com.

Also there is no exact rule that can be logically applied if there is already a john.smith@xyz.com. We have created a database of all the old addresses and all the new ones so the csv import method is great. Will it work on Exchange 2000 or 2003?

Eoin

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kristinaw

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eoindarcy

ASKER

Hi Kris,

Thanks for your reply and sorry for taking so long to get back.
I have tried out your suggestions on the 5.0 and 5.5 boxes and we are currently checking out the policies solution for 2000 and 2003.

Thanks for your help
Eoin

kristinaw

excellent, do post back with your results, i'd like to know how it goes!

Kris.