How do you make a query based distribution group using AD in Server 2008 and Exchange 2007

In Exchange 2007 and higher, they renamed the QBDQ to "Dynamic Distribution Group" and you now create the object in either the Exchange Management Console (Recipient Configuration -> Distribution Group) or the Exchange Management Shell (New-DynamicDistributionGroup).

As a corollary to separation of Exchange management and AD management, they removed the capability from ADUC after Server 2003.

Now, from an AD object perspective, there really isn't any difference to speak of. You can still use scripts and tools (ADSI, VBScript, etc.) to create the objects - but that isn't the "supported way".

Check this
http://exchangepedia.com/blog/2007/08/how-to-create-dynamic-distribution.html

Thanks guys. Now that I've created one I'm trying to create a custom attribute. I'm within the properties of the DDG on the general tab within the custom attributes button. What exactly do you enter into these text boxes (there are 15 of them)? I've tried field names like cn for common name and displayName and then entered then name I wanted in 'Conditions' under 'Custom Attribute 1 equals Value' but nothing shows up when I preview it. I am in the right OU.
Am I even doing it right? Hmmm. It was so much easier in 2003 :)

BW

Custom attribute fields are just text attributes on Exchange objects such as mailboxes. You either manually or programmatically put values in them and then use them for constructing Recipient Filters (or any OPATH filter).

So, for example, you want to have a way to figure out if someone is married or not. You decide to use custom attribute 3 for that. So, for all the mailboxes of people that are married, you edit the mailboxes and put "yes" into custom attribute 3.

Now, you can build a Recipient Filter that says { CustomAttribute3 -eq "yes" } to get those people who are married.

hi
You are creating a query based DDG based on what attributes ? Please specify

thanks

Ok here's the big picture. I tend to rumble around in my thoughts of what I want lol. Sorry about that.
We have a lotus notes database that contains all of our external distributor contacts. What our programmer is going to do is create an sql query that imports them all into a container in AD. Then he wants me to create a DDG that will look at all the contacts in that container filtered by the condition of 'Department' for instance. Is that possible?
That make sense? Let me know if you need more info

Thanks guys,
BW

Check endital's solution here
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/26455756/How-can-i-create-a-exchange-2007-dynamic-distribution-group-based-on-a-company-name-and-1-user.html

sunnyc7, I think that would work if the user(s) were created as mail contacts first in Exchange. Once you've created a mail contact in Exchange it then also creates a corresponding  contact in AD. But if I create a 'Contact' in AD, it won't work because DDG is looking for objects in Exchange. I tested this theory by creating a contact in AD in the Users container. I went to Exchange and edited my DDG to look at that containter and told it to show me 'All Recipient Types' with no conditions and the contact wouldn't show up. But if I create a mail contact in Exchange first then it sees it. We want to bring in these contacts to AD from Lotus Notes and then run a DDG on those contacts in AD but doesn't look like it's going to see them.
Thanks again,
BW

It'll work as soon as you mail-enable the contact. Or you could just create it as a mail contact to start with.

Thanks Michael.
How do you mail enable a contact in AD? I've added an email address already. Is there something else?

Thanks,
BW

Create a file called c:\contacts.csv

with
name, email address
name1, email@domain1.com
name2, email@domain2.com
...

Run this

Import-CSV "C:\contacts.CSV" | ForEach-Object {Enable-MailContact -Identity $_.Name -ExternalEmailAddress $_.ExternalAddress}

Thanks fellas for the info. I ran the mailenable powershell command for my test user. Now it adds them as a mail contact in Exchange. So when I have hundreds of contacts I'm assuming its normal for them to all show up in Exchange under 'Mail Contact'? Is this the norm for what I'm doing?
Sunnyc7, thanks for that import command. Is there a way for me to mailenable hundreds of contacts in AD using the powershell without having to create a csv file?

Appreciate the help and I'll be wrapping this up soon :D

BW

I'm seeing a problem here. This whole process needs to be automated. Our coder will have a procedure that runs every night and dumps in new contacts into the AD container. So Exchange would have to see the new contacts and mail enable them. I don't think this is going to work.
Any thoughts?

BW

Have your coder create them as mail contacts to start with - new-mailcontact.

Alternately, run a PowerShell script after the coder's program runs to mail-enable all the contacts he just created...

Thanks for the help fellas. Appreciate it.

BW