Member Avatar for troverman

I have 326 email addresses that I would like to add to a distribution group. Basically, from Outlook, I want to type the name of the group, say "research", and have my message automatically go out to all 326 e-mail addresses. I also need it to be blind, meaningch recipient does not see everyone else's address.

How do I set this up in Exchange / Active Directory? I know the basics. What are the absolute limits of # of recipients in exchange 2003 for a distribution list?

Thanks

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by JorgeM

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Short answer: a server-side, mail‑enabled distribution group is the right tool (as suggested) — it keeps the alias in the message header and avoids the client-side expansion you get with Outlook personal lists. For Exchange Server 2003 the system expands mail-enabled groups on the server and counts each member when enforcing recipient limits; the organization default recipient cap is well above 326 (historically 5,000), so 326 members is within normal limits. (scribd.com)

Important privacy/visibility caveat: Outlook’s Expand‑List (the “+” beside a DL) will replace a distribution entry with all member addresses in the To/Cc/Bcc boxes — once expanded it can’t be collapsed and those addresses become visible to recipients. Don’t use an Outlook-only personal distribution list if the membership must stay hidden; use a mail‑enabled AD group (or Bcc/moderation) instead. ()

Practical checklist and gotchas (complimentary to ’s advice):

  • Prefer a universal mail‑enabled group when distribution may span domains; use query‑based groups for dynamic membership. Designate an expansion server or break very large lists into subgroups to reduce load. (scribd.com)
  • Confirm your org’s recipient envelope limit (msExchRecipLimit) if you expect very large mailings and adjust or create exceptions only where necessary. (learn.microsoft.com)
  • Active Directory and Exchange historically recommend keeping single‑group membership sizes reasonable (practical/repl. guidance around ~5,000 members) to avoid replication and version‑store issues — for bulk imports use scripted methods (CSVDE/LDIFDE) rather than manual UI edits. (learn.microsoft.com)

These points fill gaps not covered in the thread: the client vs server expansion behavior (privacy risk), the Exchange 2003 counting/limit behavior, AD replication guidance, and practical mitigations for large or dynamic lists.

Member Avatar for JorgeM

Normally, you would just create a Global Group of type "Distribution" in Active Directory. Right Click the OU, New Group. Continue through the wizard and mail-enable the group (note this requires the Exchange Admin tools installed on the workstation, or do this procedure from the Exchange server).

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=821904

Then add members to the group, using an Active Directory Users and Computers console.

If you want to place limits on how many recipients can receive messages, you control this in Exchange. >> Global Settngs (Message Delivery -> properties | Defaults)

When mentioned that you do not want people to see the members of the group...In this case, the way I would handle it is to just create a generic user account, mailbox enable it, then in Excange, configure this account to forward mail to a distribution group. When a user receives or sends mail to this generic user account, they will not see the membership list because you are just forwarding mail to the DL.

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