Create Distribution Lists

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Use this procedure to create distribution lists.

You can use this procedure to create distribution lists. Distribution lists are public lists that are published as distribution group objects in Active Directory Domain Services. Create a distribution list and populate the distribution list with a set of target queues to more easily accommodate the sending of messages to the target queues.

Membership in <Domain>\Domain Administrators, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

To create distribution lists

  1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.

  2. In the console tree, double-click the domain node.

    Where?

    • Active Directory Users and Computers/YourDomain
  3. Right-click the folder in which you want to add the group, point to New, and then click Group.

  4. In the New Object – Group dialog box, type the name of the distribution list under Group Name, select the group scope that you want to use, and then select the group type Distribution.

Additional considerations

  • You can choose to give your distribution list universal, global, or domain local scope, as follows:

    • Universal. Members of universal groups can include other groups and accounts from any domain in the domain tree or forest and can be granted permissions in any domain in the domain tree or forest.

    • Global. Members of global groups can include other groups and accounts only from the domain in which the group is defined and can be granted permissions in any domain in the forest.

    • Domain local. Members of domain local groups can include other groups and accounts from Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, or Windows 2000, or domains and can be granted permissions only within a domain.

  • Message Queuing distribution lists are distribution group objects in Active Directory Domain Services.

  • When you create a distribution list (group) in Active Directory Domain Services, you are prompted to specify the minimal information needed to establish the object in Active Directory Domain Services. Each distribution list (group) has many more properties (attributes) that can be set. After a distribution list (group) is created, the values of many additional attributes can be viewed and modified. For information about how to do this, see Additional references.

  • For information about how to add and remove members from distribution lists (groups), see Additional references.

  • With distribution lists, a single operation sends the same message to multiple destinations, and does so by duplicating packets from senders to receivers. For best security practice, consider security permissions for the distribution list object in Active Directory Domain Services — who is authorized to manage it and use it.

Additional references