Automate Exchange Mailbox Configuration
Not only does Adaxes allow you to automate creation of Exchange mailboxes, but it also lets you automatically adjust mailbox parameters, such as mailbox features and policies, e-mail addresses, mailbox rights, mailflow settings, mailbox limits and quotas.
Adaxes can automatically modify mailbox parameters right after a new mailbox is created, after a user account is updated, moved, enabled, etc. Using Custom Commands, users can change multiple mailbox parameters or move mailboxes between databases at a single mouse click. Using Scheduled Tasks, you can configure Adaxes to update mailbox parameters on a regular basis, based on various conditions. For more details, see Exchange Management & Automation.
With Adaxes, you can manage mailboxes in your on-premises Exchange and in Office 365.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to configure Adaxes to automatically modify parameters of newly created mailboxes.
Launch Adaxes Administration Console, expand Adaxes service \ Configuration \ Business Rules,
and select a Business Rule that is used for mailbox creation. Typically, such a Business Rule is
triggered after creation of new users in Active Directory.
If you haven't configured automatic mailbox creation, see
Automate Exchange Mailbox Creation.
Alternatively, you can create a separate Business Rule for mailbox configuration that will be
triggered after a new mailbox is created. This option is recommended if user provisioning in
your organization involves manual creation of mailboxes, or if you have multiple Business Rules
that create mailboxes, but want to have a single Business Rule for their configuration.
How to create a Business Rule triggered after a new mailbox is created
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Right-click your Adaxes service, point to New and click Business Rule.
- Enter a name for the new Business Rule, and click Next.
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On the next step of the wizard, do the following:
- Select User in the Object Type list.
- Select After in the Operation section.
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Select Creating an Exchange Mailbox for the a User in the Operation
section, and click Next.
To modify mailbox parameters, you need to add the Modify Exchange properties
action to your Business Rule. To do this, right-click a set of actions and conditions, and select
Add Action in the context menu.
Alternatively
-
Click the
Add action to a new set link (located at the bottom) to create a new set of
actions and conditions, and add new action to the set.
-
If you are creating a new Business Rule, click the
Add Action link (located at the top left corner).
In the Add Action dialog, select the Modify Exchange properties action, and then click the
Exchange Properties button.
Exchange Properties button.
In the Exchange Properties dialog, specify which mailbox parameters you want to modify
with the help of the new Business Rule action.
When finished, click OK two times.
Example 1: Hide from address lists
- Activate the General tab.
- Select the check box located to the left of the Hide from address lists check box.
- Use the Hide from address lists check box to indicate whether you want to hide or unhide mailboxes from Exchange address lists.
Example 2: Modify Exchange custom attributes
- Activate the General tab.
- Select the Modify custom attributes check box.
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Click the Custom Attributes button.
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Select the check box located to the left of the attribute name that
you want to modify, and type a value for the attribute in the edit box.
You can use value references (e.g. %username% or %department%) if you want to insert information about the user on which the action is executed. When your Business Rule is triggered, value references will be replaced with the property values of the user account. For example, if you enter the template %fullname%-%department%, the value references contained in this template will be replaced with the values of Full Name and Department properties of the user.
Example 3: Configure storage quotas and deleted item retention
- Activate the Mailbox Usage tab.
- Select the Modify Storage Quotas check box.
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Click the Storage Quotas button.
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Indicate which modifications should be made.
Example 4: Add an e-mail address
- Activate the E-Mail Address tab.
- Select the Modify e-mail addresses check box.
- Since we want to append an e-mail address and don't want to replace existing ones, uncheck the Replace existing e-mail addresses with the ones specified check box.
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Click Add Modification, select Add Address from the drop-down menu, and then
click SMTP Address.
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Type a template for the new e-mail address in the E-mail address field.
To generate a unique e-mail address for each user, you need to use value references (e.g. %username% or %employeeID%). When the action is executed, value references will be replaced with corresponding property values of the user account. For example, if you enter %employeeID%@example.com, the %employeeID% value reference will be replaced with the value of the Employee ID property of the user account, and the e-mail address will be something like 332211@example.com.
Example 5: Apply a Retention policy
- Activate the Mailbox Features tab.
- Select the Modify Retention policy check box.
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If you don't want any policy to be assigned, leave the [No Policy] check box
unchecked. To select a policy to apply, select the checkbox, and then select the Retention
policy you need.
Example 6: Enable Archiving
- Activate the Mailbox Features tab.
- Select the check box located to the left of the Archiving check box.
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To enable the Archiving feature, select the Disable Archiving check box.
- Select an archive database from the list.
Example 7: Reset Unified Messaging PIN
- Activate the Mailbox Features tab.
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Select the Modify details check box located next to the Unified Messaging check box.
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Select the Reset PIN check box and click OK.
Example 8: Forward incoming messages to the manager
- Activate the Mailbox Features tab.
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Select the Modify Delivery Options check box.
- Select the Forwarding Address check box.
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Select the Forward to check box and click Browse.
- Select the Specify template tab.
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Type %manager% in the Template edit box. When the action
is executed, Adaxes will replace the %manager% value reference
with the distinguished name (DN) of the manager of the user.
- Click OK.
- If necessary, select the Deliver message to both forwarding address and mailbox check box.
- Click OK.
Example 9: Set a MailTip
- Activate the MailTip tab.
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Select the Modify MailTip check box and type MailTip text in the edit box.
You can use value references (e.g. %fullname% or %adm-ManagerEmail%) if you want MailTips to include information about the user on which the action is executed. When your Business Rule is triggered, value references will be replaced with corresponding property values of the user account. For example, if you enter the following template:
%fullname% will contact you within 2 hours,
the %fullname% value reference will be replaced with the value of the Full Name property the user account, and MailTip will be something like
Dexter Morgan will contact you within 2 hours
Example 10: Grant the Send As right to the manager
- Activate the Delegation tab.
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Select the Modify Send As check box and click Send As.
- Since we don't want to overwrite existing permissions, uncheck the Replace the existing list of trustees check box.
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Click Add Modification, and select Add Trustee from the drop-down menu.
- Select the Specify template tab.
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Type %manager% in the Template edit box. When the action
is executed, Adaxes will replace the %manager% value reference
with the distinguished name (DN) of the manager of the user.
- Click OK two times.
Example 11: Set Auto-Reply Message (OOF)
- Activate the Automatic Replies (OOF) tab.
- Select the check box located to the left of the Send automatic replies (Out of Office) check box.
- Select the Send automatic replies (Out of Office) check box.
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Type a template for the auto-reply message.
You can use value references (e.g. %fullname% or %adm-ManagerEmail%) if you want each auto-reply message generated by the Business Rule to include information about the user for which the message is set. When the action is executed, value references will be replaced with corresponding property values of the user account. For example, if you enter the following template:
Please contact my manager mailto:%adm-ManagerEmail%,
the %adm-ManagerEmail% value reference will be replaced with the e-mail address of the user's manager, and auto-reply message will look similar to this:
Please contact my manager mailto:m.laguerta@example.com
To launch the Insert Value Reference dialog, click the Add drop-down menu, and select Value Reference:
If you use one Business Rule to both create and configure mailboxes, make sure that the
Modify Exchange properties action is executed after the Create an Exchange mailbox action.
Use 
Move Up and
Move Down buttons to
move actions up or down in the chain of execution.
Move Up and
Move Down buttons to
move actions up or down in the chain of execution.
You can configure your Business Rule to modify some specific mailbox parameters only if
certain conditions are met. The following steps show how to enable Unified Messaging only if a
phone number is specified for a user:
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Click the
Add action to a new set link (located at the bottom).
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Add 'Modify Exchange properties' action that will enable Unified Messaging services
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In the Add Action dialog, select the Modify Exchange properties
action, and then click the
Exchange Properties button.
- Activate the Mailbox Features tab.
- Select the check box located to the left of the Unified Messaging check box.
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To enable the Unified Messaging feature, select the Disable Unified Messaging check box.
- Follow instructions of the Enable UM Mailbox wizard.
- When finished, click OK two times.
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In the Add Action dialog, select the Modify Exchange properties
action, and then click the
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Right-click the new action/condition set, and select
Add Condition in the context menu.
- In the dialog that opens, select the If <property><relation><value> condition type.
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In the Condition Parameters section, specify Telephone Number is not empty,
and click OK.
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Click OK. You'll see something like this:
