The Microsoft Exchange Server directory and the Microsoft Exchange Server information store are closely associated. To receive mail, an object in the information store must also be represented in the directory. Note, however, that some directory objects do not require direct counterparts in the information store.
The relationship between an object in the directory and its corresponding object in the information store, if any, depends on the type of the object. This section explains what you need to know about creating and manipulating instances of the most common types of objects.
Directory access functions can be used to import and export mailbox objects and include an option for creating or deleting Windows NT user accounts while creating or deleting mailboxes. For this reason, directory access functions can be called only from an application running on a Windows NT Server computer. For more information about creating mailboxes, see Creating a Mailbox.
Distribution lists (DL) exist only in the directory, not in the information store. You create, edit, import, or export them in the directory. No changes need to be made to the information store.
Note A distribution list (DL) contains an attribute called Hide_DL_Membership. Setting this attribute causes the Administrator Program to hide the DL's membership list from administrators. It also causes backlinks to be hidden, which means that individual recipients cannot be identified as members of the DL. These restrictions do not apply to an administrator, who is usually the creator of the DL and as such has Windows NT modify-user rights on the DL.
Directory access functions can be used to create custom recipients, which are addresses for users outside the Microsoft Exchange Server organization who must be represented in the directory service. For example, you can import lists of users who are to be accessed through a gateway. This provides a display name for these remote users and enables Microsoft Exchange Server users to send them messages.
Custom recipients exist only in the directory, not in the information store. You create, edit, import, or export them in the directory. No changes need to be made to the information store.
Directory access functions can create and modify Mail-Gateway objects. When a gateway object is created, a special mailbox is created in the information store. The mailbox contains the MTS-IN and MTS-OUT folders, which are used as queues for incoming and outgoing messages.
The directory access functions can be used to create and modify Mailbox-Agent objects. Creating a mailbox agent object in the directory has the same impact on the information store as creating a mailbox.
By adding new Address-Type objects to the directory, the directory access functions can be used to create new Microsoft Exchange Server address types. A new Address-Type object includes a pointer to a DLL used to generate new e-mail addresses (also called proxy addresses) for Microsoft Exchange Server mail recipients.
Address templates are associated with address types. They provide the client user interface for creating addresses of the new type. Address templates are stored in a different but related part of the directory hierarchy, because address templates can exist for different languages.
Public folders differ from mailboxes because they are first created in the information store using MAPI calls, and then Microsoft Exchange Server automatically creates the associated directory object. Directory access functions should not be used to create public folders. However, you can use directory access functions to edit their attributes.