A distributed mailbox is a mailbox with multiple users. It has the special feature of not having its own password so that no one can log in to the mailbox directly. Instead, a person with administration rights assigns access authorizations to individual users or groups at different levels. Users can then log in to their own mailbox and access the distributed mailbox by opening it via the Outlook Web App (OWA) or adding it to their Outlook account. For owners it is also possible to request a certificate for distributed mailboxes via certificate management in the self-service portal in order to send encrypted e-mails.

The calendar of the distributed mailbox is often used as a department calendar. Several calendars can be created. The authorizations can be configured separately for each calendar. For example, folders for projects can be set up in the distributed inbox folder to give each member the best possible level of knowledge. Changes to the configuration can be made by the mailbox administrator specified in the application via the OWA web interface. Once set up, the resource is visible in the Exchange global address list.

Requesting distributed mailboxes

Only employees of the TU Dresden are allowed to request distributed mailboxes.

1. In order to request a distributed mailbox you must first log in to the self-service portal with your personal "ZIH login".

2. Now click on the tile "Room, resource and distributed mailboxes, mailing lists" under "Communication and collaboration".

   

3. Click on the tab "Distributed mailboxes".

   

4. On the next page you will see an overview of your existing distributed mailboxes and applications. To request a distributed mailbox, click on the "Request a new distributed mailbox".

   

5. Now enter the required information in the request form. The domain of the e-mail address (@[mailbox.]tu-dresden.de) depends on the selected utilization scenario. Distribution groups are required to assign permissions. You must specify an owner group (which CANNOT send e-mails). For the authorized sender groups, you can use both options, select only one of them, or omit them entirely if no sending permissions are required. If necessary, change the setting for where the sent e-mails are stored. Confirm your entries by clicking the "Request a distributed mailbox" button. Your request will be processed by the Service Desk. You will be notified of the outcome of the review via e-mail.

   

Explanation of Permissions

Owner: Full Access (FullAccess) allows the following functions:

• Opening the mailbox completely, but NOT SENDING

• Integrating the mailbox into Outlook (manually or via auto-mapping)

• Accessing all folders (Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, etc.)

• Reading, deleting, and moving existing e-mails

• Creating/deleting folders

• Managing inbox rules

• Creating and saving e-mails in the mailbox (drafts, sent items, etc.), but NOT sending them

• Managing calendar

  • Creating, editing, and deleting events

  • Organizing meetings

• Contacts & Tasks

  • Creating and managing contacts and tasks

Send As:

• Sending an e-mail using the sender address of the distributed mailbox

• The recipient sees the sender address of the distributed mailbox

Send on Behalf:

• Sending an e-mail on behalf of the distributed mailbox

• Recipient sees: the sender's e-mail address + "On behalf of" followed by the distributed mailbox

Changes to the owner(-group)s can be made by the Exchange admins at the request of the owner of the mailbox. Please send the request by e-mail to the Service Desk.

Use Cases – Best Practices

The user has "Full Access" + "Send As"

What can they do?

• Opening the mailbox

• Reading & managing e-mails

• Sending e-mails as the mailbox

The recipient sees the e-mail:
From: distributed-mailbox@tu-dresden.de

The user has "Full Access" + "Send on Behalf Of"

What can they do?

• Opening the mailbox

• Editing content

• Sending e-mails on behalf of others

The recipient sees the e-mail:
From: User e-mail address "On behalf of" distributed-mailbox@tu-dresden.de
 

The user has "Send As" + "Send On Behalf Of"

Behavior:

• "Send As" is used

• "Send On Behalf Of" is ignored

Using distributed mailboxes

Log in to the distributed mailbox

Users with access to the distributed mailbox can log in as follows:

1. To do this, log in to your personal mailbox via the Outlook Web App (OWA). Registration takes place via Shibboleth.

2. Now click with the left mouse button on your user symbol in the top right corner and then select "Open another mailbox...".

   

    

3. Now enter the name of the distributed mailbox and select the mailbox. If it is not displayed directly, click on "Search directory".

   

    

4. The mailbox is now selected. Next, click on the "Open" button. The mailbox now opens in a new browser tab.

   

    

Adding a distributed mailbox to your personal mailbox

This method is recommended if you want to monitor your e-mails in the personal mailbox and the distributed mailbox at the same time. In addition, once this process is complete, the distributed mailbox and its folders will be displayed in the left navigation panel every time you open Outlook Web App.

1. To do this, log in to your personal mailbox via the Outlook Web App (OWA). Registration takes place via Shibboleth.

2. In the left-hand navigation area, right-click on the personal mailbox, displayed as your name.

3. Then select "Add shared folder".

   

    

4. In the "Add shared folder" dialogue box, enter the e-mail address of the distributed mailbox and then click on "Add". The distributed  mailbox is now displayed at the bottom of the list on the left-hand side.

   

Adding or removing users and groups

Users with "admin access" to the distributed mailbox can add or remove users or groups as follows:

1. Open your distributed mailbox by following steps 1 to 4 of the "Log in to the distributed mailbox" instructions.

2. Then right-click on the name of the distributed mailbox.

   

    

3. In the pop-up menu, click on the item "Permissions".

   

    

4. You can now add new users or user groups by clicking on the "plus sign".

   

    

5. Now enter the user or group you want to add to the distributed mailbox in the "Add permissions" window. Then click on the "Add" button.

   

    

6. Now you can select the corresponding person or group in the upper part of the window and set various permissions for them under "Permission level". You can see what these levels contain in terms of read, write and other rights further down in the window. Then confirm the desired adjustment with the "Ok" button.

   

    

7. You can remove the persons or groups again via the "bin sign" and thus withdraw access to the distributed mailbox again.