Exchange allows distribution groups of "Universal" scope and "Security" type to be mail enabled.  This allows mail addressed to the group to flow to each member of the group, and also allows members of the group to be given specific levels of control over resource mailboxes (such as those used to manage rooms and equipment).

**All members of distribution groups, whether individual users or nested sub-groups, need to be mail-enabled in order to receive messages.** 

If you are a faculty or staff member who wants a distribution group for resource management, contact your departmental IT Pros for assistance.

If you are a departmental IT Pro with access to the UOFI AD forest, the instructions on this page are for you.

Creating a Distribution Group

1. Create a new universal security group in the UOFI domain.
   (See "Why Universal Security Groups?" below for the reason behind this choice.)
2. Populate the new group with the correct user membership.
3. Email exchange@illinois.edu with the following information:
   1. The distribution group name
   2. Desired delivery restrictions (none, UIUC email addresses, group members only)
   3. (Optional:) Any additional email addresses that should be added to the group (such as @illinois.edu or @dept.illinois.edu)

Note: The Default Delivery Restrictions for Distribution Group will Reject email from External Sources.

Why Universal Security Groups?

When you create a distribution group in Active Directory, you have three choices for scope (domain-local, global, or universal) and two choices for type (security or distribution).