Microsoft KB Archive/151198

= XADM: How to Set Up a Search for a Custom Attribute =

Article ID: 151198

Article Last Modified on 10/28/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Exchange Server 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q151198



SUMMARY
In many cases, Microsoft Exchange administrator's would like users to be able to search the Global Address List (GAL) based on fields that are not available by default. This article explains how to include additional attributes in searches and Address Name Resolutions (ANR).



MORE INFORMATION
To adding a custom attribute to a search, an administrator will need to perform the following:
 * Change the name of the custom attribute.
 * Add the custom attribute to be included in searches.
 * Modify the Search template of the Address Book.

For example, if you want to modify Custom Attribute 1 to represent each user's Birthday, follow these steps:  Open the Microsoft Exchange Administrator program in Raw mode by specifying Admin /r on the command line. Bring up the properties of the DS Site Configuration object in the Configuration container. Select the Custom Attributes property page. Type Birthday as the value for Custom Attribute 1 and click on OK. From the View menu, select Raw Directory. This should add a container in the left pane called Schema. Double click the Schema object and hit F5 to refresh the display. Get the properties of the Birthday object by double clicking on the object or by selecting the Properties command from the File menu.</li> This should bring up a message box. Click the Yes button to view the raw properties of the object.</li> From the Object attributes listbox, select the Search-Flags attribute.</li> In the Edit value box, enter the value 2 and then click the Set button.</li> Click on OK to close the Property Sheet.</li> Go to the Configuration, Addressing, Details Templates, English/USA container. Select the Search Dialog object and get its properties.</li> Select the Templates page.</li> Click the New button, select Label, and click OK.</li>  Enter the following details:

<pre class="fixed_text">      X = 10       Y = 130 Width = 25  Height = 12 Text = Birthday

and click on OK. </li> Click the New button, select Edit, and click OK.</li>  Enter the following details:

<pre class="fixed_text">      X = 65       Y = 130 Width = 50  Height = 12 Field = Birthday

and click on OK. </li> Click the Test button. This should bring up a dialog that will allow you to test the changes you just made. This is how the dialog will appear from the Microsoft Exchange client.</li></ol>

After the above steps have been completed, a user can search the GAL based on the Birthday field. The search dialog will contain a field for the Birthday. In order for the search to be successful, the Birthday field on the Custom Attributes page of each mailbox's properties will need to be filled in by the administrator.

In order for the Birthday field to appear in the details of each user when viewed from a Microsoft Exchange client, steps 13-18 should be repeated on the Configuration, Details Templates, English/USA, Mailbox object.

Keywords: kbhowto kbusage KB151198

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