Global Address List

The global address list (GAL) is a read-only MAPI Address book for Outlook users to view, search, and extract address information of the users, user groups, and calendar resources stored in the corporate directory. The corporate directory here refers to an LDAP server storing user account information including user name, passwords, contact information, and so on. This enables other authorized users on the same network to access the information. The Sun Java System Connector for Microsoft Outlook GAL enables Outlook to display the corporate directory as “Global Address List” in conjunction with Contacts, personal address book, and any other address book providers. The GAL provides access to details of individual users, static groups, and calendar resources stored in the corporate directory.

The backend server or the server that is referred to as the corporate directory can be any LDAP address book server adhering to the predefined schema. Here the term user means the individual whose data or information is stored as an entry in the server.

In order to allow browsing of the directory, Connector for Microsoft Outlook utilizes the Virtual List View (VLV) and server-side sort extension of the directory server. The directory server must be configured for the VLV index. The VLV index is precisely defined by a basedn, search filter, sort attribute, and scope. Any mismatch amongst the settings described below and the VLV index settings on the server results in poor performance.

Search base (root of LDAP directory): The LDAP distinguished name of the root of your LDAP directory. Use the pattern specified in the User DN pattern fields.

VLV Search filter: The filter that is used for the VLV to display entries within the directory.

Advanced search filter: Determines what fields are used when searching for users within the GAL. You can change this field if you wish to customize the GAL's Find dialog.

Name resolution filter: Determines which fields to search when entering a name while composing a new message. Outlook tries to resolve the name after pressing Ctrl-K or selecting Tools->Check Names from the menu.

VLV sort attribute: The LDAP sort key for the Global Address List. The default value is cn.

Search times out after: ___ minutes: Limits directory search times to the designated number of minutes.

Maximum number of search results returned: Limits the number of entries returned by a search to the number specified here.

Show `Member Of' tab in contact properties dialog: Displays the static LDAP groups to which the selected user belongs.

Require authentication: Tells the user program to configure the LDAP Directory Service so as to require user authentication in the form of a user Distinguished Name (DN) for each directory query.

User DN pattern: The elements of the user’s Distinguished Name that, when assembled, will form the complete DN to authenticate the user’s identity to the LDAP Directory Service (if authentication is required).

The recognized keywords for the DN pattern are:

• %s — the full user id.

• %user — the left part of the user id (left of the @ symbol) if the user id includes the domain (for example, john@florizel.com). If no @ symbol appears in the user id, the full user id is used.

• %domain — the right part of the user id (right of the @ symbol) if the user id includes the domain.

For example, to define a DN consisting of a user ID (uid), an organization unit (ou) and an organization (o): uid=%s,ou=people,o=florizel.com . The user's ID replaces %s after configuration of the user's profile.

If, for example, the user ID includes the domain (john@florizel.com ), the DN pattern is: uid=%user,ou=people,o=%domain,o=isp. This will be replaced with uid=john,ou=people,o=florizel.com,o=isp.

Similarly, to define a DN consisting of a common name, an organization and a country: cn=Fred Smith,o=florizel.com,c=US.