The information in this article applies to:
SUMMARY
Rules are set using either the Inbox Assistant or the Out Of Office
Assistant options from the Tools menu in any of the Microsoft Exchange
Clients for Windows while connected to a Microsoft Exchange Server computer. Each
rule consists of two elements: one or more conditions that specify which
items the rule applies to, and one or more actions that specify what to do
with a qualifying item.
MORE INFORMATIONQ: Are Inbox rules related to the profile that was used to create them?
Profile-independent: Otherwise known as server-specific rules. These rules are available for editing, appear black, and their actions take place regardless of the profile. Any one of the following actions in a rule make that rule profile-independent:
A: It only takes one profile-dependent action in a rule to make the whole rule profile-dependent. Q: Why are some Inbox rules grayed out or unavailable? A: Each profile-dependent rule is stamped with the unique ID of the profile that created the rule. Profile-dependent rules can only be edited when logged on with the same profile that was used to create the rule. Again, this is determined by the unique ID. These rules become inactive and uneditable when you log on with a different profile or from another computer. They are the rules that appear gray in the Inbox Assistant window. Q: How do you edit rules that are grayed out or unavailable? A: To edit profile-dependent rules, you must be logged onto Exchange Server with the profile that was used to create the rule. Q: What if a profile gets deleted that has profile-dependent rules created against it? A: If you create a profile-dependent rule and then delete that profile, the rule becomes deadwood; it can't be activated or edited, just deleted by selecting the Show Rules for all Profiles option. Because of this, profile-dependent rules should be deleted if the originating profile is deleted or no longer used. Q: Can rules be copied from one profile to another? A: You can back up profile rules to a separate .pst file, send that .pst file to another user, and have them extract the rules in that .pst file. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q150303 XCLN: How to Backup Profile Rules to a Different .PSTQ: How many rules can exist in a single profile? A: There is a 32-KB memory limit for creation of rules, not a defined limit for the maximum number of rules that can be assigned to a folder. On the average, it is between 40 and 50 rules for each folder. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q147298 XCLN: Maximum Number of Rules Per FolderQ: What happens to profile-dependent rules when logging on with a different profile? A: All rules are stored on the Exchange Server computer and are evaluated on the Exchange Server computer for each message sent to a user. If a profile-dependent rule cannot be performed by the Exchange Server computer, it creates a Deferred Action Message (DAM) to be processed by the client. The DAMs are marked with the ID of the profile that was used to create them, and are only processed when that profile is used. When you log on, all the DAMs are analyzed to see if they have the correct ID for the current profile, and, if they do, the DAMs are processed. If not, they are left in the folder that stores them, a hidden folder called the Deferred Actions Folder (DAF), and are analyzed each time you log on until you log on to the profile that created them, and they can be processed. Q: How long will DAMs remain in the Deferred Action Folder due to an unused or deleted profile? A: Even though they are gray and inaccessible, the rules are still being analyzed by Exchange Server and are still creating DAMs for use when the correct (or matching) profile is used (where they will not be gray and will be editable). And they'll keep being triggered even if the profile is destroyed because there is no way for Exchange Server to tell if the profile still exists. This can cause a large backlog of DAMs that eventually will be removed by the Exchange Server computer (after 60 days, when the Exchange Server computer will disable the rules and start deleting old DAMs) and, if the backlog is large enough, it can affect performance while logging on. So, if you end up deleting/recreating one of your profiles, or never using it again, delete the gray rules associated with it. Q: Where are Exchange profiles stored for each of the Exchange Clients? A: Exchange profiles are stored in your computer's registry, not on the Exchange Server computer. The Exchange Client for Windows 3.x stores them in a special file in the Windows directory. Q: Is a rule configured to move a message to a public folder considered profile-dependent or profile-independent? A: Profile-dependent, meaning that messages that will be moved to a public folder require that a user to be logged on to complete the action. Otherwise, a DAM will be created for these actions. Q: If my computer is configured with both Windows 95 and Windows NT, can I use the same profile for both operating systems? A: No. If you dual-boot two different operating systems, you're using two different registries and hence, two different profiles. The profile-dependent rules you create on one side of the dual-boot won't work on the other side. Q: What happens if a single message meets the conditions of two or more rules? A: Multiple rules can act on a single message, resulting in copies of a message being moved to different folders for example. NOTE: Within the Microsoft Exchange Client 5.0 Inbox Assistant, the Do not Process Subsequent Rules option has been added to specifically stop rule processing after a particular rule has fired. Q: Does the order in which the rules are listed have any effect on the actions of the qualifying rules? A: Order of the rules doesn't matter except for a delete action. After the message is deleted with a delete action, all subsequent rule processing on that message stops. So when in doubt, put delete rules at the bottom of the rule list. NOTE: Within the Exchange Client 5.0 Inbox Assistant, the Do not Process Subsequent Rules option has been added to specifically stop rule processing after a particular rule has fired. Q: Can I use the Inbox Assistant with the MS Mail service installed on my client? A: No, because rules are Exchange Server-based, the Inbox Assistant will not be available without an Exchange Server service properly installed. If the MS Mail messages are routed through an MS Mail Connector to an Exchange Server user, the Inbox Assistant will function against those messages. Q: Are there any Boolean logic functions available for rules? A: Semicolons (;) can be used as an OR condition in all fields. Put quotes ("") around each word unless you really mean "use this root against all words." For example, Subject: cat; tail -- this will affect all messages with those roots in the subject line such as "locate," "retail," and so forth. To limit this to whole words of "cat" or "tail," place the words in quotes, in other words, Subject: "cat"; "tail". Examples of Rules ProcessingQ: If a message matches a rule in the Out of Office Assistant (OOF), but the same messages also matches a delete rule in the Inbox Assistant, will the OOF Assistant rule get processed?A: The Inbox Assistant rules will be processed first. A delete rule in the Inbox Assistant will delete the message, and the OOF Assistant rule will not be processed. For example, user Bill has a local .pst file which is configured as the default delivery point. Bill has rules defined as follows:
Q: What happens if JohnDoe sends a message to the Junk Alias (assuming that I am on the Junk Alias)? Additional query words: faq
Keywords : kbenv kbusage XCLN |
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Last Reviewed: May 10, 1999 © 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use. |