Import

The 7.00 allows you to import a list of mailboxes from a simple comma-separated value (CSV) file, which you should be able to export from any spreadsheet program. The advantage of Mailbox Import is that you can plan out all of your mailboxes in a simple spreadsheet and then add them en masse using this feature, rather than having to add them one at a time.

The CSV file may be created using any standard text editor (such as Notepad) or may be exported from a spreadsheet program. Save the file with the .CSV file extension.

As with any CSV file, each line represents a single record. In this case, each line (except the first) represents a single mailbox or group of mailboxes. The first line is always used to tell Mailbox Administration what each column (or field) represents. The following table defines the valid column names. Note that they are not case sensitive, nor is there a required field order.

Data fields may be enclosed in double-quotes, but it is not required. Every line must have the same number of commas, even if some fields are left blank (see examples below).

For example:

MAILBOX,TYPE,FIRST,LAST,RANGE START,RANGE STOP
300,,John,Smith,,,
,Guest,,,601,609

In this example, the first line specifies that the columns are the mailbox number, the mailbox type, the first and last names, and the start and end range values. The first record creates a single mailbox, 300, with the first name John and the last name Smith and all other settings defaulted. The second record creates 9 guest mailboxes, numbered 601-609, and uses the appropriate defaults for all other settings.

To open the Mailbox Import dialog, select Mailbox | Import CSV from the main menu.

Initially, the dialog will appear empty, with most options grayed out, as shown above. To open a CSV file, click the Load File button.

Navigate to the folder you placed the CSV in and select the file. Click Open to load the file into the Mailbox Import dialog, as shown below:

The lower portion of the dialog displays in tabular form all mailboxes that can be created based on the data contained in the CSV file. Each row in the table represents one possible mailbox, including the various configuration settings to be used in creating that mailbox. (Any column left blank will use the default setting appropriate for the given mailbox type.)

Each row has a check box in the mailbox column; the given mailbox will only be created if the box next to it is checked. To check (or uncheck) all rows at once, check (or uncheck) the box labeled Toggle immediately above the table of mailboxes. Otherwise, you can pick and choose the mailboxes to create by checking or unchecking the individual check boxes.

Five other settings are provided to further customize how the mailboxes are created.

The 7.00 allows you to import mailboxes from an LDAP server, potentially saving time on mailbox creation by using the directory information you already have on that server.

However, when choosing LDAP import over CSV import, there are some limitations to be aware of:

• All mailboxes are created as type Standard
• Only the following fields can be imported using LDAP: mailbox, extension, first and last name, description, one email address, and two phone numbers (mobile and home)

If you need to create guest mailboxes or import additional email addresses or other settings, you may wish to use the Import from CSV option instead.

To open the LDAP Import dialog, select Mailbox | Import LDAP from the main menu.

Enter a search filter to use. The default of * will return all results for the given filter option (listed below the filter edit box). For example, if you want to search for everyone with a last name that starts with 'B', enter b* and select Last. Or you can perform an exact search by entering a name such as Smith.

Select one of the following filter options:

This is the default search base configured in System Configuration and can be overridden here for a special search. Changes to this setting will not be saved in the configuration.

The import table displays the importable data for all mailboxes found that match the given criteria. All fields may be edited in the table prior to import, if desired.

The following fields are provided for import:

When all mailbox data in the import table is configured as desired, click OK to import the mailboxes. To quit the dialog without importing anything, click Cancel.