FAQ: Distribution lists in the cloud

RRU has been on a mission to move Exchange to the cloud for some time. We started with non-student mailboxes, then student mailboxes, and now we’re moving distribution lists.

Why are we migrating Exchange to the the cloud?

To keep our technology current, pave the way for the new communications system, and take advantage of integrations between the Microsoft 365 suite of applications. 

When will we start using distribution lists in the cloud?

We will do a ‘hard cutover’ when all distribution lists have been moved to the cloud. The date hasn’t been determined but we are aiming for January. We’ll let you know in advance.

Will distribution list names change once they are in the cloud?

Most distribution lists will have a new name once they are migrated to the cloud. There are 2 types of changes:

• organizational: removing references to old department names etc.
  So, @RRU-AIS-IT-Services-Computer-Services becomes @RRU-IT-Services-Computer-Services.

• cosmetic: removing ‘RRU’, using caps, dashes, and spaces consistently so that distribution lists appear as expected in the global address list (GAL).
  So, @RRU-IT-Services-Computer-Services becomes @IT Services Computer Services

Some distribution lists can’t be changed just yet because they are used by systems for various reasons. We will come back to these.

What will I need to do differently?

In Outlook, when you start typing a distribution list in the ‘To’ field, you are offered suggestions of people, mailboxes, and distribution lists that you use frequently. Many of these will no longer work because they’ve been assigned new names.

Here’s an example:

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@RRU-EPMO-Ambassadors will no longer work because that will have been renamed.

You can hit that X to the right to delete the distribution list name from your ‘recently used’ list, if you like. Or wait for it to be replaced with things you use frequently over time.

Notice that RRU Student Services, RRU-Key-Requests, and RRU Computer Accounts don’t have an ‘@' symbol to the left. That’s because these are mailboxes, not distribution lists. These are not changing.

How can I find the distribution lists I want if I don’t know the new names?

Open a new email message and click on the ‘To’ field. This will open the global address list. All distribution lists and mailboxes etc. will be displayed here.

(you still see the ‘RRU’ here because this is a screen shot of how it is now.)

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If you can’t read the full name of the distribution list, grab the column divider between ‘Name’ and ‘Title’ (highlighted in yellow) and slide it to the right.

Alternately, you can type something in the ‘To’ field and then press Ctrl-K to have a list of possibilities displayed, from which you can choose.

Will I be able to manage my on distribution list membership?

Yes. When the lists are migrated to the cloud, you’ll be assigned as the ‘owner/editor’ of your distribution lists. You can modify the membership as needed without requiring assistance from IT.

More than one person can edit the distribution list membership.

(IT Services: retire this page Feb 28, 2025)