Directories - Managing Groups

This article contains information on using Directory Synchronization in Mimecast to manage users and groups securely, including creating, adding, moving, copying, exporting, and deleting groups, as well as key considerations and step-by-step instructions.

You can use Directory Synchronization to securely automate the management of Mimecast users and groups using your company directory.

Introduction

A Group is a local Mimecast folder containing email addresses or domain names. Once created, address information can be added to them either:

• Manually: Individual entries can be added, or a spreadsheet import can import multiple entries.
• Using LDAP Synchronization: Mimecast can also synchronize distribution lists and security groups from your organization's domain controller. Synchronized groups are called Directory Groups.

Benefits

Profile Groups are used primarily in policies to control mail flow for specific user groups. This has the following benefits:

• Mail routing can be specified for users in different regional locations with different mail servers. A common use is in Permitted Senders / Blocked Sender policies. Maintaining the addresses in groups automatically applies any address changes to the policy.
• Collecting email addresses (e.g., click actions in Stationery Layouts).

Creating a Group

All groups are displayed in a hierarchy linked to a root group. This allows changes made to one group to also apply to all other sub-groups in that group.

Considerations

• You cannot create a group inside the Root folder. A sub-folder must be created inside it to enable a group to be created.

You can create a group by using the following steps:

1. Log in to the Mimecast Administration Console.
2. Navigate to Users & Groups | Profile Groups.
3. Either:

• • Select the Folder into which the group is to be created.
  • Create a Sub-Folder as follows:
    • Click on the + Icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the folder where you want the group created. A folder called "New Folder" is created in the group's hierarchy in a collapsed state.
    • Rename the group:
    • Expand the Group's Hierarchy.
    • Click on the "New Folder" Group.
    • Type the Group Name in the Edit Group field at the top of the hierarchy.
    • Press the Enter key.

4. See Managing Groups for details on how to add email addresses or domains to the group.

Adding To Groups

Entities are entries added to a group: domain names and email addresses. You can add email addresses or domain names to a group using one of the following methods:

• Add Email Addresses.
• Add Email Domains.
• Group List Imports (email addresses only).

When an email address or domain is added to a Profile Group, a Note can be added as supporting information. For instance, if you add an email address to a group of blocked senders and would like to provide some explanatory information.

To add a note you can go the Add Note section of the screen and type your note. You can also edit the note after the Profile Group has been created by selecting a profile group, hovering over a user profile, right clicking and selecting Edit Note. 

Considerations

• Wildcard characters are not supported for groups. See Wildcards in Policies.
• Each email address must be entered in the standard format (e.g., [e-mail]). 
• Each domain must be entered in the standard format, omitting the @ symbol (e.g., domain.com).
• Notes of up to 100 characters are supported. If entering multiple email addresses or domains, this note is associated with all of them. 
• You can import multiple external addresses (but not internal addresses or domains) into a group using a spreadsheet import. The spreadsheet must have the "email" in a holding cell and valid email addresses in that column. See Importing Users via a Spreadsheet.

You can add one or more email addresses to a group by using the following steps:

1. Log in to the Mimecast Administration Console.
2. Navigate to Directories | Profile Groups.
3. Select the required Group in the hierarchy.
4. Click on the Build button.
5. Click on one of the following menu items:

• • Add Email Addresses to add email addresses.
  • Add Email Domains to add domains.
  • Group List Imports uses an import file to add multiple email addresses.

• • If using the Add Email Addresses or Add Email Domains option:
    • Add each Email Address / Domain on a separate line.
  • If using the Group List Imports option, complete the dialog as follows:

Field / Option	Description
Import Format	This defaults to "Mimecast Import" and cannot be changed.
Upload Only (No Folder)	If selected, the users are created but not placed in a specific group, and the "Import Into Profile Group" and "Group Override" options do not display.
Import Into Profile Group	Click on the Lookup button to select the profile group in which the email addresses will be imported.
Group Override	Select what to do if there are entries in the import file with the same email address as existing group entries. The options are: Add to Existing Entries Overwrite Existing Entries
Upload Spreadsheet (*.xls)	Click on the Choose File button to select the .XLS import file.