In Active Directory Users and Computers, The Name column shows the Full Name. Full Name must be unique. It identifies the user object in AD.
Display Name of the user object (mailbox) will show in Exchange Management Console. You could set two or more mailboxes with same Display Name.
Exchange Alias -- it is the mail object's nick name. As shown below, you could have the same alias for two or more mail objects.
By default, Display Name is the same as FULL NAME.
When you create a user object or mailbox object, you must provide the User Principal Name (UPN). By default, the Exchange Alias is derived from the UPN name. For example, based on Kevin.Smith@terrace.com, the alias will be Kevin.Smith.
I on purposely modify the Display Name and alias to make a point.
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Name parameter and Identity parameter
[PS] D:\>$password=Read-host "Enter password" -AsSecureString
Enter password: *
[PS] D:\>New-Mailbox -Name "Jonathan Gao" -DisplayName "Jonathan Jun Gao" -UserPrincipalName Jonathan.Gao@terrace.com -Password $password -FirstName Jonathan -LastName Gao -SamAccountName JGao -Database "USA\First Storage Group\Mailbox database"
Identity:DisplayName --unique entries
[PS] D:\>Set-Mailbox -Identity "Jonathan Jun Gao" -DisplayName "Jonathan Jun2 Gao"
Identity:UPN name
[PS] D:\>Set-Mailbox -Identity "Jonathan.Gao@terrace.com" -DisplayName "xxx"
[PS] D:\>
Identity:Domain\samAccountName
[PS] D:\>Set-Mailbox -Identity Terrace\JGao -DisplayName "Jonathan Gao"
[PS] D:\>
[PS] D:\>Set-Mailbox -Identity "terrace.com/users/kevin smith" -DisplayName "Vancouver Kevin Smith"
[PS] D:\>
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Exchange Alias==must
It is used to automatically generate e-mail address.
Let's create a mail contact from USA.Terrace.COM.
[PS] D:\>New-MailContact -Name "Andy Wilson" -ExternalEmailAddress "andy.wilson@van.com" -DisplayName "Vancouver Andy Wilson" -Alias Van.Andy.Wilson
[PS] D:\>Get-MailContact -Identity "vancouver andy wilson" format-list alias,emailaddresses ,ExternalEmailAddress,PrimarySMTPAddress
- Alias: Van.Andy.Wilson
- EmailAddresses : {smtp:Van.Andy.Wilson@Terrace.com, SMTP:andy.wilson@van.com}
- ExternalEmailAddress : SMTP:andy.wilson@van.com
- PrimarySmtpAddress : andy.wilson@van.com
The example shows that an e-mail address is generated according to alias. I could send email to Van.Andy.Wilson@terrace.com, which is actually delivered to andy.wilson@van.com.
Remember that mailcontact cannot send e-mail out from your exchange. To achieve the sending function, you must create a mailbox and configure a forwarding address.
How do you use the Display Name? You could/should use the meaningful name for a mail object, such as, Alert Administrator Johnson Williams. Within the outlook, when you use the address list, the display name could help you to find the right person.
