This section describes distribution lists and how to create and maintain them. It covers the following topics:
To make the distribution of reports to various users easier, you can create distribution lists. A distribution list can contain individual users, but you can also have distribution lists within distribution lists. Instead of assigning a report to multiple users, you assign it to a distribution list. It will then be distributed to all members of the distribution list.
The assignment of a distribution list to a report is done in the Distribution Attributes of the report definition.
Access authorization to objects can be granted to individual users or to a group of users contained in a distribution list; see the section Authorizing User Access to Objects.
To list all available commands for distribution lists:
In the object workspace, expand the Distribution Lists folder.
Select a list and invoke the context menu.
A list of available commands is displayed.
These are:
| Command | Shortcut | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Authorization | F9 | Authorize a user to access a distribution list. |
| Delete | Del | Delete a distribution list. |
| Display | Ctrl+D | Display a distribution list. |
| Display Log | F10 | Display log information for a distribution list. |
| Filter | F3 | List selected distribution lists. |
| List | F8 | List all distribution lists. |
| New | Ctrl+N | Add a new distribution list. |
| Open | Ctrl+O | Modify a distribution list. |
| Rename | F2 | Rename a distribution list. |
| XREF | Ctrl+Alt+X | Display cross-reference information for a distribution list. |
To list all distribution lists:
In the object workspace, select the folder.
Invoke the context menu and choose .
All existing distribution lists are listed in the content pane.
For each distribution list, the following information is displayed:
| Field | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| List | Name of the distribution list. | |
| Authorization |
Authorization used to access the distribution list. Possible values:
|
|
| Members | Number of members in the distribution list. | |
| Part of | Indicates whether the distribution list is part of another distribution list. | |
| Description | A short description of the distribution list. | |
To list distribution lists according to selection criteria:
In the object workspace, select the Distribution Lists folder.
Invoke the context menu and choose .
The Filter Distribution Lists window is displayed in the content pane.
Enter your selection criteria, and choose .
Now only distribution lists which satisfy the selection criteria appear in the expanded Distribution Lists folder in the object workspace.
To create a new distribution list:
Select the folder in the object workspace and invoke the context menu.
Choose .
The Distribution List window is displayed in the content pane:
Enter a name and description for the distribution list, and choose .
To add/remove members to/from the distribution list, see Maintaining the Members of a Distribution List.
To modify a distribution list:
Select the desired list in the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists.
Invoke the context menu and choose .
The distribution list is displayed. You can change its Description field; and you can add or delete members as described under Maintaining the Members of a Distribution List.
Choose to save your modifications.
Members of a distribution list can be individual users or other distribution lists.
The following functions are available:
The section Member List displays the members of a distribution list.
To add a member directly:
Enter its name in the input field below the Member List, and choose the Add button.
To remove a member directly:
Select it on the Member List, and choose the Delete button.
To add or remove a member via a selection list:
Choose the button below the .
The window is displayed:
The Selected members section at the bottom lists all users and distribution lists which are members of the distribution list. The Users and Distribution Lists sections list all other users and distribution lists.
To add a user/list, select it on the list of Users or list of Distribution Lists, and then choose the down arrow on the right.
The selected user/list is now added to the section.
To remove a user/list, select it on the Selected members list, and then choose the up arrow on the right.
When you have finished adding/removing members, choose .
To rename a distribution list:
In the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists, select the desired list.
Invoke the context menu and choose .
Change the name of the selected list, and press ENTER.
To delete a distribution list:
Select the desired list in the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists.
Invoke the context menu and choose .
A window is displayed, asking you to confirm the deletion.
Choose to delete the list, or to cancel the operation.
To display a distribution list:
Select the desired list in the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists.
Invoke the context menu and choose .
The distribution list is displayed.
To display cross-reference information for a distribution
list:
In the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists, select the desired list.
Invoke the context menu and choose .
The XREF of Distribution List window is displayed, showing which and how many object types the distribution list is related to.
The object list of the first relation type is expanded by default.
To display the object list of another relation type, click on the relation-type name or the arrow preceding it.
To display log information for a distribution list:
In the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists, select the desired list.
Invoke the context menu and choose .
A dialog is displayed.
To display more detailed log information, select an entry from the log information dialog.
Invoke the context menu and choose .
Detailed log information on the selected entry is displayed.
To authorize user access to a distribution list:
In the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists, select the desired list.
Invoke the context menu and choose .
The Authorization List is displayed. It lists all users and user groups on distribution lists who are authorized for the distribution list, and shows their authorization levels.
Invoke the context menu for the dialog and select .
The Authorization Definition is displayed.
Enter the data for the authorization. The fields are described under Authorization Options.
Choose to save your data.
If in your organization large numbers of reports are sent to a large number of users, this may cause performance problems. In this case, "virtual" users can be used instead of distribution lists, as outlined in this section.
When Entire Output Management creates an active report, it sends
it to the #Inbasket folders of all users specified in the report's
distribution attributes. With a large number of users, this may cause a
considerable CPU workload for the Entire Output Management monitor and also
require considerable space in the Adabas database containing the Entire Output
Management system file, because a so-called "mail record" is created for every
user. The same is true if an active report is not sent to a large number of
individual users, but to a distribution list containing a large number of
users.
If this causes performance problems in your environment, you may consider using a "virtual" user instead of a distribution list.
Imagine the following scenario:
A distribution list FINANCE is defined, which
contains as users all staff members of the Finance department (defined users
USER01 to USER50).
A report is defined with the distribution list
FINANCE specified as the recipient of the report (in the
Distribution Attributes).
As a result, the active report will be sent to every
#Inbasket folder of every single user (USER01 to
USER50).
Another aspect is that a new employee joining the Finance
department and added to the distribution list FINANCE can only see
the active reports sent to the distribution list after he/she was
added to the distribution list. However, it may be desirable that all employees
in the department see all active reports, including older ones.
The alternative scenario with a "virtual" user instead of a distribution list would be this:
You define a user UFINANCE.
In the Authorization Definition of this
user, you specify PUBLIC as Granted User
ID.
In the Distribution Attributes of the
report, you specify UFINANCE as the recipient of the report.
You link all users to the #Inbasket folder of
UFINANCE:
For the user USER01, you create a folder, and in
its Folder Definition you specify as Linked
Folder User ID UFINANCE and
Folder Name #Inbasket.
Repeat this for the users USER02 to
USER50.
As a result, the active report will be sent only to the
#Inbasket folder of UFINANCE (with only one "mail
record" being created), and all users USER01 to
USER50 can see it.
If a new employee joining the Finance department is later defined
as USER51 in the same manner, he/she can see also all active
reports contained in the #Inbasket folder of
UFINANCE