Distribution Lists

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# Distribution Lists

This section describes distribution lists and how to create and maintain them. It covers the following topics:

- What is a Distribution List?

- Available Commands for Distribution Lists

- Listing All Distribution Lists

- Listing Selected Distribution Lists

- Creating a Distribution List

- Modifying a Distribution List

- Maintaining the Members of a Distribution List

- Renaming a Distribution List

- Deleting a Distribution List

- Displaying a Distribution List

- Displaying Cross-Reference Information for a Distribution List

- Displaying Log Information for a Distribution List

- Authorizing User Access to a Distribution List

- Using Virtual Users Instead of Distribution Lists

## What is a Distribution List?

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.

## Available Commands for Distribution Lists

To list all available commands for distribution lists:

1. In the object workspace, expand the Distribution Lists folder.

2. 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.

## Listing All Distribution Lists

To list all distribution lists:

1. In the object workspace, select the Distribution Lists folder.

2. Invoke the context menu and choose List.

   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: ADMIN - Indicates that you are defined as administrator with owner authorization. PUBLIC - All users are authorized for the distribution list. User ID or name of distribution list - This user or the members of the distribution list are authorized for the list.
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.

## Listing Selected Distribution Lists

To list distribution lists according to selection criteria:

1. In the object workspace, select the Distribution Lists folder.

2. Invoke the context menu and choose Filter.

   The Filter Distribution Lists window is displayed in the content pane.

3. Enter your selection criteria, and choose OK.

   Now only distribution lists which satisfy the selection criteria appear in the expanded Distribution Lists folder in the object workspace.

## Creating a Distribution List

To create a new distribution list:

1. Select the Distribution List folder in the object workspace and invoke the context menu.

2. Choose New.

   The Distribution List window is displayed in the content pane:

3. Enter a name and description for the distribution list, and choose OK.

4. To add/remove members to/from the distribution list, see Maintaining the Members of a Distribution List.

## Modifying a Distribution List

To modify a distribution list:

1. Select the desired list in the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists.

2. Invoke the context menu and choose Open.

3. 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.

4. Choose OK to save your modifications.

## Maintaining the Members of a Distribution List

Members of a distribution list can be individual users or other distribution lists.

The following functions are available:

- Adding and Removing Members of a Distribution List

### Adding and Removing Members of a Distribution List

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:

1. Choose the Select button below the Member List.

   The Select Users / Distribution Lists 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.

2. 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 Selected members section.

3. To remove a user/list, select it on the Selected members list, and then choose the up arrow on the right.

4. When you have finished adding/removing members, choose OK.

## Renaming a Distribution List

To rename a distribution list:

1. In the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists, select the desired list.

2. Invoke the context menu and choose Rename.

3. Change the name of the selected list, and press ENTER.

## Deleting a Distribution List

To delete a distribution list:

1. Select the desired list in the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists.

2. Invoke the context menu and choose Delete.

   A window is displayed, asking you to confirm the deletion.

3. Choose Yes to delete the list, or No to cancel the operation.

## Displaying a Distribution List

To display a distribution list:

1. Select the desired list in the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists.

2. Invoke the context menu and choose Display.

   The distribution list is displayed.

## Displaying Cross-Reference Information for a Distribution List

To display cross-reference information for a distribution list:

1. In the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists, select the desired list.

2. Invoke the context menu and choose XREF.

   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.

3. To display the object list of another relation type, click on the relation-type name or the arrow preceding it.

## Displaying Log Information for a Distribution List

To display log information for a distribution list:

1. In the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists, select the desired list.

2. Invoke the context menu and choose Display Log.

   A dialog is displayed.

3. To display more detailed log information, select an entry from the log information dialog.

4. Invoke the context menu and choose Info.

   Detailed log information on the selected entry is displayed.

## Authorizing User Access to a Distribution List

To authorize user access to a distribution list:

1. In the object workspace or in the list of distribution lists, select the desired list.

2. Invoke the context menu and choose Authorization.

   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.

3. Invoke the context menu for the dialog and select New.

   The Authorization Definition is displayed.

4. Enter the data for the authorization. The fields are described under Authorization Options.

5. Choose OK to save your data.

## Using Virtual Users Instead of Distribution Lists

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.

- General Information

- Original Scenario - Distribution List

- Alternative Scenario - Virtual User

### General Information

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.

### Original Scenario - 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.

### Alternative Scenario - Virtual User

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`

### On this page

- What is a Distribution List?
- Available Commands for Distribution Lists
- Listing All Distribution Lists
- Listing Selected Distribution Lists
- Creating a Distribution List
- Modifying a Distribution List
- Maintaining the Members of a Distribution List
- Renaming a Distribution List
- Deleting a Distribution List
- Displaying a Distribution List
- Displaying Cross-Reference Information for a Distribution List
- Displaying Log Information for a Distribution List
- Authorizing User Access to a Distribution List
- Using Virtual Users Instead of Distribution Lists