User Classes

User class membership is based on one or more of the following criteria:

• Whether the user logged on to the service as an authenticated user or as an anonymous user.
• The user's identity mask (for example, "@microsoft.com") or IP address.
• The time of day.

To determine whether a particular user belongs to a class, Chat Service searches the existing classes in alphanumeric order. If a user matches any of the selection criteria associated with a defined class, Chat Service adds the user to that class and imposes that class's restrictions on the user.

Note   If there is more than one class defined for a chat community to which a user could belong, Chat Service tries to add the user to each class in alphabetical order, according to the name given when the Exchange system administrator created the class. Chat Service adds the user to the first class it finds that the user matches.

User classes allow you to protect a chat server and its users from flooding and other types of attacks. With user classes, you can control users' ability to log on to the server, create or join dynamic channels, or become a channel owner or host. You can also regulate the processing of messages from class members, limit the number (and type) of channels they can create on the server, and set up an attack protection mechanism.

This section contains the following topic:

• How a User Class Works

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