Applies to: Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Online

Topic Last Modified: 2013-01-11

Use the Get-DistributionGroupMember cmdlet to find existing distribution group members.

For information about the parameter sets in the Syntax section below, see Syntax.

Syntax

Get-DistributionGroupMember -Identity <DistributionGroupMemberIdParameter> [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-DomainController <Fqdn>] [-IgnoreDefaultScope <SwitchParameter>] [-ReadFromDomainController <SwitchParameter>] [-ResultSize <Unlimited>]

Examples

EXAMPLE 1

This example returns the existing distribution group members for the distribution group Marketing USA.

Copy Code 
Get-DistributionGroupMember -Identity "Marketing USA"

EXAMPLE 2

This example sets the scope of the search to the entire forest by running the Set-ADServerSettings cmdlet, and then the Get-DistributionGroupMember cmdlet searches the entire forest for the distribution group members in the Marketing Worldwide distribution group.

Copy Code 
Set-ADServerSettings -ViewEntireForest $true
Get-DistributionGroupMember -Identity "Marketing Worldwide"

Detailed Description

If your organization has multiple Active Directory domains, you may need to run the Set-ADServerSettings cmdlet with the ViewEntireForest parameter set to $true before running the Get-DistributionGroupMember cmdlet to view the entire forest. For more information, see EXAMPLE 2.

You need to be assigned permissions before you can run this cmdlet. Although all parameters for this cmdlet are listed in this topic, you may not have access to some parameters if they're not included in the permissions assigned to you. To see what permissions you need, see the "Distribution groups" entry in the Recipients Permissions topic.

Parameters

Parameter Required Type Description

Identity

Required

Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.DistributionGroupMemberIdParameter

The Identity parameter specifies the identity of the distribution group.

This parameter accepts the following values:

  • Alias

    Example: JPhillips

  • Canonical DN

    Example: Atlanta.Corp.Contoso.Com/Users/JPhillips

  • Display Name

    Example: Jeff Phillips

  • Distinguished Name (DN)

    Example: CN=JPhillips,CN=Users,DC=Atlanta,DC=Corp,DC=contoso,DC=com

  • Domain\Account

    Example: Atlanta\JPhillips

  • GUID

    Example: fb456636-fe7d-4d58-9d15-5af57d0354c2

  • Immutable ID

    Example: fb456636-fe7d-4d58-9d15-5af57d0354c2@contoso.com

  • Legacy Exchange DN

    Example: /o=Contoso/ou=AdministrativeGroup/cn=Recipients/cn=JPhillips

  • SMTP Address

    Example: Jeff.Phillips@contoso.com

  • User Principal Name

    Example: JPhillips@contoso.com

Credential

Optional

System.Management.Automation.PSCredential

The Credential parameter specifies the user name and password to use to access Active Directory.

This parameter requires the creation and passing of a credential object. This credential object is created by using the Get-Credential cmdlet. For more information, see Get-Credential.

DomainController

Optional

Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Fqdn

The DomainController parameter specifies the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the domain controller that retrieves data from Active Directory.

IgnoreDefaultScope

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The IgnoreDefaultScope parameter instructs the command to ignore the default recipient scope setting for the Exchange Management Shell session and use the entire forest as the scope. This allows the command to access Active Directory objects that aren't currently in the default scope. Using the IgnoreDefaultScope parameter introduces the following restrictions:

  • You can't use the DomainController parameter. The command uses an appropriate global catalog server automatically.

  • You can only use the DN for the Identity parameter. Other forms of identification, such as alias or GUID, aren't accepted.

  • You can't use the Credential parameter.

ReadFromDomainController

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The ReadFromDomainController parameter specifies that the user information is read from a domain controller in the user's domain. If you set the recipient scope to include all recipients in the forest, and if you don't use this parameter, it's possible that the user information is read from a global catalog with outdated information. If you use this parameter, multiple reads might be necessary to get the information.

Note:
By default, the recipient scope is set to the domain that hosts your Exchange servers.

ResultSize

Optional

Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Unlimited

The ResultSize parameter specifies the maximum number of members returned.

Input Types

To see the input types that this cmdlet accepts, see Cmdlet Input and Output Types. If the Input Type field for a cmdlet is blank, the cmdlet doesn’t accept input data.

Return Types

To see the return types, which are also known as output types, that this cmdlet accepts, see Cmdlet Input and Output Types. If the Output Type field is blank, the cmdlet doesn’t return data.