Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP3, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007
Topic Last Modified: 2007-04-22

This topic explains how to use the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell to restrict the number of recipients per message at various levels in your Microsoft Exchange organization.

You can configure this restriction at the mailbox level, organization level, connector level (only for Receive connectors), and Hub Transport server level. Generally, it is a best practice to configure this setting at a higher level and use the mailbox-level configuration only for exceptions.

For more information about the different levels at which you can configure this restriction, as well as a list of default values, see Managing Message Size Limits.

The Active Directory directory service also has a global limit for the maximum number of recipients per message. This global limit is separate from the limits that can be managed by using the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell. This global limit is used in Exchange Server 2003, but it also has an impact in Exchange Server 2007. If the global limit in Active Directory and the organization-level limit in Exchange 2007 are in conflict, the smaller of the two is used as the effective limit.

To modify the global limit in Active Directory, you must use Exchange System Manager (in Exchange 2003) or Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) Edit. For detailed steps about how to view and modify the global setting in Active Directory, see How to Modify Exchange 2003 Global Message Size Limits in Exchange 2007 RTM.

Before You Begin

To perform this procedure at the organization level, the account you use must be delegated the following:

  • Exchange Organization Administrator role

To perform this procedure at the connector or Hub Transport server level, the account you use must be delegated the following:

  • Exchange Server Administrator role and local Administrators group for the target server

To perform this procedure at the mailbox level, the account you use must be delegated the following:

  • Exchange Recipient Administrator role

For more information about permissions, delegating roles, and the rights that are required to administer Exchange 2007, see Permission Considerations.

Procedure

To use the Exchange Management Shell to restrict the number of recipients per message for the entire Exchange organization

  • To restrict the number of recipients per message to 1,000 for your Exchange organization, run the following command:

    Copy Code 
    Set-TransportConfig -MaxRecipientEnvelopeLimit 1000

To use the Exchange Management Shell to restrict the number of recipients per message for a Receive connector

  • To restrict the number of recipients per message to 300 for messages received through the Receive connector named Contoso Receive Connector, run the following command:

    Copy Code 
    Set-ReceiveConnector -Identity "Contoso Receive Connector" -MaxRecipientsPerMessage 300

To use the Exchange Management Shell to restrict the number of recipients per message for a Hub Transport server

  • To restrict the number of recipients per message to 200 for messages that are processed by the Hub Transport server named Server01, run the following command:

    Copy Code 
    Set-TransportServer -Identity "Server01" -PickupDirectoryMaxRecipientsPerMessage 200
    Note:
    This restriction applies only to messages submitted by using the pickup directory on an Edge Transport or Hub Transport server. For more information about the pickup directory, see Managing the Pickup Directory.

To use the Exchange Management Console to restrict the number of recipients per message for a mailbox

  1. Start the Exchange Management Console.

  2. In the console tree, expand Recipient Configuration.

  3. In the result pane, select the mailbox for which you want to restrict the number of recipients per message.

  4. In the action pane, under the mailbox name, click Properties.

  5. In <Mailbox> Properties, click the Mail Flow Settings tab.

  6. Select Delivery Options from the list of mail flow settings, and then click Properties.

  7. In Delivery Options, select the Maximum recipients check box, and then type 100 in the corresponding text box.

  8. Click OK to return to the Mail Flow Settings tab.

  9. Click OK.

To use the Exchange Management Shell to restrict the number of recipients per message for a mailbox

  • To restrict the number of recipients per message to 100 for the mailbox user John Smith, run the following command:

    Copy Code 
    Set-Mailbox -Identity "John Smith" -RecipientLimits 100

For More Information

For detailed syntax and parameter information, see the following cmdlet reference topics:

For more information about managing message size limits in your organization, see Managing Message Size Limits.

To learn more about recipient restrictions, see Understanding Recipient Restrictions.

To learn more about Hub Transport servers, see Transport Architecture.