I guess that I never really finish a tool. There is always something that I can think of to add or a suggestion that someone makes that I want to code in! This is especially true for the Exchange Bulk User Creation Tool v2.0 (EBUCT) where hot on the heels of version 1.2 – I am now pleased to announce version 2.0.
The principal of the EBUCT remains the same – it is designed to allow for the bulk creation of mailboxes in Exchange 2013 – a feature that is currently missing from the Exchange Administrative Centre in Exchange 2013.
Key Changes in functionality
The good news is that I have not fundamentally changed the way in which the tool works for version 2.0.
What I have tried to focus on is streamlining the process of creating mailboxes as well as adding in the ability to search for specific Active Directory accounts from the returned list after you have clicked on the “Refresh” button.
Below is a comparison between the two interfaces which points out the major changes:
Old Interface (Versions 1.0,1.01 and 1.2):
New Interface
You will notice that the “Selected user accounts” window has now been removed from the EBUCT. Essentially you can now just select your desired users from the “Active Directory Users without Mailboxes” area by checking the box next to them.
Select the mailbox database and then click on the “Enable” button.
You will also see a new “Search Accounts” text area. You can type in the name of a specific account from the Tree after you have clicked on the “Refresh” button. The text area also allows for ‘Fuzzy’ searches – e.g. a few characters of the name and the EBUCT will try to locate it in the list.
I hope that you like the new version – and as always keep sending me your feedback. You can get version 2.0 from the downloads area below.
Download
[ Setup and Usage
To configure and use the EBUCT please refer to the following articles – please make sure that you take note of the changes that I have mentioned above for version 2.0 – setup, configuration and prerequisites between 1.2 and 2.0 are EXACTLY the same.
Revision History
Version 1.0.0.0 – 04/11/2012
- Initial release – now retired
Version 1.0.0.1 – 05/11/2012
- Second release – now retired
- Changed Interface “Select / Unselect all Mailboxes” to “Select / Unselect all Active Directory Accounts”
- Changed “www.telnetport25.com” located in the status bar to be an active and clickable URL
- Moved the enable mailbox process bar to be next to the enable button
- Added in a progress status label
- BUG FIX: Fixed Directory Accounts with special characters within the name (samAccountName) were not processed correctly
- BUG FIX: The “Select / Unselect all Active Directory Accounts” check box was not unchecked when all processing had been completed
Version 1.2.0.0
- Third release – now retired.
- Re-compiled the tool so that it will run with version 4.0 of the .NET Framework, some people reported issues with 4.5 as they were not running it.
- Added in Event Logging Diagnostics: The EBUCT creates an Event Log under Applications and Services called ExchangeEBUCT – relevant information from the tool is logged here
Version 2.0 – 26/04/2013
- Redesigned interface to make the software more simple:
- Removed the need to select Directory users from the from the “Active Directory Users without Mailboxes” to the “Selected Users section”. You can now just check the accounts in the Treeview.
- Added in a ‘File’ menu which allows for the application to be exited from a menu command.
- Added in an ‘About’ box.
- Flattened the user interface buttons.
- New Feature: Search for a specific account within the Active Directory Treeview.
- Error Handling: Added in some enhanced error handling scenarios which in previous versions could result in the tool raising an Exception.
- Error Handling: Program will notify you if you try and enable an account without having selected a Mailbox Database.
- Error Handling: Program will notify you if you have not selected at least one Active Directory Account.
