Global Address List Search
The Global Address List, "GAL" for short, is the address list stored in Active Directory containing (usually) all the users in the same domain as the user account you're using to synchronize With Exchange. (There are various ways to build up more complex GALs, but that's more of an Active Directory thing than Exchange Server.)
The GAL can be viewed and edited both in "Active Directory Users and Computers" (for instance on a domain controller) or with the "Exchange Management Console" (for instance on an Exchange Server).
MSDN Reference Links:Searching the Global Address List by Using the Search Command:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff631354(v=exchg.80).aspxWBXML Code Page 16 - GAL:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee158971(v=exchg.80).aspxThe XML generated (searching for a person named "Andreas") looks like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Search xmlns="Search:">
<Store>
<Name>GAL</Name>
<Query>andreas</Query>
<Options>
<Range>0-1</Range>
</Options>
</Store>
</Search>
The API will return something similar to this (in JSON format):
[{
"DisplayName":"Andreas",
"Phone":null,
"Office":null,
"Title":null,
"Company":null,
"Alias":"Andreas",
"FirstName":"Andreas",
"LastName":"Helland",
"HomePhone":null,
"MobilePhone":null,
"EmailAddress":"andreas@contoso.com",
"Picture":null,
"Status":null,
"Data":null
16 }]
The "Range" option indicates which items from the GAL you are interested in. If there are 10 "John Doe" in your organization 0-1 will give you item #0 and item #1; or 2 results. Range 2-4 will give you item #2, #3 and #4.
The properties you can use in the query parameter are the following:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Display Name
- Email Address (only complete addresses, not partials)
- Office
- Alias
The following are not valid for searching:
- Title
- Phone Number
- Mobile Phone Number
- Home Phone Number
- Company