Related Products: Signature Manager Exchange Edition | Signature Manager Outlook Edition | Signature Manager Office 365 Edition | Template Editor
Scenario
You would like to have custom information displayed within a signature without having to setup multiple signature templates and policies for individual users.
Resolution
It is possible to create custom Active Directory attributes that can be used within your signature template. The following steps will guide you through how to create these attributes and add them to your template
Pre-requisites
By default, The Active Directory Schema snap-in is not enabled by default on Domain Controllers or RSAT installed machines. This will need to enabled for the first time.
1. Open an Elevated Command Prompt
2. Run the following command
3. This should be followed by a message confirming success.
Creating a new Attribute
4. Once you've received confirmation of this message you can then enter the command 'mmc' into the command prompt window to open up a new Microsoft Management Console window.
5. Choose File > Add or Remove Snap-ins and then select the 'Active Directory Schema' option, double clicking or choosing add and then OK to load the Snap-in.
6. Once the Snap-in has loaded, expand this out and then right click on the Attributes entry then select the Create Attribute... to continue.
7. A warning will be displayed because at this point because these type of changes will become permanent within your Active Directory.
Please ensure you read this and understand this fully, as you will not be able to delete these updates.
8. Should you select to continue, you will be prompted to provide the following information.
The following table provides full details for each of these values and how they function.
| Field | Purpose | Required? | Notes |
| Common Name | Name of the Attribute being created. Cannot be changed | ✔ | |
| LDAP Display Name | Used for checking the Attribute in LDAP lookups | ✔ | Autofilled by Common Name |
| Unique X500 Object ID | Must begin with either 0., 1. or 2. | ✔ |
This script can be used to generate an appropriate Object ID |
| Description | A Description of the Attribute | × | |
| Syntax | Format of the Attribute. | ✔ | Unicode String is recommended as the default option. |
| Minimum | Minimum number of entries needed to apply the attribute to an account. | × | Recommended to use a Binary value (64,128 or 256) |
| Maximum | Maximum Number of entries that can be stored. | × | Recommended to use a Binary value (64,128 or 256) |
| Multi-Valued | Changes the Attribute to allow it to accept Multiple Values. | × | Not recommended for use with Exclaimer Products |
Enabling Global Catalogue Replication and Adding the new attribute to the 'User Class'.
9. Right click the newly created attribute, and select properties.
From here, you can select the option shown below to enable replication to the Global Catalogue, and then press 'OK'
You will then need to assign the attribute to the user class, so that it becomes available within the Attribute Editor.
10. Expand the 'Classes' folder in the left pane of the console, locate the 'user' class, then right-click and select the the Properties menu.
11. Open the Attributes tab and then press 'Add...'
12. Search for the name of your new attribute, highlight this and press OK twice to save the change.
These changes can take a few minutes to come into effect within your Active Directory.
Please allow 15 minutes to ensure that these fields become available, after which you will be able to then update the data for this new field within the 'Attribute Editor' tab of a users Active Directory entry.
Once this has been done, you will be able to add this new attribute onto your template design, using the 'Other AD Fields > AD Field' option within the Exclaimer Template Editor tool.
