Enabling support for migrations with pre-defined name prefix and suffix.
In Azure Active Directory administrators have access to a group naming policy. This allows administrators to enforce a naming policy for Microsoft 365 groups that are created by end users. The group naming policy does not apply to mail enabled distribution or mail enabled security groups. Customers who are considering migrating distribution lists to Office 365 may want to implement something similar for their mail enabled security or distribution groups. The desire was to utilize the migration process to begin implementing this naming convention.
Version 2.9.8.14 implements two new switches that administrators may use to implement a name prefix or suffix during the migration. The prefix switch -dlNamePrefix allows any string to be specified as the name prefix. The suffix switch -dlNameSuffix allows any string to be specified as the name suffix. When using a prefix or suffix this value is appended to not only the distribution group name but also the distribution group display name. This enforces the same name in both directory queries and global address list queries. Generally speaking the name and display name match. If you’re display name does not match the directory name of the group the same names will be preserved but with the prefix.
The directory name assigned to a group may not exceed 64 characters. When specifying a prefix, suffix, or both if the combined string length is greater than 64 characters the migration will fail and the administrator will be informed of an error in the log.
[PS] C:\>$group = Get-DistributionGroup “defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd”
[PS] C:\>$group.name
defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd
[PS] C:\>$group.name.Length
64
[PS] C:\>$group.Alias
defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd
[PS] C:\>$group.Alias.Length
64
In the above example adding any prefix or suffix will cause the migration to fail.
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – ********************************************************************************
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – +++++
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – Pre-requist checks failed. Please refer to the following list of items that require addressing for migration to proceed.
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – +++++
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] –
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – =====
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – Alias:
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – Name: defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – PrimarySMTPAddressOrUPN:
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – RecipientType:
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – GroupType:
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – RecipientOrUser:
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – ExternalDirectoryObjectID:
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – OnPremADAttribute:
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – DN:
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – ParentGroupSMTPAddress:
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – isAlreadyMigrated: False
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – isError: True
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – isErrorMessage: NAME_LENGTH_EXCEPTION: The DL Name plus the prefix and / or suffix exceeds 64 characters. To complete migration wih the prefix and / or suffix the group name must be shortened to prefix + name + suffix to less than 64 characters.
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – =====
[7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – Pre-requist checks failed. Please refer to the previous list of items that require addressing for migration to proceed.
out-logfile : [7/19/2023 2:33:48 PM] – Pre-requist checks failed. Please refer to the previous list of items that require addressing for migration to proceed.
At C:\Repository\DLConversionV2\DLConversionV2.psm1:2904 char:13
+ out-logfile -string “Pre-requist checks failed. Please r …
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [Write-Error], WriteErrorException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException,Out-LogFile
If the name, prefix, and suffix combinations are less than 64 characters the migration is allowed to proceed. The module does not automatically truncate the name or replace characters in order to accommodate a prefix or suffix.
At the conclusion of the migration the Office 365 distribution list will have the prefix and / or suffix added to the name and display name attribute.
PS C:\> Get-DistributionGroup defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd | fl name,displayname
Name : DL-defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd-DL
DisplayName : DL-defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd-DL
At the conclusion of the migration the group is still retained on premises. The renaming operation occurs with the ! added to the end of the name. The name prefix or suffix is not utilized in the renamed group or any hybrid mail flow objects that are created to satisfy the migration.
[PS] C:\>Get-DynamicDistributionGroup defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd | fl name,alias
Name : defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd
Alias : defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd
[PS] C:\>Get-MailContact defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefde-MigratedByScript | fl name,alias
Name : defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefde-MigratedByScript
Alias : defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefde-MigratedByScript
[PS] C:\>Get-Group defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd! | fl name,samaccountname
Name : defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd!
SamAccountName : defdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefdefd!
By allowing administrators to manage a prefix or suffix during the migration process as groups are created they can match their desired naming conventions moving forward.
TIMMCMIC 