Directory search order for a name in a Notes address field

When an IBM® Notes® user enters a user or group name in a Notes mail address field, the Notes client and mail server search directories in the following order to retrieve the address for the name.

About this task

If the user enters a common name rather than a hierarchical one, the server searches all directories according to the search order specified for the directories.

If the user enters a hierarchical name, only directories assigned naming rules that correspond to the hierarchical name the user entered are searched. If there is more than one directory assigned a naming rule that matches, the directory with the most specific matching rule is searched first. For example, if a user enters the name Phyllis Spera/Sales/Renovations, the server first searches a directory with the rule /Sales/Renovations, before searching a directory with the rule */Renovations. If directories have identical naming rules that match the name entered by the user, search orders assigned to the directories determine the order in which the directories are searched.

If a name is found during any step, searches continue only if the Recipient name lookup field in the Notes user's current Location document is set to Exhaustively check all address books.

Search order is as follows:
  1. The user's Contacts
  2. Any local condensed directory catalogs on the client
    Note: For searching to continue to a server, the Mail file location field in the active Location document must be set to On server. Type-ahead searches never continue to a server if there is a condensed directory catalog on the client.
  3. The primary Domino® Directory on the user's mail server or directory server
  4. Directories defined in the server's directory assistance database that have the options Make this domain available to: Notes clients and Internet Authentication/Authorization enabled