We are encountering an issue where the mailNickname attribute is not explicitly defined in any scripts, transformations, schema, or rules within our system. However, it is still being populated for certain users in Active Directory (AD) and is associated with their PID.
Despite the lack of any direct configuration or mapping for mailNickname, it appears to be automatically populated for some users. We are seeking clarification on how this attribute is being populated in these cases and whether there are any underlying processes or default behaviors at play that could explain this behavior.
We have noticed that the mailNickname attribute in our Active Directory environment is populated for some users, while for others, it remains empty. Our AD environment is integrated with Exchange, but we do not currently have any clear logic or process in place that explains why this attribute is populated for some users and not for others.
Could you please provide clarification on the conditions or rules governing the population of the mailNickname field? Specifically, we are looking to understand:
When and why the mailNickname is populated for certain users.
Any existing configurations or processes that might result in this attribute being empty for others.
Is there a difference between old and new users in AD? ie. If the old ones have it populated and the new ones not, it could suggest that it was part of the manual account creation process, and has been missed out now that you are automating it
You may need to check if there is any script outside of IDN that could be handling the mailbox creation for users and if it is restricting the mailbox creation for certain users.
It might also be a good idea to check with your exchange team to get more details.