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Q180004: Public Folder Permissions Are Cumulative

Article: Q180004
Product(s): Microsoft Exchange
Version(s): winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 27-OCT-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 5.5, 4.0, 5.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

Public folder permissions are designed to be optimistic. Optimistic here implies
the "least restrictive" set of permissions.

The Permissions that apply to the user include the set of permissions that the
user inherits from each of the groups the user belongs to, in addition to the
explicit permissions granted directly to the individual user account. A user's
permission level is always the least restrictive of that user's explicit
permissions and the permissions of any and all groups to which that user
belongs.

This means that if different permissions are given to the same mailbox, the
summation of all the given rights is what the mailbox will end up with.

MORE INFORMATION
================

For example:

Users A and B exist on a site. The administrator creates two distribution lists
(DLs): Manager and Supervisor. Both User A and User B are added to the
Supervisor DL; only user A is added to the Manager DL. Then, on folder X, the
Manager DL is given the Owner role, and the Supervisor DL is given the
Contributor role. User A will ultimately have Owner permissions on folder X,
even though user A is a member of the Supervisor DL which only has the
Contributor role.

Additional query words:

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbExchangeSearch kbExchange500 kbExchange550 kbExchange400 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : winnt:4.0,5.0,5.5
Issue type        : kbinfo

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