Restricting resources based on a distribution list is useful when a resource exists that should only be booked by members of a certain team. If a distribution list is created for the team and ERM is configured to restrict scheduling based on this distribution list, when team members change no changes are necessary inside ERM. Simply add or remove membership from the distribution list through Active Directory Users and Computers.
An example use of this functionality is to limit scheduling of the company board room to executive assistants. If a new executive assistants is hired, it is not necessary to make a change to your ERM settings in order for your new executive assistant to gain scheduling access to the board room. The new assistant will only require inclusion on the executive assistants distribution list.
To setup a restriction based on a distribution list in Exchange Resource Manager, on the Restrictions tab of the general or resource-specific configuration properties, select the restriction type desired and browse for the desired distribution list.
We also support both distribution lists and security groups for use with restrictions. We don't make any changes to the underlying implementation, so you'll want to setup your environment based on your business needs. Are you experiencing a problem when attempting to use distribution lists inside ERM?
ERM permissions are separate and are stored in the ERM database. We are not subject to the permissions issues of a mixed mode conversion.