UVa Email Address Management System (AMS)

Manage Your Email Aliases & Your Primary Address

[Nov 23, 2009 14:09] Web access to Microsoft Live@edu accounts now works.

You may use the Email Address Management System’s Manage Aliases function to:

About Your Primary Address and Email Alias(es)

  • Primary Email Address: Every member of the University community must have a primary address in the form of your computing ID@virginia.edu (i.e., mst3k@virginia.edu). You may use the Email Address Management System (AMS) to manage your primary email address the same way you can use it to manage your email aliases. (The only difference is that while you can delete an email alias, you cannot delete your primary address.) Follow the steps below to:
  • Email Aliases: You may use the Email Address Management System (AMS) to create an email alias—that is, an email address that is easier to read, write, and remember. (For example, if your primary email address is mst3k@virginia.edu, you might also like another, more convenient email address like miketurner@email.virginia.edu to use as well.) Follow the steps below to:

Manage Your Primary Address and Email Alias(es)

How to Request an Email Alias (or Create Your Primary Address)

  1. Go to the UVa Email Address Management System (AMS) and log in through NetBadge.
  2. Select Manage Aliases.
  3. In the top section of the page, you will see the UVa email domains available to you (e.g., virginia.edu or email.virginia.edu). Choose the email domain where you would like to create or change an alias, and click the Select button.
  4. In the middle section, make sure Current Domain specifies the domain you just selected.
  5. Then, in the box beside Check an alias’ availability, type an alias you would like to request. Use caution; choose your alias carefully, since dropping too many undesired aliases has consequences and may cause a lockout, preventing you from creating any new aliases.
    • Note: If you’re creating your primary address for the first time, type your UVa computing ID (e.g., mst3k).
  6. Click the Check Alias button. The AMS will check whether this alias has already been claimed by someone else.
    • Note: If you’re creating your primary address, the AMS will check to ensure that you’re working with your own computing ID, and not someone else’s.
  7. Continue according to whether the alias has already been claimed or not:
    • If the message in the red banner bar says, “This alias has already been claimed for use:”
      • You will need to request another alias. Return to step 4 above and try another alias or domain.
    • If the message in the red banner bar says “Alias Available!" then:
      • You must then select a deliverable address from the dropdown menu to associate with this alias or primary address. This address is the email account where you would like to read email addressed to this alias (or primary address).
        • Note: If you don’t see your preferred email account in the dropdown box, then you need first to add it as a deliverable address and then return to this step to claim your desired alias and associate it with your preferred email account.
  8. Complete your request by clicking the Create Alias button.

How to Change the Deliverable Address Associated with an Email Alias or Primary Address

If you like, you may change where you read your UVa email messages addressed to you.

  1. Go to the UVa Email Address Management System and log in through NetBadge.
  2. Select Manage Aliases.
  3. In the top section of the page, you will see the UVa email domains available to you (e.g., virginia.edu or email.virginia.edu). Choose the email domain where you would like to change an associated alias, and click the Select button.
  4. In the middle section, make sure Current Domain specifies the domain you just selected.
  5. Then, in the bottom section under Current Aliases, find the alias or primary address whose deliverable address you want to change.
  6. From the dropdown menu, select the new deliverable address you would like to associate with this alias or primary address. This address is the email account where you would like to read email addressed to this alias (or primary address).
    • Note: If you don’t see your preferred email account in the dropdown box, then you need first to add it as a deliverable address and then return to this step to associate it with your preferred email account.
  7. Click the Submit button to finish.

Delete an Email Alias

Consequences of Deletion

The Email Address Management System will allow you drop email aliases you no longer need.

However, the alias will not become immediately available for reassignment (to you or anyone else). This is because after an alias is deleted, it is quarantined for a time, reducing the risk that mail intended for the previous owner of the alias is inadvertently delivered to its new owner.

Every time you delete an alias, you are assessed “lockout points.” If you delete too many aliases, your points go over the lockout threshold, and you are preventing from creating any more aliases for a period.

Lockouts prevent people from repeatedly creating and deleting aliases, each of which would have to be quarantined, quickly depleting the pool of available aliases for everyone.

Tip: Since there are consequences for deletion, always carefully consider what alias to request!

How to Delete an Alias

Note that you can only delete aliases; you cannot delete your primary address (i.e., UVa computing ID@virginia.edu).

  1. Go to the UVa Email Address Management System and log in through NetBadge.
  2. Select Manage Aliases.
  3. In the top section of the page, you will see the UVa email domains available to you (e.g., virginia.edu or email.virginia.edu). Choose the email domain where you would like to delete an alias, and click the Select button.
  4. In the middle section, make sure Current Domain specifies the domain you just selected.
  5. Then, in the bottom section under Current Aliases, find the alias you want to delete.
  6. Check the box beside Drop this alias and click the Submit button.
    • Note: The alias you just dropped will be quarantined for a period (how long depends upon in which email domain the alias existed), and your lockout score will be increased by the appropriate number of points.

© 2009 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia.

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