2.2.8 Properties That Apply to Department Objects

A Department object is an Address Book object that represents a department within an organization and contains properties that are specific to a Department object. Department objects are distinct from departmental groups, which are a specific type of distribution list with all its properties. A server MAY<46> represent a department hierarchy by using either Department objects or departmental groups, and it MUST NOT mix the representations.

Messaging clients obtain the root of the department hierarchy by using the PidTagAddressBookHierarchicalRootDepartment property (section 2.2.7.2) of the Organization object (which MAY be either a Department object or a departmental group), or by obtaining the root department that is not specific to any organization, which MUST be a Department object, and which has a DN that is specified by using the organization-dn format specification, as specified in 2.2.1.1, with a value of "/o=FF46312B-D8AE-406C-B8E6-BC1A22A4C69E".