Field Info: Alias

The alias field is a 2-8 character unique identifier for an individual's directory entry. Your alias is used to change your electronic directory information and to access any email stored on the Mailhub.

What is an alias?

The Purdue Electronic directory contains entries for all staff, faculty, and students at the University. The alias field is a 2-8 character unique identifier for an individual directory entry.

Your alias identifies your directory entry. (No two people have the same alias.) Your alias will be composed from parts of your first and last name. It is automatically assigned when your entry is created.

Over the Summer of 1999, the process began to make the Directory an "acmaint" machine. Acmaint (account maintenance) was created to allow the coordination of several computer account systems across campus. The primary purpose was to allow students to use one account and password for the different resources. Those individuals affiliated with the West Lafayette campus began to have their directory entries tied to their Purdue Career Account login and to their other "acmaint" accounts.

Individual's whose accounts have been coordinated with their Purdue Career Account and other acmaint accounts, will have their Directory entry alias field "locked". In other words, it will become unchangeable by the user, the user's proxy, or the Mailhub administrators.

Please note : if you need your alias field changed, please fill out an Account Modification Request (form 10) in the Information Center located in STEW G068. An example that would justify such a request would be: the alias is a socially unacceptable word.

As the "lockdown" change occurred to the "alias" field, the "email" field was modified to accommodate another , longer "@purdue.edu" email address. The email field has a length restriction of 255 characters and may contain hyphens. Please see the "email" link for additional information. This field may provide you with the additional @purdue.edu address you desire.

What is the function of an alias?

Your alias serves as your login name for the directory. If you wish to make changes to your directory entry, you must first tell the directory your alias so it knows who it is trying to login.

Your alias is also one of three entries available that can be used to address mail to you @purdue.edu. (Our standard example entry is: vsmyth@purdue.edu) Other directory fields that are available for use as @purdue.edu addresses are your qualified name field and your email field.

Please note: to use these @purdue.edu addresses you will need to set your service field entry.

How do I find an alias?

To find an alias for someone first look them up at:

http://www.itap.purdue.edu/directory/

Clicking on the "Details" button will return more detailed information for their directory entry, including their alias.

Please note: You can only use this to send them "alias@purdue.edu" email if their "sevice" entry is set to something other than "reject". If it is set to "reject", then they have not setup any of their @purdue.edu email addresses.