Mail Archiving 1

[GrimR]

What is the best way for Mail Archiving, is there a built in function, or do I need third part software like GFI Mail Archiver?

 

[Stevehewitt]

Define "mail archiving".

I don't think there is a propper way of getting Exchange to move all emails from x mailbox or x storage group that are y old to another storage group or database or server etc.

However between managed folders, journaling, transport rules and quotas I question the need for it. You can setup journaling for any compliance needs that maybe required, and anything else is up to the users. People keep everything anyway - add a few quotas and let them decide what they think needs archiving.

Like I said, you have the journaling anyway..!

Good luck,



Steve.

"They have the internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson

 

[GrimR]

OK Stevehewitt slow down a bit.
Managed folders, how would this help in archiving mail?
Just done some reading on Journaling and seems to have more or less of what I'm after, although not sure about how to go about setting it up.
Transport Rules, which rule/rules would be helpful in achieving archiving mail.
I dont see how quotes would help, maybe you could explain.

 

[GrimR]

Stevehewitt Journaling does exactly what I want, Thanks.
Now is it a good idea to give it it own Store, or how would I backup remove the information within that Journal mailbox to a folder for archiving.

 

[Stevehewitt]

If you wanted to just export the data that you have in your journal mailbox to another system/database/server etc. then from the top of my head I would probably look at the new/revamped import/export powershell cmdlet.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb266964.aspx

I'd look at using that, and run a script to kick it all off within the shell. Set it on a schedule (per month?) Depending how fluent you are with scripting in PowerShell, I guess you could set it to kick off the export weekly, name it based on the week begining date and even have it keep it's own little filling system. (e.g. creates a new folder per month for you so you'd have one .PST per week for each month under each folder!)

Now that's cool!

I'm pretty sure that some of the other guys that know PowerShell/EMS better than me could help out with this, and I'd imagine there may even be a more elegant solution as well - but scripting the Export-Mailbox cmdlet is the first thing that came to my head.

Thanks for the star.




Steve.

"They have the internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson

 

[xmsre]

Why script/pst/kludge just to get it to another server? What if there's more than 2GB in your timed interval? Just use SCR.What's the RPO for your jounaled data, a week? Just use SCR.

 

[SirCam]

Archiving data has many benefits, not just keeping a copy of all emails in an orgainisation (which is what Journaling does). You can use it to keep mailboxes at reasonable sizes. Users do tend to keep all emails and mailbox sizes can quickly hit a Gb and beyond. By archiving their data using a 3rd party product like Symantec Enterprise Vault, you can maintain mailbox sizes to around 50Mb. This allows your exchange servers to maintain consistant Storage Group sizes and you can then maximise the amount of users across these Storage Groups, thus making your Exchange organisation more efficient. Archiving products also use compression and single instancing, and allows good search capabilities as data is indexed when archived.