| Background | | | | GB. This is likely more storage space than will be |
| Today's businesses, large and small, depend on | | | | consumed by the average small business, but for |
| their email systems for a significant majority of | | | | those businesses that approach this limit SSL |
| their communication needs. Email has developed | | | | recommends one of the following solutions: |
| from a rudimentary, inaccessible technology used | | | | · Upgrade to Exchange Server 2007 with |
| only by the tech-savvy to its current role as a | | | | its near-unlimited storage space. This is the likely |
| rapid, reliable communications tool for just about | | | | solution for businesses on older hardware or |
| everyone. Along the way, as user needs and data | | | | simply wanting to take advantage of the features |
| storage have evolved - remember when 1 Mb of | | | | of 2007. |
| storage was a big deal? - the use of email | | | | · Add in a second mailbox store on the |
| systems has increased well beyond their original | | | | existing Exchange Server and migrate mailboxes |
| scope of sending and receiving short messages. | | | | to balance the storage load. This solution assumes |
| Today's email systems provide calendaring, group | | | | available disk space and remaining useful life of the |
| collaboration, task management, workflow and, | | | | server hardware. |
| ever-increasingly, file and data storage. Users now | | | | Due to the large available storage space and the |
| store many years worth of email and | | | | inherent complexities of archive files SSL does not |
| attachments, and refer back to them on a | | | | recommend implementing mailbox size limits or |
| frequent basis for important historical information. | | | | email auto-archiving policies except for laptop |
| This increasing document retention, along with the | | | | (mobile) users. Prudent user management of their |
| ever-increasing size of attachments, has caused | | | | mailboxes is encouraged through deletion of |
| email systems to dramatically increase in size and | | | | non-essential emails especially those with large |
| therefore demand higher technical capacity and | | | | attachments that do not need to be archived. |
| management. Meanwhile, the email content itself | | | | The Outlook Group Policy Template should be |
| has increased in value - often being sensitive, | | | | used to prevent users from enabling Auto |
| proprietary or even mission-critical in nature. It is | | | | Archive on their mailbox. |
| essential that today's business protects its email | | | | Mobile users with large mailboxes will experience |
| investment and associated systems with | | | | significant performance degradation when |
| document retention and archiving policies. An | | | | operating outside of the office LAN. Cached |
| effective policy will balance system needs for | | | | exchange mode or offline storage files are not |
| security & stability with user needs that | | | | recommended as they are both limited to 2 GB |
| include rapid access. | | | | file sizes, plus their required synchronization time |
| Over the years of working with our clients, Seitel | | | | can be painful when done over a WAN connection |
| Systems has developed a set of best practices | | | | (broadband or otherwise). For mobile users SSL |
| for dealing with these complex needs. Outlined | | | | recommends the following: |
| below are our recommendations for retention and | | | | 1. Outlook should be configured to use RPC over |
| archiving under Microsoft's Exchange Server. | | | | HTTPS to allow secure access to the Exchange |
| Group Policy Templates | | | | Server whenever the laptop is connected to the |
| Regardless of whether Outlook Auto Archive is | | | | internet |
| used to manage mailboxes, the Outlook Group | | | | 2. To keep performance at an acceptable level it |
| Policy Template should be used to centrally | | | | is recommended that mobile users need to keep |
| control settings (including whether or not archiving | | | | their mailboxes below 500 MB in size. This could |
| is allowed). Configuration information is available | | | | be managed through mailbox quotas enforced by |
| below. | | | | Exchange Server. |
| Outlook 2007: Outlk12.adm Outlook 2003: | | | | 3. Auto Archive should be enabled for mobile |
| Outlk11.adm | | | | users to run quietly every 7 days and archive |
| Exchange 2000 Environments Exchange 2000 is | | | | information to a pst file located on their local hard |
| limited in the amount of available storage to 16 | | | | drive. A manual process will be required to copy |
| GB (17 GB for short term repairs). As a result, | | | | these psts to the network on a regular basis |
| SSL recommends that these organizations | | | | (minimum weekly) to ensure that they are |
| implement mailbox management policies as | | | | backed up. SSL recommends placing a recurring |
| follows: | | | | appointment on the user's calendar. |
| 1. Mailbox Size Limits: to 500 MB or smaller | | | | 4. A manual process will be required for mobile |
| depending on the overall size of the organization. | | | | users to ensure that individual pst files do not |
| Smaller organizations can have larger mailbox | | | | exceed 2 GB in size. The frequency of this |
| limits. This should be managed through mailbox | | | | process will depend on the rate of email sending |
| quotas enforced by Exchange Server. As users | | | | & receiving, but should be checked on at |
| approach their assigned quota they'll receive | | | | least an annual basis. SSL recommends placing a |
| warning messages to that effect. Once they | | | | recurring appointment on the user's calendar. |
| reach the quota they'll be restricted from sending | | | | Exchange 2007 Environments Exchange 2007 |
| and receiving emails. | | | | offers near unlimited storage limited only by the |
| 2. Outlook Email Auto Archive should be | | | | available hard drive space. As a result, SSL does |
| configured for all users to run with the following | | | | not recommend implementing mailbox size limits |
| settings: | | | | or email auto-archiving policies except for laptop |
| Turn On Auto Archive: Yes | | | | (mobile) users. Prudent user management of their |
| Run AutoArchive every days: 7 | | | | mailboxes is encouraged through deletion of |
| Prompt before AutoArchive runs: No | | | | non-essential emails especially those with large |
| Delete Expired Items: No | | | | attachments that do not need to be archived. |
| Archive or delete old items: No | | | | The Outlook Group Policy Template should be |
| (note: this is a setting relevant to email retention | | | | used to prevent users from enabling Auto |
| policies and expiration dates, not the deleted items | | | | Archive on their mailbox. |
| folder) | | | | Mobile users with large mailboxes will experience |
| Show archive folder in folder list: Yes | | | | significant performance degradation when |
| Clean out items older than: Never | | | | operating outside of the office LAN. Cached |
| Permanently delete old items: No | | | | exchange mode or offline storage files are not |
| (note: this is a setting relevant to email retention | | | | recommended as they are both limited to 2 GB |
| policies and expiration dates, not the deleted items | | | | file sizes, plus their required synchronization time |
| folder) | | | | can be painful when done over a WAN connection |
| 3. Archive folders should be stored in the following | | | | (broadband or otherwise). For mobile users SSL |
| locations: | | | | recommends the following: |
| · Workstation users should archive to a | | | | 1. Outlook should be configured to use RPC over |
| pst file located on the network. This runs the risk | | | | HTTPS to allow secure access to the Exchange |
| of file corruption as MSFT recommends against | | | | Server whenever the laptop is connected to the |
| using a network share for email auto archiving but | | | | internet |
| alternative solutions (such as archiving locally) entail | | | | 2. To keep performance at an acceptable level it |
| greater risk of data loss due to disk or backup | | | | is recommended that mobile users need to keep |
| issues.Search the Microsoft support site for kb | | | | their mailboxes below 500 MB in size. This could |
| 297019 to find the supporting article. | | | | be managed through mailbox quotas enforced by |
| · Laptop users should archive to a pst file | | | | Exchange Server. |
| located on their local hard drive. A manual process | | | | 3. Auto Archive should be enabled for mobile |
| will be required to copy these psts to the | | | | users to run quietly every 7 days and archive |
| network on a regular basis (minimum weekly) to | | | | information to a pst file located on their local hard |
| ensure that they are backed up. SSL | | | | drive. A manual process will be required to copy |
| recommends placing a recurring appointment on | | | | these psts to the network on a regular basis |
| the user's calendar. | | | | (minimum weekly) to ensure that they are |
| · A manual process will be required for all | | | | backed up. SSL recommends placing a recurring |
| users to ensure that individual pst files do not | | | | appointment on the user's calendar. |
| exceed 2 GB in size. The frequency of this | | | | 4. A manual process will be required for mobile |
| process will depend on the rate of email sending | | | | users to ensure that individual pst files do not |
| & receiving, but should be checked on at | | | | exceed 2 GB in size. The frequency of this |
| least an annual basis. SSL recommends placing a | | | | process will depend on the rate of email sending |
| recurring appointment on the user's calendar. | | | | & receiving, but should be checked on at |
| Exchange 2003 Environments Exchange 2003 is | | | | least an annual basis. SSL recommends placing a |
| limited in the amount of available storage to 75 | | | | recurring appointment on the user's calendar. |