eMail Archiving

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eMail Archiving

• On Microsoft Exchange Servers

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Goals

• Use Exchange built-in services
• 0 additional cost
• Archive in searchable format
• Indefinite storage term (retention limits
  untested in court)
• Inexpensive media

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Step 1 Create a Journal User network account

• Account name exchjrnl
• Create mailbox Yes!
• Exchjrnl is a normal Active Directory account
  like any other user. It can log in the usual way
  and run Outlook the usual way.

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Step 2 Create a Monthly eMail Folder Structure

• Log in as exchjrnl
• Run Outlook
• Pin open the Folder tree
• Under the Inbox folder, create a subfolder for
  each month of the year (07Jan, 07Feb, etc.)

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Step 3 Create Rules to Move Incoming eMail to
Folders

• Create a rule for each month that will redirect
  all incoming mail from the inbox to a monthly
  folder
• Set rule dates to after the last day of the
  previous month and before the first day of the
  next month.

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Step 4 Turn on Journaling on the Exchange Server

• See http//technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb1
  24953.aspx
• All eMail that passes through the server
  (incoming and outgoing) is duplicated into the
  exchjrnl mailbox!
• Rules in exchjrnl mailbox auto-sorts messages
  into correct month folders!

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Ramificatons!!

• DOUBLES the storage requirements of your mail
  server (two copies of every message saved instead
  of one)!
• Microsoft recommends creating exchjrnl mailbox in
  a second mailbox store or administrative group!

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BBPS Environment

• 185 Mail Users
• 28,000 Messages/Month
• 50Gb dedicated Drive Space
• 250Mb Archive/Month
• Under these small-scale conditions, we decided
  to put the mailbox in the existing Administrative
  Group

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Step 5 Archive

• Log in as exchjrnl user and open Outlook
• Select one monthly folder
• Select all messages in folder
• Export to Access Database
• Burn Access Database to CD (usually get 2 months
  on a CD)

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Step 5 Archive (contd)

• Delete messages in archived folder(s) (recovers
  disk space)
• Delete folder(s)
• Delete obsolete rule(s)
• Store CD in safe place
• Refresh folders and rules annually

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Handling Requests

• Can charge requestor set fee or hourly rate for
  search
• Requestor must specify date range
• Copy database(s) from CD(s) to workstation
  (Access doesnt open read-only media)
• Open local copy in Access
• Search!