Tutorial / Cram Notes
Understanding Retention Policies
A retention policy stipulates how long content should be kept before it is eligible for deletion. In SharePoint and OneDrive, retention policies can be created to cover the following:
- Retaining content for a specified period.
- Deleting content after the retention period lapses.
- Labeling content to classify it for easier management and enforcement of policies.
Creating Retention Policies
Creating retention policies in the Microsoft 365 compliance center is a process that can be broken into a series of steps:
-
Navigate to the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
Access the Policies section and select ‘Information governance’ or ‘Records management’.
-
Create a retention label.
Labels specify retention settings that can later be applied to content across your organization.
- Click on ‘Labels’ and then ‘Create a label’.
- Define the retention settings for the label, specifying how long the content should be kept and the action after the duration ends (e.g., delete, review, etc.).
-
Publish the label.
To make the label available in SharePoint or OneDrive, you must publish it.
- Navigate to the ‘Label policies’ section and choose ‘Publish labels’.
- Select the labels you wish to publish and specify the locations where the policies will apply.
Criteria Options Locations OneDrive, SharePoint, or both Users/Groups All users or specific groups Automatically or manually Apply the label automatically based on conditions or metadata or have users apply it manually -
Review and finalize the policy.
Ensure that all settings are correct before finalizing and publishing the policy.
-
Monitor policy application.
Once published, use the compliance center to monitor the application of policy and manage retention labels.
Applying Retention Policies to SharePoint and OneDrive
After establishing the retention policies and publishing the appropriate labels, you can apply them to SharePoint and OneDrive in several ways:
- Automatic Application: Policies can be set to automatically apply labels to content that meets certain conditions, such as containing specific keywords or based on sensitive information types.
- Manual Application: Users can apply the labels directly to content in SharePoint or OneDrive as part of their regular workflow.
- Default Policy for a Library, Folder, or Document Set: In SharePoint, you can set a default retention label for an entire library, folder, or document set so that all new content in that location will automatically inherit it.
Managing Changes and Deletions
When a retention policy reaches the end of its retention period, the content identified can either be reviewed by an administrator or automatically deleted, depending on the configuration. If the deletion is set to occur automatically, it’s crucial to inform users and maintain open communication about the policies to avoid any potential data loss that could impact business operations.
Compliance Considerations
Beyond retention, a comprehensive information protection strategy must also take into account other compliance obligations. This can include legal holds for eDiscovery, ensuring certain content is preserved beyond its typical retention period due to litigation or audits.
By effectively managing retention policies within Microsoft SharePoint Online and OneDrive, SC-400 candidates can ensure their organization’s data governance aligns with compliance standards and reduces risk while enhancing business efficiency. Examples provided here illustrate the complex decision-making and policy application processes that are part of the everyday responsibilities of an Information Protection Administrator.
Practice Test with Explanation
(True/False) Retention policies in SharePoint Online can be applied to an entire site collection.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Retention policies in SharePoint Online can be applied to entire site collections as well as specific locations within a site collection.
(Single Select) Which of the following is NOT a location where a SharePoint Online retention policy can be applied?
- A specific site
- A user’s OneDrive account
- A SharePoint list
- Exchange Online mailbox
Answer: Exchange Online mailbox
Explanation: Retention policies for SharePoint Online cannot be applied to Exchange Online mailboxes, as they pertain to email content rather than documents or files in SharePoint or OneDrive.
(True/False) Retention policies ensure that content marked for deletion cannot be permanently deleted until the retention period has passed.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Retention policies prevent the permanent deletion of content until the specified retention period has elapsed, even if users attempt to delete the content.
(Multiple Select) What actions can retention policies in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business trigger when the retention period ends?
- Permanently delete the content
- Start a disposition review process
- Automatically version the content
- Transfer content to another location
Answer: Permanently delete the content, Start a disposition review process
Explanation: When the retention period ends, policies can be set to permanently delete content or start a disposition review to decide if the content should be deleted or retained further.
(Single Select) When a retention policy is applied to a OneDrive account, it applies to:
- All files in the OneDrive account
- Only files in specified folders
- Only new files created after the policy is applied
- Files that have not been modified in the last year
Answer: All files in the OneDrive account
Explanation: A retention policy applied to a OneDrive account will apply to all files within that account, regardless of their location, age, or modification date.
(True/False) You cannot include a SharePoint Online site in a retention policy if it contains a label that retains content.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You can include a SharePoint Online site in a retention policy even if it contains a label that retains content. The retention settings will work together according to the precedence rules set for the policies and labels.
(Single Select) What must be created in Microsoft 365 compliance center before you can use a label to apply a retention policy in SharePoint Online?
- A SharePoint site collection
- A retention label policy
- A data governance report
- A compliance security filter
Answer: A retention label policy
Explanation: Before using a label to apply a retention policy in SharePoint Online, you need to create a retention label policy in the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
(True/False) If you apply both a retention policy and a retention label to the same content, and their retention durations conflict, the label will always take precedence.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: When you apply both a retention policy and a retention label to the same content, the longer retention duration will take precedence, not necessarily the label.
(Multiple Select) Which of the following options can be configured in a SharePoint Online retention policy?
- Retain content for a specific period
- Delete content after a specific period
- Retention based on content type
- Retention based on user action
Answer: Retain content for a specific period, Delete content after a specific period
Explanation: SharePoint Online retention policies allow you to set policies that retain content for a specific period, delete content after a specified period has passed, or both. The policies are not typically configured based on content type or user action.
(True/False) Retention labels applied to documents in SharePoint Online can cause the documents to be retained or deleted automatically without user intervention.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Retention labels, once applied to documents in SharePoint Online, can trigger actions that retain or delete content automatically according to the rules specified in the label policy, without requiring user intervention.
(Single Select) Which compliance center is used to create retention policies for both SharePoint Online and OneDrive?
- Azure Information Protection
- Microsoft 365 compliance center
- SharePoint admin center
- OneDrive admin center
Answer: Microsoft 365 compliance center
Explanation: The Microsoft 365 compliance center is the unified portal where retention policies for both SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business are created and managed.
(True/False) To apply a retention policy to a specific SharePoint document library, you must create a label and publish it through a label policy.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: To apply a retention policy to a specific SharePoint document library, you need to create a retention label, publish it through a retention label policy, and then apply the label to the desired document library.
Interview Questions
What is a retention policy in SharePoint Online and OneDrive?
A retention policy in SharePoint Online and OneDrive is used to manage the lifecycle of documents and other content by specifying how long they should be retained and what should happen when the retention period expires.
How can you create a retention policy in SharePoint Online and OneDrive?
You can create a retention policy in SharePoint Online and OneDrive by using the Microsoft 365 compliance center, which provides a simple and intuitive interface for creating and managing retention policies.
What are the types of retention policies that can be created in SharePoint Online and OneDrive?
There are two types of retention policies that can be created in SharePoint Online and OneDrive label-based retention policies and content type-based retention policies.
How does label-based retention policies work?
Label-based retention policies work by associating a retention label with content in SharePoint Online and OneDrive, which then specifies how long that content should be retained and what should happen when the retention period expires.
What are content type-based retention policies used for?
Content type-based retention policies are used to apply retention settings to all content of a specific type in SharePoint Online and OneDrive.
How can you apply a retention policy to specific documents or items in SharePoint Online and OneDrive?
You can apply a retention policy to specific documents or items in SharePoint Online and OneDrive by using a retention label.
How can you delete content that has met its retention requirements?
You can delete content that has met its retention requirements by creating a disposition review or a disposition label that specifies the action to be taken when the retention period expires.
What is a disposition review?
A disposition review is a process that allows you to manually review content before it is deleted or retained for a longer period of time.
How can you manage retention policies across multiple SharePoint sites?
You can manage retention policies across multiple SharePoint sites by creating a retention policy center, which provides a centralized location for managing retention policies and their associated labels.
How can you ensure that retention policies are being applied correctly in SharePoint Online and OneDrive?
You can ensure that retention policies are being applied correctly in SharePoint Online and OneDrive by using compliance reports, which provide visibility into policy usage and enable you to identify issues and take corrective action.
What happens when a retention policy is changed?
When a retention policy is changed, the new policy is applied to all content that meets the criteria of the new policy. Content that was previously subject to the old policy will now be subject to the new policy.
Can retention policies be disabled or removed?
Yes, retention policies can be disabled or removed. However, it is important to note that disabling or removing a retention policy may result in the loss of important data.
What is the purpose of the retention policy library?
The retention policy library is a central location in SharePoint Online where retention policies and their associated labels can be stored and managed.
How can you ensure that SharePoint Online and OneDrive content is being retained for the required period of time?
You can ensure that SharePoint Online and OneDrive content is being retained for the required period of time by regularly reviewing compliance reports and taking corrective action as needed.
Can retention policies be customized to meet the specific needs of an organization?
Yes, retention policies can be customized to meet the specific needs of an organization by defining retention periods, disposition actions, and other policy settings based on the organization’s specific requirements.
This post was really helpful for understanding how to create and apply retention policies in SharePoint Online and OneDrive. Thanks!
How can we apply different retention policies to different libraries in SharePoint Online?
It would be great if the article touched upon the PowerShell scripts that can be used for automating the application of retention policies.
Creating a compliance policy for OneDrive seems a bit confusing. Any pointers on where to start?
Thanks for the insights provided in this post.
I tried setting up a retention policy for SharePoint, but it’s not applying to my site collections. Any idea why?
Excellent write-up! Helped me pass my SC-400 exam.
Can retention policies be applied globally across all SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts?