Tutorial / Cram Notes
Retention policies in Exchange Online are used to group retention tags and apply them to users’ mailboxes to manage the lifecycle of emails and other mailbox items, like calendar events and tasks. These policies enforce how long items should be kept and define what should happen when the retention period ends, like deleting or archiving the items.
Types of Retention Policies
- Default Policy: A policy automatically applied to all mailboxes if not otherwise specified.
- Custom Policies: Policies created to meet specific organizational requirements.
Steps to Implement a Retention Policy
- Create new retention tags as required.
- Add these retention tags to a new or existing retention policy.
- Assign the retention policy to users’ mailboxes.
Examples:
- Scenario 1: An organization needs to retain all emails related to financial reporting for seven years.
- Solution: Create a retention tag with a retention period of seven years and a “Move to Archive” action. Add this tag to a policy and apply it to relevant mailboxes.
- Scenario 2: An organization wants any deleted items to be purged after 30 days.
- Solution: Create a retention tag with a retention period of 30 days and a “Delete and Allow Recovery” action for the Deleted Items folder. Include this tag in the default policy.
Retention Tags in Exchange Online
Retention tags define the retention period of mailbox items and what action to take when the period ends, such as archiving or deleting the content.
Types of Retention Tags
- Default Policy Tag (DPT): Applies to all items in the mailbox not already tagged with a different retention tag.
- Retention Policy Tag (RPT): Applies to a default folder like Inbox, Sent Items, or Deleted Items.
- Personal Tag: Users can manually apply these tags to individual items or custom folders.
Examples:
| Type | Retention Tag Example | Retention Period | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default Policy Tag | Keep all emails | 5 years | Move to Archive |
| Retention Policy Tag | Delete Junk Email | 90 days | Permanently Delete |
| Personal Tag | Project X correspondence | 3 years | Move to Archive |
Steps to Create and Apply Retention Tags
- Open the Exchange admin center (EAC).
- Navigate to Compliance management > Retention tags.
- Create the necessary tags, setting the required retention period and action.
- Add these tags to the appropriate retention policy.
Assigning Retention Policies to Mailboxes
Once a retention policy is defined with all necessary tags, it can be assigned to user mailboxes.
Steps to Assign a Retention Policy
- In the EAC, go to Recipients > Mailboxes.
- Select the mailbox to which you want to apply the policy.
- In the mailbox properties, click Mailbox features.
- Under Retention policy, select the policy from the dropdown list.
- Save the changes.
Compliance and Legal Hold Implications
It’s essential for organizations to be aware that retention policies play a key role in legal hold situations. If a mailbox is placed on hold for litigation or investigation purposes, the retention policy must be configured to preserve items indefinitely, overriding any previously configured deletion action.
Monitoring and Reporting
Administrators must monitor and report on the application of retention policies and tags. Exchange Online includes features that allow the tracking of policy application and the ability to search and audit retention policy usage.
- Use the auditing functionality in the Security & Compliance Center to monitor changes.
- Generate reports to review how retention policies are impacting the organization’s data.
In summary, implementing retention policies and tags in Microsoft Exchange Online is a multi-step process that involves understanding the organization’s data retention needs, creating and applying appropriate policies and tags, and continually monitoring policy enforcement. Proper application of these features ensures that an organization meets compliance standards and efficiently manages its data within the email environment. For SC-400 exam candidates, mastering these concepts is critical to effectively administer information protection in Microsoft 365 environments.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: Retention tags are used to automatically move messages to a user’s archive mailbox.
- True
Retention tags can be set up to automatically move messages to a user’s archive mailbox based on certain conditions such as age of the information.
True or False: A default retention policy is applied to all mailboxes in Exchange Online unless a custom policy is created and assigned.
- True
A default retention policy is indeed applied to all mailboxes in Exchange Online, and administrators can create and assign custom policies to override the default settings.
Which type of retention tag is applied automatically to the entire mailbox and cannot be overridden by the user?
- A. Personal
- B. Default policy
- C. Retention policy
- D. Archive policy
Answer: B. Default policy
Default policy tags are applied automatically to the entire mailbox and generally cannot be overridden by the user.
When a retention policy tag is applied to a specific folder in a mailbox, what does it affect?
- A. The entire mailbox
- B. Only the specific folder
- C. Items older than a specified age
- D. Both the specific folder and the entire mailbox
Answer: B. Only the specific folder
Retention policy tags, when applied to specific folders, affect only that folder and not other parts of the mailbox.
True or False: When a retention policy tag is deleted, all items that were tagged with it are also deleted.
- False
Deleting a retention policy tag doesn’t delete the items that were tagged; it only removes the tag from those items.
Which feature in Exchange Online allows users to apply their own retention tags to individual messages and folders?
- A. Archive policy
- B. Personal tags
- C. Retention policy
- D. Litigation hold
Answer: B. Personal tags
Personal tags in Exchange Online allow users to apply their own retention settings to individual messages and folders.
True or False: Litigation Hold takes precedence over any retention policy assigned to a mailbox.
- True
When Litigation Hold or an In-Place Hold is enabled for a mailbox, it preserves all mailbox content, taking precedence over any retention policies that might otherwise delete content.
What happens when an item reaches its retention period defined in a retention tag?
- A. It is deleted immediately
- B. It is archived
- C. It is marked for deletion and processed by the Managed Folder Assistant
- D. Nothing happens until a user takes action
Answer: C. It is marked for deletion and processed by the Managed Folder Assistant
When an item reaches its retention period, it is marked for deletion. The Managed Folder Assistant then processes and deletes the item as defined by the retention policy.
How often does the Managed Folder Assistant (MFA) process mailboxes to apply retention policies?
- A. Daily
- B. Weekly
- C. Monthly
- D. Continuously
Answer: A. Daily
The Managed Folder Assistant processes mailboxes on a daily basis to apply retention policies.
True or False: Retention policies and tags can be used to both retain and delete content in Microsoft Exchange Online.
- True
Retention policies and tags in Microsoft Exchange Online can be configured to retain content in a mailbox for a specified period, after which the content can be automatically deleted.
Which of the following actions can be performed when creating a new retention policy tag in Exchange Online?
- A. Automatically delete items after a certain period
- B. Move items to the archive mailbox after a certain period
- C. Keep items indefinitely
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
When creating a retention policy tag in Exchange Online, all the listed actions can be defined within the tag to control the lifecycle of items in mailboxes.
What feature must be enabled for an archive mailbox to receive items moved by retention policies?
- A. Litigation Hold
- B. Journaling
- C. In-Place Hold
- D. Archive mailbox
Answer: D. Archive mailbox
An archive mailbox must be enabled for a user in order for items to be moved into it by retention policies that specify such actions.
Interview Questions
What is the purpose of retention policies and tags in Microsoft Exchange Online?
Retention policies and tags in Microsoft Exchange Online help organizations to meet their regulatory, legal, and business requirements by retaining and deleting email messages.
What are the components of a retention policy?
A retention policy consists of retention tags and a retention policy tag. The retention tags define the retention settings for items, while the retention policy tag specifies how long items should be retained and what action should be taken when the retention period ends.
How can you create a new retention tag?
You can create a new retention tag by navigating to the Exchange admin center, selecting the retention tags tab, and clicking the new retention tag button.
What are the types of retention tags?
There are two types of retention tags default and personal. Default retention tags are created by administrators and apply to all mailboxes, while personal retention tags can be created by individual mailbox owners and only apply to their own mailbox.
How do you apply a retention tag to a mailbox?
To apply a retention tag to a mailbox, you can create a retention policy that includes the tag and then assign the policy to the mailbox.
How can you view the retention policies and tags assigned to a mailbox?
You can view the retention policies and tags assigned to a mailbox by opening the mailbox properties in the Exchange admin center and selecting the mailbox features tab.
What happens to items after the retention period ends?
After the retention period ends, items can be permanently deleted or moved to the archive, depending on the settings in the retention policy tag.
How can you modify the settings of a retention policy?
To modify the settings of a retention policy, you can navigate to the Exchange admin center, select the retention policies tab, and then edit the policy.
How can you test a retention policy?
You can test a retention policy by creating a test mailbox and applying the policy to the mailbox. You can then send test emails and verify that they are being retained or deleted according to the policy.
Can retention policies be applied to specific folders within a mailbox?
Yes, retention policies can be applied to specific folders within a mailbox by creating a custom retention tag and specifying the folder in the tag settings.
What is the difference between a retention policy and an archive policy?
A retention policy specifies how long items should be retained and what action should be taken when the retention period ends, while an archive policy specifies when items should be moved to the archive mailbox.
How can you enforce retention policies across all mailboxes in your organization?
You can enforce retention policies across all mailboxes in your organization by creating a default retention policy that applies to all mailboxes, or by creating a custom policy and applying it to multiple mailboxes using PowerShell.
How can you recover deleted items that were subject to a retention policy?
Deleted items that were subject to a retention policy can be recovered using the Recoverable Items folder in the mailbox, or by restoring a backup of the mailbox.
Can retention policies be applied to shared mailboxes and public folders?
Yes, retention policies can be applied to shared mailboxes and public folders by assigning the policy to the mailbox or folder.
What are the best practices for implementing retention policies and tags in Microsoft Exchange Online?
Best practices for implementing retention policies and tags in Microsoft Exchange Online include carefully planning your retention strategy, using default retention tags where possible, testing policies before implementing them, and monitoring policy effectiveness and compliance.
This blog post on implementing retention policies in Exchange Online was incredibly helpful. Thanks!
I followed the steps, but I can’t seem to apply the retention tags to a specific mailbox. Any ideas on what I’m doing wrong?
Can anyone explain the difference between retention tags and retention policies?
I’m studying for the SC-400 exam. How much focus should I put on retention policies and tags?
Appreciate the detailed instructions in the blog post. It made the whole process a lot easier!
Not sure I fully understand how Default Policy Tags (DPT) operate within a retention policy. Can someone clarify?
The user interface for managing retention policies can be a bit confusing. Any tips to navigate it better?
Thanks for this invaluable resource!