Archiving items from Exchange managed folders

Exchange Server 2007 lets you set up Exchange managed folders and apply managed content settings to them. The managed content settings let you control the retention of items of the specified message class.

Enterprise Vault can apply special retention categories to items that it archives from managed folders. These managed folder retention categories are based on settings that are synchronized from Exchange managed content settings. Managed folder retention categories are created and updated automatically. They have a different icon and different properties from normal retention categories. You can change the name and description of a managed folder retention category, but not its retention period. Synchronization with Exchange managed content settings prevents Enterprise Vault managed folder retention category settings from conflicting with the managed content settings.

For example, the managed content settings may specify that items in the managed folder are deleted after 180 days. If synchronization with managed content settings is active, Enterprise Vault automatically creates a managed folder retention category. Enterprise Vault gives the managed folder retention category the same name as the managed content settings. Enterprise Vault sets the retention period so that archived items expire at the same time that they are due to expire from Exchange.

In the Enterprise Vault Exchange mailbox policy, the advanced setting Archive Exchange Managed Folders controls whether Enterprise Vault archives items from managed folders.

The possible values of Archive Exchange Managed Folders are as follows:

Off	Enterprise Vault does not archive items from managed folders. Users cannot archive items manually from managed folders.
Normal	Enterprise Vault treats managed folders in the same way as any other folder.
Managed	Default value. Enterprise Vault archives items from managed folders and uses managed folder retention category settings that are synchronized from Exchange.

The Enterprise Vault Exchange Provisioning task performs the synchronization with Exchange managed content settings. Synchronization is automatic when there is an Exchange 2007 server in the domain. So the Exchange Provisioning task performs synchronization and creates managed folder retention categories even if you have not set Archive Exchange Managed Folders to Managed.

For synchronization to succeed, the Vault Service account must have the Exchange View-Only Administrator role assigned to it. If synchronization fails, it causes the entire Provisioning task to fail. To prevent synchronization, you can place a configuration file in the Enterprise Vault server installation folder.

See Preventing synchronization with managed folders.

When archiving from managed folders is active, users of the Enterprise Vault Outlook Add-In see the following:

They cannot specify a retention category or an archive when they archive items manually from managed folders.
The Enterprise Vault tab on the folder properties dialog box does not include the Change option.
Enterprise Vault always creates shortcuts and deletes the original items.

Enterprise Vault auditing records details of creation, modification, and deletion of Exchange managed content settings.