Pst-files are indeed terrible in a managed environment but separate
msg-files are even worse. Consider a project and the documents that it
generates. Now count the amount of emails that it took to get there. This is
easily a factor 10 but more likely even a lot higher and a factor 100
wouldn't surprise me either. File systems aren't suitable for managing,
archiving and finding back your email. Let alone how your backup and virus
scanner will trip over the amount of tiny files to be dealt with. On top of
that, an msg-file is less efficient and your storage requirements will only
grow; not shrink. I can continue this for long time.
True, Exchange databases can become very large, but you can show you are a
good mail administrator by controlling that without compromising user
requirements. An Exchange database will not grow too large to back up when
you administer it properly. Of course you start it by scaling for
performance; backup and restore time is part of that too just as your backup
system. Backing up directly to tape instead of to a local disk first is
where a lot of admins go wrong already. It will hardly cost you anything but
it will drastically reduce your backup and restore time. Splitting the
database over multiple storage groups is another easy gain. Additionally you
can use a 3rd party archiving solution that integrates with Exchange.
Messages that are old or haven't been accessed in x weeks are then moved to
an archive database outside of the Exchange database. Since it integrates
with Exchange, users will not know that it is on the Archive server instead
of the Exchange server. This way you can keep your Exchange database filled
with only new and active items and thus small. Since the Archive Server only
holds static items, there is no need to back that up on a daily basis, nor
does it require a high and fast restore priority as it only holds old items.
Now, since system administrators should not be responsible for making
policies decisions (they only make recommendations), it is the company that
decides that in this case only 20MB of mails should be kept. It is not up to
the user to work around that. For all I know, the limit of the File Server
is set to 100MB. What if you run out of storage there too? You'll continue
on USB-sticks? A limit is a limit and should be respected or you apply for a
request for change. Useful in the future or not; The delete button is the
choice of the company, you only have to press it.
I like those company policies
It allows me to delete all my mails for the sake of making room without
having feeling bad about it. It was their decision to determine that only
20MB worth of emails are important to me. All you can do is to make a
request for change, but if that doesn't get honored you have to respect
their decision and go nuts on the Delete button :-D
--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring
MicrosoftOutlook2003http://
www.howto-outlook.com/OutlookFAQ, HowTo,
Downloads, Add-Ins and more
http://www.msoutlook.info/
Real World Questions, Real World Answers
-----
Fair enough, but supporting this scenario is less effective and more
costly
than increasing their mailbox limit to for instance 50MB and/or use
server
side (Exchange) archiving solutions. 20MB is a very limiting factor in
being
efficient with emails these days and has a negative effect on its
functionality and user performance. Sounds like a good time to review
your
storage policies.
That would be great but I work for a company that suports a VERY large
section of a UK based benefit agency and this is not really something I
have
any input to also when it affects something like 140000 + users could
be
difficult to change.
Certain users do have larger mailbox sizes but the vast majority only
get
the 20MB- Tekst uit oorspronkelijk bericht niet weergeven -
- Tekst uit oorspronkelijk bericht weergeven -
PST files are terrible, large Exchange database as well, but I think
deleting email is not an option at all. You never know if you need the
email again, and I think it's good to have all digital files kept for
each project, for each customer or for each product you sell.
The only problem is the Exchange database, it can't be too big.
I think the solution indeed is archiving email as msg file. It keeps
the exchange database tidy and everybody can archive email in the
right directory. Just like we do with our Word documents. Backing up
documents isn't a big problem and after a project has been closed you
can move the complete (!) archive to another file server.
By the way, we use mailtofile (
www.mailtofile.com) for archiving email
as msg file. Easy to use, easy to implement, and still you can delete
the spam directly from your inbox! you don't need to archive that
email as msg...
Have a good day!
