outlook 2007 cached mode question

[Bill]

With the cached mode a copy of the mailbox is stored locally. Does this mean
that a user can go to another user's cached copy and open/read it?

Each of my users has to be a local administrator because of a records
management system we use, so each person's "private" folders are mapped to a
shared network drive where security settings restrict access. If a local
administrator would have access to the cached copies of mailboxes I would
have to manually change the storage location.

If I disable the cached mode what, if any, functionality do I lose?

Bill

 

[Brian Tillman]

With the cached mode a copy of the mailbox is stored locally. Does
this mean that a user can go to another user's cached copy and
open/read it?

Nope, unless they can connect to that person's mail profile.

Each of my users has to be a local administrator because of a records
management system we use, so each person's "private" folders are
mapped to a shared network drive where security settings restrict
access. If a local administrator would have access to the cached
copies of mailboxes I would have to manually change the storage
location.

Are you really keeping the OSTs on a file server? Not advisable.

 

[Bill]

Hi Brian
Thanks for the quick response.
I don't use OSTs for that reason and because back-ups would become a major
issue. Currently we're in an Outlook 2002/Exchange 2003 environment with
everything part of the mailbox and stored on the server.
My worry was that anyone with access to the Documents and Settings folders
(which is everyone) would be able to locate and open the cached file or do
an import of someone else's copy.

Bill

 

[Brian Tillman]

I don't use OSTs for that reason and because back-ups would become a
major issue. Currently we're in an Outlook 2002/Exchange 2003
environment with everything part of the mailbox and stored on the
server. My worry was that anyone with access to the Documents and Settings
folders (which is everyone) would be able to locate and open the
cached file or do an import of someone else's copy.

If you're not using OSTs, you're not using Cached Exchange mode, so why the
concern about OSTs if you're not using them? OSTs are no good unless
connected to a mail profile. That's not to say that someone wouldn't be
able to purchase an OST to PST converter, install it, and export the OST to
a PST. That's why you have separate Windows users where the users are not
admins or you have single-user PCs.

 

[Bill]

Probably 80% of my people share computers and have roaming profiles and I
don't use OSTs. Outlook 2003 installs with cached as the default. I don't
intend to start using OST files and what I wanted to know was if the "cached
mode" OST was pretty much the same thing as the Outlook 2002 OST. I won't be
using it if it is, but it means one more thing that I'm going to have to
take care of changing when I do the upgrades.

Other than losing off-line access, is there any other major function that is
missing if cached is not enabled?

Bill

 

[Brian Tillman]

Probably 80% of my people share computers and have roaming profiles
and I don't use OSTs. Outlook 2003 installs with cached as the
default. I don't intend to start using OST files and what I wanted to
know was if the "cached mode" OST was pretty much the same thing as
the Outlook 2002 OST.

Not "pretty much". It is exactly that. Outlook 2003's use of the OST for
Cached Exchange mode replaces Outlook 2002's "offline folders".

I won't be using it if it is, but it means one
more thing that I'm going to have to take care of changing when I do
the upgrades.
Other than losing off-line access, is there any other major function
that is missing if cached is not enabled?

I don't know of any. However, you can move the OSTs elsewhere so that they
are not in the roaming profile. That way they'll be completely local to the
PC and not accessible unless someone has physical access to the PC.