Office 365: Set up Online Archives

Pre-requisites (Power Shell):

- Run PowerShell as Admin - Credentials for Global Admin account  - Disconnect from PowerShell session when done (article 1)

Step #1: Assign appropriate licenses

Exchange Online Plan 1/2 - Email only (no software)Business Premium - 50 GB mailbox; 50 GB Archive ($12.50/month)Office 365 E3 - 100 GB mailbox; Unlimited archive($20/month)Office 365 E5 - Adds compliance (DLP, threat intelligence, lockbox, MDM) + phone system ($35/month)

https://portal.office.com > Admin section > Billing > Purchase ServicesLog in as Global Admin

Step #2: Set up an archive and deletion policy for mailboxes

Example: Archive after 1 or 2 years

Compliance > Data Life Cycle Management > Exchange (Legacy)


MRM Retention Tags > New Tag

  • COMPANY 2-Year Move to Archive
  • Automatically to entire mailbox (Default)
  • When Items reach (730 Days)
  • Move item to archive

MRM Retention Policies

  • New Policy
  • COMPANY 2-Year Archive Policy
  • Add Tag (Above)

Reference:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/securitycompliance/set-up-an-archive-and-deletion-policy-for-mailboxes#create-a-custom-archive-default-policy-tag

Step #3: Apply to mailbox

Exchange Admin

  • Select mailbox
  • Mailbox tab > Retention Policies > Manage retention polciies
    • Select retention policy created above
  • Others Tab > Mailbox Archive > Manage mailbox archive
    • Enable

Step #4: Jump start Online Archiving

Open PowerShell as Admin (EC2 server)

  • connect-exchangeonline
    • Login in w/admin credentials
  • start-managedfolderassistant -identity upn
    • replace 'upn' with email address to jump start
    • If error message:
      • set-executionpolicy -executionpolicy remotesigned
      • start-managedfolderassistant -identity upn (again)

Step #4b: Enable Unlimited Archiving

  • enable-mailbox UPN -autoexpandingarchive

Reference:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/compliance/enable-unlimited-archiving?view=o365-worldwide


2023-11—06:

We have to use PowerShell to enable Auto expanding archiving, unfortunately we don't have option to enable through GUI.

 
Please follow below steps to enable Auto expanding  archiving.
  • Install-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement
  • Import-Module ExchangeOnlineManagement
  • Connect-Exchange
  • Set-OrganizationConfig -AutoExpandingArchive   
(Note: If we run this command auto expanding will enable to every user in organization) 
  • Enable-Mailbox <user mailbox> -AutoExpandingArchive 
(Note: If we run this command, it's only applying to specific mailbox, please make sure to change the <user mailbox> to User mail ID)

ARCHIVE


1. Open Windows PowerShell as an admin, then copy and paste the following PowerShell commands, while pressing enter and following the steps on the screen.


> Set-ExecutionPolicy Remotesigned

> Install-module -name Exchangeonlinemanagement

> Connect-Exchangeonline

> Enable-Mailbox "user mailbox" -AutoExpandingArchive


Now, the mailbox will keep expanding when need arises and will always provide additional space to archive, until it reaches 1.5TB.


Adjusting the warning quota


Connect to exchange online powershell module.


1. Open PS as and administrator

2. Connect-exchangeonline

3. Get-mailbox -identity user@domain.com -archive | fl name


You will get the archive name in the output. then run the command below.


4. set-mailbox "archive name from above" -IssueWarningQuata 95GB -ArchiveWarningQuota 95GB


5. Get-mailbox "Archive name from above" | select *quota*


You can then confirm that the above mentioned two quotas  have been set to 95 respectively.