Messaging Records Management (MRM) in Exchange Server 2013

Messaging Records Management is records management technology to manage email lifecycle and reduce the legal risks associated with the emails. Message Records Management in Exchange 2013 will be implemented using Retentions Policies.

Retention tags with the settings to how long to keep\delete\archive emails will be used to apply retention settings on the mailbox or the default folder on a mailbox like Inbox and these retention tags can also be used apply retention settings on mailbox folders of outlook 2010 or later and OWA. Once the Retention Policy with the Retention Settings applied on folder or a mailbox, the Managed Folder Assistant running on Exchange 2013 Mailbox Server will process all mailboxes and apply the retention settings to the mailbox.

Retention Tags

Retention Tags are the one which will define the settings on how long the emails can be kept\deleted\archived and on where to apply the settings like entire mailbox or individual folders. Retention Tags are used to apply retention settings on messages and mailbox folders. There are 3 types of Retention Tag

Default Policy Tag: Default Policy tag will be applied to all items that do not have a retention tag applied. A Retention Policy can have one Default Policy Tag to move items to Archive Folders, one Default Policy Tags to Delete Items and One Default Policy Tags to delete voice mails

Retention Policy Tag: Created for default folders like Inbox and Sent Items folders. A Retention Policy can have one Retention Tag for each and every default folders

Personal Tag: Personal Tags are used by Outlook later and Outlook Web App users to apply retention settings on custom folders and individual messages. A Retention Policy can have n number of Personal Tags

Retention Policy can have any of these Retention tags

Retention Policy

Retention Policy is a group of Retention Tags applied that can be applied to a mailbox.. Also only one Retention Policy can be applied on a mailbox.

Managed Default Folders option introduced in Exchange Server 2007 are not available in Exchange Server 2013.

Default Messaging Records Management Policy

Installation of Exchange 2013 will have a default Messaging Records Management Policy which can be used when creating a new mailbox. The default MRM policy will have these default Retention Tags

Implementing Message Records Management in Exchange Server 2013

Below are the steps that are to be followed to implementing Message Records Management in Exchange Server 2013

1. Create the Retention Tags
   
2. Create Retention Policy
   
3. Link Retention Tags to Retention Policy to have one default policy tag and one or more Retention Tags and Personal Tags
   
4. Apply Retention Policy to Mailbox
   

Step 1: Create a Retention Tags

This shows how to create a Retention Tags on Exchange Server 2013 using Exchange Control Panel

To create a Retention Tags -> Login to Exchange Control Panel -> Compliance Management -> Retention Tags and Click on New (+) to create a New Retention Tags

To create a Default Policy Tag click on applied automatically to entire mailbox (default) and to create a Retention Policy Tags click on applied automatically to a specified folder and to create a Personal Tag click on applied by users to items and folders (Personal)

On the background, I create 3 Retention Tags, One Default Policy tag to move 60 days old emails to Archive Mailbox

One Retention Policy Tags to permanently delete 30 days old emails from Deleted Items folder

and One Personal Tag with settings not to archive

Step 2: Create a Retention Policy

To create a Retention Policy -> Login to Exchange Control Panel -> Compliance Management -> Retention Policy and Click New (+) -> Type a Name and Click Save

Step 3: Linking Retention Tags to Retention Policy

To Link Retention Tags to Retention Policy-> Login to Exchange Control Panel -> Compliance Management -> Retention Policy -> Select the Policy to which you want link addition Retention Tags and Click edit -> add the Retention Tags as shown below and click save

Step 4: Assign the Retention Policy to a Mailbox

To apply a Retention Policy on a Mailbox -> Login to Exchange Control Panel -> Recipients -> Mailbox -> Select the Mailbox and Click edit ->

Click on Mailbox Features -> Select the Retention Policy and click Save

I believe the above procedure gives a good idea on how to implement Messaging Records Management in Exchange Server 2013. If you need any help on the above please inform us. Please don't forget to have a look on the Second Part of this article to have more idea on MRM in Exchange Server 2013

Exchange Trusted Subsystem is not member of the local administrator group

When designating a non Exchange 2010 or Exchange 2013 servers as a file share witness, you have to assign the Exchange Trusted Subsystem as a member of local administrator group on the file share witness server.

Even if you assign the Exchange Trusted Subsystem as a member of local administrator group on the file share witness server, you may get the below warning



There is no need to find a fix for the above warning, because Microsoft informed this warning is normal and we can silently ignore it. for more info

How to delete the First Mailbox Database in Exchange 2013

Once Exchange Server 2013 installation gets completed, it will create the default mailboxes (Administrator and Discovery Mailbox) and the Arbitration Mailboxes on the default Mailbox Database. If you try to delete the first mailbox database you will get the below error message. The reason is, to delete a mailbox database there should not be any mailbox available on that database, and either those mailboxes to be deleted or moved to other database.



Full Error Message:


This mailbox database contains one or more mailboxes, mailbox plans, archive mailboxes, public folder mailboxes or arbitration mailboxes. To get a list of all mailboxes in this database, run the command Get-Mailbox -Database <Database ID>. To get a list of all mailbox plans in this database, run the command Get-MailboxPlan. To get a list of archive mailboxes in this database, run the command Get-Mailbox -Database <Database ID> -Archive. To get a list of all public folder mailboxes in this database, run the command Get-Mailbox -Database <Database ID> -PublicFolder. To get a list of all arbitration mailboxes in this database, run the command Get-Mailbox -Database <Database ID> -Arbitration. To disable a non-arbitration mailbox so that you can delete the mailbox database, run the command Disable-Mailbox <Mailbox ID>. To disable an archive mailbox so you can delete the mailbox database, run the command Disable-Mailbox <Mailbox ID> -Archive. To disable a public folder mailbox so that you can delete the mailbox database, run the command Disable-Mailbox <Mailbox ID> -PublicFolder. Arbitration mailboxes should be moved to another server; to do this, run the command New-MoveRequest <parameters>. If this is the last server in the organization, run the command Disable-Mailbox <Mailbox ID> -Arbitration -DisableLastArbitrationMailboxAllowed to disable the arbitration mailbox. Mailbox plans should be moved to another server; to do this, run the command Set-MailboxPlan <MailboxPlan ID> -Database <Database ID>.

To Delete the First Mailbox Database

1. Find the Mailboxes available on the Default first mailbox database
   


2. Move all the Mailboxes including the Arbitration Mailbox from the first database to other database
   


3. Delete the First Mailbox Database
   


4. Remove the files associated with the first mailbox Database
   

Step 1: To find all Mailboxes in the first default database




To find all the arbitration mailboxes




Step 2: Move all the Mailboxes including the Arbitration Mailbox from the first database to other database


Create a new mailbox database to which the existing mailboxes from default mailbox database are to be moved. Normal user mailbox and Search Mailbox can be moved as shown below




And below shows the details on how to move the arbitration mailbox to other mailbox database in Exchange Server 2013.



Once all the mailboxes from first database has been moved to different database, then you can delete the first mailbox database

Step 3: Delete the first Mailbox Database


Right click the default mailbox database and click the delete option -> on the warning prompt click Yes to delete the default Mailbox Database



Step 4: Delete the database files related to first mailbox database


As shown below, once a database is deleted it will not delete the .edb and log files associated with that database, we have to manually delete those log file to free up disk space.

How to Pre stage a Cluster Network Object for Database Availability Group

Pre staging a cluster network object is a pre requisites task when you are configuring Exchange Server 2013 Database Availability Group on Windows Server 2012. If Pre Staging a CNO is not created before the creation of DAG, you may get a error message similar to the below screen shot

Pre Staging a Cluster Network Object is two step processes


Step 1: Create a Computer Name Object in Active Directory User and Computers

Open Active Directory User and Computers console -> select the OU in which you want to create new computer name object -> right click and select New -> Computer -> Enter the DAG name as the computer name and click ok



Step 2: Assign Full control Permission on the DAG Object create above either to first node of DAG or the Exchange Trusted Sub System account

Right click the computer name (DAG-101) -> Select Security (make sure advanced features option is enabled on Active Directory Users and Computers console) -> Click Add -> add either first node of DAG member or the Exchange Trusted Sub System universal security Group and assign full permission



Please inform if any issue…