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Changing Retention Category for archived messages

pjglick
Level 4

The majority of our users are in a single retention category (Retention still indefinite).  Management has finally decided to provide a timeframe for expiry.  Prior to this expiry we need to now move some users from our standard retention category to a category which will have a different expiry.

Is there a way to change the stamped retention category of mail which has already been archived without exporting the archive, delete the archive and then re-ingest with the new retention category?

 

Thanks

 

Paul

11 REPLIES 11

AndrewB
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

natively, not really. you'd have too look into 3rd party tools to either migrate or reclassify your archived items.

pjglick
Level 4

So unfortuantely my fear is real that I will have to:

1. Export all items for selected mailboxes to PST files

2. Delete archives

3. Move users to provisioning group with new retention category

4. Re-ingest PSTs

5.  All items will bew re-archived wioth new retention category stamp.

 

Am I missing anything?

AndrewB
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

that's not practical. how many archives, items, and GB/TB are in scope?

pjglick
Level 4

possible a couple hundred users.  Without a 3rd party tool, how can you reclassify the archived messages?

 

Paul

WiTSend
Level 6
Partner

How significant (time related) is the new retention from the old?  If it's not that much difference it may be best to let the old data die it's natural death.

For starters you need to create the new retention category and a new provisioniing group and assign the users as necessary for "point forwward. 

Other options are creating a managed folder with the appropriate retention and having users move the necessary emails to that folder -or- use EVPM to create the folder with appropriate retention and have users move the necessary data.

Export and import are very drastic, time consuming and can introduce issues.

3rd party tools may be more efficient and the cost would be neglibile compared to a export/import process.

 

pjglick
Level 4

Retention may be significant.  Our currewnt policy is set for retention for ever.  We are planning to change it finally to 1 year once in the archive but there will now be a large subset of users who will need 5 years in their archive.

 

The users cant move the messages which are already in the archive to folders and we dont use shortcuts which would handle that using evpm.

it may be a very time consuming endeavor.

WiTSend
Level 6
Partner

If it were me I'd set the current retention policy to 5 years, create a new 1 year policy for appropriate users going forward and let it run.  The cost of massaging all that data, plus the risk of error would greatly outweight the cost of retaining it for a few more years.

GabeV
Level 6
Employee Accredited

Hi,

Are you using a Centera device for storage? If that's the case, Centera keeps the retention within the Clip ID and you would need to export. reimport, etc, but the data archived in the storage device cannot be deleted. Take a look at this post:

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/change-retention-category-existing-archives-retroactive

WiTSend
Level 6
Partner

If the Centera is in Compliance this is true, in Goverance or Basic not necessarily.  Also, this could be true of many other storage platforms that are compliance regulated.  Another reason to just set the retention for new items and let the old ones ride..

pjglick
Level 4

Issue is that they do not want  to lose the old emails.

WiTSend
Level 6
Partner

another way to view this.  How many users (how much data) needs to stay with the old retention and how many users/data needs to have the new 1 year retention?

If you're faced with an export/import or 3rd party tool then you should determine which group is smaller and make the changes/process for that group.  You can always change the properties (i.e. age) of the retention category so if the longer retention group is the smaller subset then you can modify/process them to a new retention category and change the existing to the 1 year requirement.