How does EV shortcut work?

[Gogeta]

Can someone please explain how EV shortcut connects to Evault to retrieve archived email?  We are testing different scenarios.  One of them is to save some shortcuts to a PST file and access them from the PST file.  There is no problem at first.  However, when the same user logging on the same machine but start a different Outlook profile, a profile points to an Exchange server that the Evault server does not know about, the shortcuts don't work.  When double click on the shortcut, it doesn't open archived email, it only open the shortcut stub.

I thought accessing archived emails doesn't involve Exchange, how can a different Outlook profile make a difference?

Someone told me that they can move the shortcuts to an Exchange server that is not archived or known by the Evault server and the shortcuts still work.  I assume it is true because I thought we don't the need Exchange server to read from Evault.  From the above PST scenario, it looks like the Exchange server is involved somehow, or it is profile related.  Can someone please enlighten me on this?

Thank you.

[TonySterling]

The PST is making a direct connection to the EV Server but it does need an active EV Outlook Add-in.  As you said "a profile points to an Exchange server that the Evault server does not know about" I would guess that the EV add-in isn't active when you launch the second OL profile.  

Why exactly are you looking to have shortcuts in PSTs?  

[Gogeta]

We put shortcuts in PST just to test if the shortcuts work when they are accessed from a different OL profile because we don't know how to move the shortcuts from one Exchange server to another for testing.  I think you are correct that the EV add-in isn't active when I launch the second OL profile.  So the question is, how can I activate the add-in on the second profile?  That profile is for an Exchange server that is not connected to the Evault server.  This is really the problem that we are trying to solve.  Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[TonySterling]

So the add-in is only active for mailboxes that have been enabled for EV.  What you could do is to add the second mailbox to open in the OL profile for the mailbox that is enabled for EV.

Why are you wanting to move the shortcuts?  It sounds as though you might be looking to migrate users to a new Exchange server, is that the use case?  If not, a bit more info might help.

[Gogeta]

We are migrating users to a new Exchange environment that does not have Evault but we still want to use the shortcuts to access archived emails.  I will try your suggestion and see if it works.  However, after migration the default profile will be the one without EV enabled, and we don't want to confuse users with multiple profiles.  Also, the current Exchange server will be gone eventually, so the profile with EV enabled will be pointing to a non-existing server.  Any idea?

[AndrewB]

I've read all of your questions and the comments on this post and it sounds like you are in a situation which would benefit from a migration of your EV data back into exchange so you dont have to deal with the shortcuts. the issue is that once you "disconnect" EV from exchange, all of the challenges you're seeing (and more) arrise. i think you're setting yourself up for a world of support headaches.

[TonySterling]

So without a hidden message to enable the add-in you won't be able to use the shortcuts.  Once you migrate to the new Exchange you will not be able to used those shortcuts unless you configre that Exchange environment in EV.

You could look at migrating the EV data to Exchange primary or archive mailbox, we do that with Archive Shuttle.  Other options are less than ideal, but you could configure a folder in Outlook that is a shortcut to the EV WebApp Search and/or EV ArchiveExplorer page.

[Gogeta]

So if we copy the hidden message to the mailbox in new Exchange server, it should enable the EV add-in on the new profile and shortcuts will work?

[AndrewB]

you 'might' be able to open the shortcuts after all these workarounds but you wont be able restore them to the mailbox. i really wouldnt rely on it and instead would consider other ways to provide access to the data.

[TonySterling · Accepted solution]

Also, the hidden message would eventually stop working and if it does stop you will have no way to re-enable it.  EV synchonrizes with the mailboxes twice a day.  I have seen issues where the synch didn't occur and eventually the EV Add-in stops engaging.  

You should not plan on the EV Add-in working long term after you move your mailboxes unless you configure it in EV so the mailboxes can continue to be synched.