Import .PST to new archive

[darrenh]

Hello,

Is there a way to import a .PST file and create a new archive for it.  The scenario being our company aquires another one and they provide .PST files.  Not all the employees are coming to our company but we need to have their email available.  I have looked at the PST Migrator (Import) tool but it requires you to select the archive to import into.  Is there a way to manually create an archive without an AD account or Exchange Mailbox?

Thanks in advance.
Darren

[TonySterling · Accepted solution]

You should be able to create a Shared Archive and import the PST's into it.

[darrenh]

Thanks Tony,

I have never used Shared Archives or given them much thought.  It looks like I should have.  I just read a former post for EV2007 relating to importing .PST to a Shared Archive and all the folder structure was last due to the fact that Shared Archives are flat files (https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/shared-archives-importing-pst-ev-2007).  Do you know if that is still the case for EV8 SP2/SP3? If so, any other options because I'd imagine we'd like to keep the folder structure that is within the PST file.

[JesusWept3]

yeah its still the same in EV8

[LanceChase]

Create a univerisal account, setup a mailbox in exchange, enable that account for archiving, import the PST's there.

When giving people perissions to the universal acccount they should be able to view the imported emails.

[MichelZ]

Why going the route trough exchange?
This is not necessary... and counter-productive.
Your exchange logs grow, your backups grow, just from importing a PST into the mailbox and then archiving it away...

Tony's way is far better, to create a shared archive and then import the pst directly to EV.
You can then give individual users access to the archive in the Vault Administration Console.

Cheers

[darrenh]

The Shared Archive loses all folder structure that would exist in a PST file...that's why I was looking for an alternative.  Ideally I could manually create an archive without using AD and then import the .PST info there.  I don't believe that creating a mail-enabled AD account, enabling it for archiving and then importing the .PST info to the archive will have any effect on the exchange server/mailbox.  I should be able to Import data to a disabled archive right?  I should also be able to delete the AD account right? It's a round about way of doing it but I think it will work.
Thoughts?

Thanks,
Darren

[TonySterling]

Yes, you could create one AD account and enable it for archiving.  When you import the PST's you could event create a folder on the mailbox root for each PST and that would give you the folder structure of the pst under it.  You may want to create more than one depending how many PST's you are going to have.

You would want to be sure change the Bill To information on the Archive. 

Regards,
Tony