Microsoft Exchange Hosted Archiving

Exchange Hosted Archive is an advanced message archiving system for e-mail.

Business message retention has become a way of business life. With laws being passed that govern the length of time business e-mail is retained, the manner in which it must be preserved, and specific message review requirements, the need for a centralized multitasking mail repository is growing. In addition, the increasing likelihood that e-mail will be required for legal discovery encourages enterprises to take a proactive approach to e-mail retention policies to mitigate risk.

Exchange Hosted Archive is one of four distinct services in the Microsoft Exchange Hosted Services portfolio. The service is designed to help customers meet a variety of regulatory and legal demands placed on their electronic communication systems.

How it Works

The Exchange Hosted Archive service benefits from the in-stream spam and virus protection technologies provided by the Exchange Hosted Filtering service. As e-mail messages pass through the network, a copy of each is made and stored in a security-enhanced online message repository. Similarly, mail sent within the organization is captured through the envelope journaling function in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Instant messaging (IM) communication can also be copied directly to the archive if this is a requirement. As messages are received, the archive system assigns a unique serial number and timestamp. Comprehensive text indexing allows stored messages to be searched by header, subject line, message body, and more than 200 attachment file types.

Microsoft Exchange Hosted Archiving Flow Diagram

Once archived, messages can then be accessed through a security-enhanced, Web-based interface. Flexible search queries can be used to locate messages quickly. Once messages are retrieved, users can conduct a variety of actions, including tag, file, export, forward via Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and restore.

Exchange Hosted Archive also includes a backup mail system for e-mail continuity during a network outage. The Web-based system enables end users to read, compose, and reply to e-mail in real time.