Make the Move to a Centralized Microsoft Exchange Archive - Part II

In Part I, Exchange Upgrades--Think Before You Jump, I took a quick look at Microsoft Exchange 2007's new compliancy features. Through the use of journaling, managed folders, and cross-mailbox searching Exchange 2007 flaunts a compliance solution that is slightly lacking. While there are definite compliance features within Exchange 2007, Exchange 2007 tries to maintain complete control of all information. In effect, Exchange 2007 loses any long term management control by moving information to different areas of the Exchange server and allowing users to manage their own information.

Instead of moving data within Exchange, and allowing users to control manage much of their own information, a simpler approach would be to move away from a decentralized informational environment and implement a centralized archival area. Here is why:

• Centralized of information eliminates the need for individual management of data. To meet compliancy, having users manage information or retention periods is a definite no-no.
• Mailbox size and quotas do not become an issue with an archiving solution whereas managed folders still contribute to a user's quota. As users manage their own mailboxes to meet quotas valuable information is lost--inhibiting the ability to meet compliancy issues or perform a valid search for information.
• Storage reduction can be realized through intelligent de-duplication and compression algorithms contributing to reduced backup and recovery windows.
• Archiving centralizes information where journaling and folder management places information across the enterprise and almost encourages individualized PST files that are difficult to interrogate during an audit process.
• With user managed folders, user can modify retention periods, taking control away from IT. Unlike archives where IT can maintain complete control and can properly enforce corporate policies, perform enterprise-wide searches, and quickly meet compliancy needs.
• While Exchange allows for cross-mailbox queries, it is a command line interface that lacks tight security that could potentially leak sensitive information. A true archival solution can enforce information security policies easily across the entire organization, often with an easy to use GUI interface.
• With Exchange, the time and cost associated with gathering a complete picture of an enterprise's information can be high when considering the need to pull information from Exchange servers, backups, off-site tapes, or user PST files. With a centralized archive system, all information resides in one place and is easily gathered for eDiscovery.
• An outside archive solution makes it easier to upgrade your Exchange server, reduce implementation costs, and simplify email management.

When looking at Microsoft Exchange Server to meet your compliance needs, just remember, journaling is not the end-all requirement touted by many. Journaling is somewhat of a crutch when of implementing retention and search capabilities in your Exchange server. Solutions such as LookingGlass from Estorian provide a full-featured archiving and eDiscovery solution that offers all the benefits mentioned above along with many more.

While Exchange 2007 does have many features of a superior email server, as you investigate a possible upgrade, you should re-think how email will be used to facilitate compliancy and eDiscovery. Once you take these issues into consideration, you too will find that a compliance archive and eDiscovery solution like Estorian LookingGlass is the true requirement.