Can Exchange Keep a copy of your e-mail

[JacquelineH]

I would like to store a copy of one's e-mail on the exchanger server and have exchange send a copy of it to thier's .pst file. Which is stored on there local hard drive. Can this be done

 

[Zelandakh]

If you have Exchange, why are you also using pst files?

 

[lifegard2]

You could set it up such that the users check their e-mail via POP3 and set the e-mail client to leave a copy of the message on the server. However, this isn't a good solution because you then lose all the benefits of using Exchange.

Another option would be to setup your users to use offline folder files. These would normally be used for mobile users, but I have used them in-house as a precaution for an Exchange failure.

If you are using Outlook, you could also setup a rule on each PC (easy if you are still rolling out or want a "going forward" solution, not easy if you already have a ton of users). Basically, the rule would be set such that it copies any and all e-mails when rec'd to a duplicate folder in a PST file.

Hope these help.

Ryan Bates
Network Administrator

 

[JacquelineH]

I'm not sure what the best route is on making a copy of e-mails. I'm using Exchange 5.5 and Outlook as the client. This is what I want to accomplish. If I get an e-mail I would like to recieve it on my local hard drive and make sure exchange has a copy of it in case my machine dies. Can this be done? Someone here is having delay times when opening e-mail. I thought that this would improve performance.

 

[lifegard2]

How big is the user's mailbox? It may be time to archive some stuff. Also, what speed is the connection? I'm assuming it's a standard 10/100 connection.

I doubt it would improve performance enough to make it worthwhile. On the otherhand, performance could be improved through other means.

I've often gone to a user's PC who is complaining of slow open times only to find they have a few thousand e-mails in their Inbox and their mailbox is upwards of 100MB. Moving all items over 30 days old (you could even go out as far as over 90 days old) into a local (or server-based) PST typically eliminates the issue.

 

[soonerland]

There is a way to copy a message and leave it on the Exchange server at the same time. You set this up by using the rules wizard. I believe it is on the 3rd or fourth screen that you select "move a copy to a specific folder". This can be to the .pst inbox.

It works very nicely.

 

[Zelandakh]

But if you want to do this in case the users disk crashes, why not just leave it in Exchange in the first place? Its what Exchange was designed for...

 

[soonerland]

Zelandakh...you are correct, and I apologize for not recognizing that originally. That IS what Exchange is for. However, in some cases, with expressive VIP's, you make adjustments so that they feel good about what you are doing.

I think that question was about Exchange crashing not the local machine, in that case the .pst would be helpful. As far as improving performance, following my advice would not do that, it only provides the "secondary protection".

Personally, I would not copy any messages. The truth is that .pst files take up more space than leaving the message in its single instance on the Exchange server.