Prevent users from deleting Emial

[jrp611]

Had a question brought up from mangement want to know if there is a way to prevent a user from deleting there email. This would be a single user not all the users. the version is Groupwise 7.01.

Thanks

 

[goombawaho]

Wow - I've always been trying to GET users to delete their e-mail, so that request blows my mind, but I suppose it's something related to an HR investigation. Don't want any evidence snuffed out.

Maybe Marv could state that my opinion is definitive, but I never saw any option within GW for making mail un-deletable by a user, unless maybe it was a proxy user that had READ access to someone's account.

If it's a regular user and his own account, he is free to go to town and create/delete/send/receive whatever he wants in his own mailbox.

 

[goombawaho]

I pressed send before I was done. The real solution to your problem is to have an e-mail archival system that collects all sent/received e-mail before it can be modified (deleted) by the user.

It captures every e-mail that is sent/received and then you don't have to worry what inbound messages your users are deleting or what outbound messages they are trying to hide. You have a complete record which can be searched and analyzed without the user ever knowing he is being investigated.

This is the "professional" way of handling e-mail. Otherwise, the only thing you are left with on backups is what the user has left for you to back up. It's only a subset of the whole picture.

Many lawsuits are won or lost on the basis of e-mails as proof of something, which is why many companies are not allowing their users to get in the way of recording that "truth" in an absolute, complete way.

So, tell your CEO or your HR that they are going about it the wrong way and it may bite them harder than they ever imagined unless they get serious about e-mail retention and archival practices. End of lecture.

 

[jrp611]

I think the archive is he way to go to keep management happy. But to keep all the email on file can cause problems down the road. If I can remember a novell engineer told me once that when the mail box gets to full there can be damage to the post office. But if there is a question with a users Email as long as the user keeps the mail for a couple of days then I should have it on backup.
Thanks for the insite

 

[goombawaho]

Archives only archive what users leave you to archive. I'm saying the user should be able to clean out his mailbox as needed/wanted/required to save space and keep things neat.

I'm talking about a separate parallel archive system (server) that stores all the e-mail before the users touch it. Then you have an unadulterated copy of all inbound/outbound messages happening on your system.

One example:

http://www.gwava.com/products/retain.html

 

[marvhuffaker]

There is an option that can be set in ConsoleOne that prevents email from being deleted *IF* it has not been archived/backed up.

That's only the first step though, and an archive system is really what you are probably looking for. The flag above guarantees that all messages get archived before deleted. Messaging Architects M+Archive is one of the better ones. Gwava Retain is another one but it is a first generation product and currently cannot even export emails.



Marvin Huffaker, MCNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting, Inc.
A Novell Platinum Partner

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[goombawaho]

That's interesting Marv. What determines whether the file has been backed up (and therefore OK to allow deleteion) assuming you were using a third party backup solution like Arcserve for Netware, for example?

 

[marvhuffaker]

It's basically a flag that is on or off. Default is off for any message in the system. Once it is flipped to on, the system will allow it to be deleted because it has been flagged as 'backed up'. It sort of depends on the archive/backup solution in use, but I believe most will flip the flag to on once they've processed any given message. Gwava Reload, Retain and Messaging Architects M+Guardian will trip the flag. I'm not sure if actual backup software will, but I believe so. I hardly ever deal with traditional backup software on a day to day basis.

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting, Inc.
A Novell Platinum Partner

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[goombawaho]

Well, if "flipping the switch" doesn't work for the Arcserve/Backup Exec type of backup software, and there's no archive set up, e-mail would be lost.

So, it's not what I'd call a "real" solution that makes it impossible for users to defeat. And all of us admins know that that is exactly what users are trying to do every day - find ways of gumming up the works.

 

[marvhuffaker]

The thing I'm not sure of is whether its done at the file level (archive bit) or the message level.. I think its the latter, that's the only way you could pull it off. Using just the archive bit on the file set is very archaic and easy to defeat.

In our own system, I have the flag set, and any deletes go to the trash, but you cannot empty the trash (You can try but messages go nowhere). With many of our customers, it's a big support item becuase people don't understand why their trash won't delete. Once explained to them, it makes sense.

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting, Inc.
A Novell Platinum Partner

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[tmattson]

Marv,

Where is this parameter located in ConsoleOne (can't seem to find it). Does it apply to the entire PO or to individual users or both potentially?

Thanks

 

[marvhuffaker]

Requires GroupWise 7 or GroupWise 8..

Select the domain or post office.. Right Click - Client Options - Environment - Cleanup -- "Do not Purge Items Until They Are Backed Up".

Note that the verbiage is different and more confusing on GW7. Can't remember exactly what it states. The above is verbatim from GroupWise 8.

Marvin

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting, Inc.
A Novell Platinum Partner

http://www.redjuju.com