pst files. never dealt with them before.

[prha]

I have tried to tell users to occasionally try a tidy up in their outlook but this is not working. The majority of my users have over 6000 emails. I am about to force everyone to move their messages to .pst files. I was just wondering what advice people can give me to make sure this goes as smoothly as possible as I know (depending on who you listen to) there can be problems with .pst files.
What is the best way to do this. The majority of users see email as the best way to store all information, including attachments. I cannot get them to save the attachments to their hard drive as "they need the message that goes with it"
Is there a way I can do it? Should I get them to store them on the server so they are backed up? or just on their hard drives
is it worth me doing this at all?
I have not dealt with .pst files before so any advice at all would be very useful


Thanks

 

[korben]

copy users .pst files to a machine. for example a server. for example before 2002 year.

then in client's outlook, you must add this .pst and map from this backup server.

not: you cannot reload .pst's from cd

so you can back up .pst's to cd but outlook doen't read these .pst's from the cd.

so you can copy pst from a cd to a location(server) and then outlook can use these .pst's

 

[Hungster]

Exchange stores mailbox different, it doesn't use pst file, unless you config your outlook to use "Internet Option" then it store on your local machine as pst

prha,
what exactly are you trying to do ?
are you concerning the size of your EDB file ? it can get very big.

If you do a sync offline storage, then it will store it as ost file on your local drive

 

[robmicrofix]

I think from what you are saying that you want to set up personal folders in each users outlook profile thus moving any messages away from the server to the workstations. The biggest problems with this in my opinion are going to be the time scale of doing this, the administration problems and also that the .pst files aren't going to be included in the nightly backup ( unless you store the .pst files on a server but sort of defeats the object). How about setting up the auto archive on each users machine?

 

[aliciaJ]

Prha - Here's a link on some of the downfalls of pst files that you may want to consider.

http://www.swinc.com/resource/exch_faq_appxf.htm

We use them some - but another thing to consider is that anytime the user changes machines, or you upgrade the machine, you have to take time to make sure you know what the pst file is called and where it's located.
If it is stored on the PC hard drive, and if you're ghosting the harddive for an upgrade or to fix a bug - you'll have to copy off the pst before. Otherwise - you've just lost their mail.

At about 1.5G to 2G - the pst files get tripped out. If your users are going to be putting this much data out there - it could be a nightmare to educate them to keep it below this limit.

Major considerations - but in some instances it is good. You'll have to weigh out the pro's and con's.

Good luck,
aliciaJ

 

[prha]

Thanks for all the tips everyone. Think I will just leave things as they are. Maybe set up auto archive on the highest users and hassle them to delete non essential emails more often.

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrs
[smilejap]

 

[Hungster]

the Best way i think i would do it is
to total back up a copy of all mailbox on one or two tape and keep them on hand, DO NOT erase them

then create a personal folder on their machine and move all those e-mail with attachment to their local personal folder stores as pst file

go thru their main e-mail and delete thoes attachment off it, and if they need it, just go to their local personal folder and call it up

in case their computer crash, they will loose the local pst file but you can restore it thru that two backup tape you did.

keep in mind, tell them don't move those new coming attachment e-mail to local, or else all your data are all screwed up.

 

[soonerland]

What hasn't been mentioned is that the .pst makes a second instance of the message. This includes the attachment. If .pst files are to be used for "essential" mail, why do it at all? Just upgrade to more storage capacity and let the databases run wild. That is not a recommendation. Exchange does have its limits. We utilize .pst files, even multiple .pst files for some individuals. We are getting ready, out of necessity (higher orders) to our mailboxes onto a machine that will limit mailbox size to 50MB. We have some users that have 4GB of mail. To accomplish that we are going to make .pst files for every user and store them on a local server that is backed up nightly. Not the best solution but it is workable. Good luck!

 

[RobertDavis]

As previously stated there are problem with PST files as they aproach 2GB in size. (see Microsoft site for details).
Also remember that Archive files are also PST files.
However if you wish to continue with PST's here is the way I have set it up in the past.
1. Ensure users have a home drive on the file server and create the PST there. (ensure home directories are in the backup path)
2. Change the delivery options in Outlook to deliver to the PST.
3. If user is moblie also set the PST to be an OST on the Laptop.
4. Get users to check PST size often.

 

[Hungster]

Ya but he wants the e-mails backup by the exchange server