Data recovery is an essential aspect of system administration, a concept that holds true in Microsoft 365 Mobility and Security. In this post, we will provide an overview of how to recover deleted data in Exchange Online and SharePoint Online, two critical components from the MS-101 exam perspective. We’ll look at important strategies, methods, and recovery options available in these Microsoft services.
Section 1: Exchange Online Data Recovery
Exchange Online, Microsoft’s cloud-based email and calendaring service, offers multiple ways of protecting and recovering your data.
- Deleted Item Recovery: This feature allows you to recover items deleted from the ‘Deleted Items’ folder. Users can recover these items directly using the Recoverable Items folder.
Example:
To recover a deleted item, perform the following steps:
- In Outlook, click the “Folder” tab, and then click “Recover Deleted Items”.
- Select the item you want to recover, click “Recover Selected Items”, and then click “OK”.
- Retention policies: These are rules that admins can set to automate features like archiving and deleting older items.
Example:
To apply a retention policy, follow these steps:
- Go to Exchange Admin center and navigate to “compliance management”.
- Click on “retention policies” and then “+”. Provide a name and add retention tags.
- Click ‘Save’ to apply the new retention policy.
- In-Place Hold and Litigation Hold: These features allow organizations to preserve mailbox items for investigations or lawsuits.
Section 2: SharePoint Online Data Recovery
SharePoint Online, Microsoft’s cloud-based service for team collaboration, document management, and workflow creation, provides various data backup and recovery options.
- Recycle Bin: Items deleted from a SharePoint site are sent to the site Recycle Bin, where they can be restored.
Example:
To recover a deleted item, follow these steps:
- Go to the SharePoint site, click “Site contents”, then click “Recycle bin”.
- Select the items you want to restore and click “Restore”.
- Versioning: SharePoint keeps versions of items and files, giving a way to restore them if needed.
Example:
To restore a previous version, follow these steps:
- Select the item, and then click ‘Version History’.
- Select the version to restore and click ‘Restore’.
- Site Collection Recycle Bin: When items are deleted from the site Recycle Bin, they go into the Site Collection Recycle Bin, offering another layer of data protection.
Example:
To recover a deleted item from the Site Collection Recycle Bin, follow these steps:
- In SharePoint admin center, select the site, and then click ‘Recycle bin’.
- In the “Second-stage recycle bin”, find the item, and click ‘Restore’.
- Site backup and restore: SharePoint Online provides a backup of site collections, sites, lists, and libraries for 14 days, which could be used to recover data.
In summary, losing efforts due to accidental deletions or unforeseen circumstances should not present a significant challenge, provided you have a good understanding of the reliable data recovery options in Exchange Online and SharePoint Online, a critical part of MS-101: Microsoft 365 Mobility and Security. Remember, when in doubt, always refer to Official Microsoft Documentation for accurate information.
Practice Test
True or False: Microsoft has built-in tools that help in recovering deleted data in Exchange Online and SharePoint Online.
Answer: True
Explanation: Microsoft provides a convenient set of built-in tools for data recovery in Exchange Online and SharePoint Online, including tools such as the “Recover Deleted Items” option and the Recycle Bin, among others.
Which tool is NOT useful for recovering deleted data in Microsoft 365?
- a. Site Recycle Bin
- b. Recover deleted items feature in Outlook
- c. File History
- d. Second-stage recycle bin
Answer: c. File History
Explanation: File History is a Windows 10 feature that is used to recover previous versions of files, but it is not explicitly designed to recover deleted data in Exchange Online and SharePoint Online.
True or False: Data deleted from the SharePoint Online primary recycle bin is permanently deleted.
Answer: False
Explanation: When data gets deleted from the SharePoint Online primary recycle bin, it is not immediately permanently deleted. Instead, it goes into the second-stage recycle bin, from where it can still be restored.
When data is deleted from a Microsoft 365 mailbox, it stays in a folder named __________.
- a. Trash
- b. Bin
- c. Deleted Items
- d. Recycle Bin
Answer: c. Deleted Items
Explanation: In Microsoft 365, when data is deleted from a mailbox, it gets moved to a folder called “Deleted Items” from where it can be recovered.
Which of the following is NOT a step in the process to recover deleted data in Exchange Online?
- a. Locate and open the deleted item’s folder
- b. Click on “Restore All Items” or select individual items and click “Restore.”
- c. Click on “Restore Deleted Items”
- d. Transfer the items to a secure storage
Answer: d. Transfer the items to a secure storage
Explanation: The “Transfer the items to a secure storage” is not a part of the default recovery process. The process includes locating and opening the deleted item’s folder, clicking on “Restore All Items” or selecting individual items and restoring them.
True or False: The “Recover deleted items” feature of Exchange Online can be used to recover any email that was purged from the “Deleted Items” folder.
Answer: True
Explanation: The “Recover Deleted Items” feature is particularly designed to recover emails purged from the “Deleted Items” folder, as long as it falls within the retention period set by the administrator.
True or False: It is possible to recover a SharePoint Online site that has been deleted.
Answer: True
Explanation: SharePoint Online admin center includes an option to recover deleted sites, unless they were deleted more than 93 days ago or the deletion was permanent.
What is the maximum period for which SharePoint online retains deleted sites?
- a. 7 days
- b. 30 days
- c. 45 days
- d. 93 days
Answer: d. 93 days
Explanation: SharePoint Online retains deleted sites for up to 93 days. If not recovered within this period, the sites are permanently deleted.
True or False: Once a site is permanently deleted from SharePoint Online, it can be recovered.
Answer: False
Explanation: Once a SharePoint Online site has been permanently deleted, it cannot be recovered.
What is the first step in restoring a deleted user mailbox in Exchange Online?
- a. Go to “Active Users” page
- b. Go to “Deleted Users” page
- c. Go to “Deleted Mailboxes” page
- d. Go to “Recoverable Items” page
Answer: b. Go to “Deleted Users” page
Explanation: The first step to restore a deleted user mailbox in Exchange Online is to go to “Deleted Users” page in Microsoft 365 admin center. Much of the recovery process will be managed from here.
Interview Questions
What is the tool used for co-management between Endpoint Configuration Manager and Intune?
The co-management tool allows you to concurrently manage Windows 10 devices by using both Configuration Manager and Intune.
Is it possible to switch management authority with co-management?
Yes, one of the abilities of Co-management is to move workloads between Endpoint Configuration Manager and Intune.
What is a prerequisite for the co-management feature?
To enable co-management, you need a subscription to Intune, and the Configuration Manager must also be installed in your environment.
Which workloads can be managed by co-management?
Following workloads can be managed by co-management: Compliance policies, Device Configuration, Endpoint Protection, Resource access policies, Windows Update for Business.
Which OS version does co-management support?
It supports devices running Windows 10, version 1709 or later.
How many co-management capable devices are available in Endpoint Configuration Manager console?
You can use the ‘Co-management dashboard’ in the Configuration Manager console to see the count of co-management capable devices.
How does the transition of workloads in co-management affect end-users?
Transitioning workloads from Configuration Manager to Intune does not affect any established settings or configurations; end-users will experience no change.
What is a co-management policy and where is it created?
A co-management policy is used to specify the workloads to transition from Configuration Manager to Intune, and it’s created in the Configuration Manager console.
What happens if the same setting is configured in both Configuration Manager and Intune?
If the same setting is configured in both, the setting from Intune will take precedence.
What is the benefit of using the co-management feature?
The benefit is to move specific workloads to the cloud with Intune while maintaining the same administrative control from Configuration Manager.
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