Messaging Records Management (MRM) in Microsoft 365 is responsible for retaining, archiving and deleting mailbox items. This is possible with the tag-based retention model which allows for messages to be retained or deleted based on criteria specified in tags.
1. Configure Messaging Records Management and Retention Policies for a Specific Mailbox Folder
Admins can assign retention tags to mailbox folders and apply retention policies to a mailbox; resulting in all the items in that folder to follow the same retention policy. Retention tags define the retention settings to be applied to items in a folder, while retention policies link these retention tags either to the entire mailbox or to a particular folder within a mailbox.
To assign a retention policy to a specific mailbox, follow the steps below:
- From the Exchange admin center, navigate to recipients > mailboxes.
- Choose the mailbox to which you want to apply the retention policy.
- In the mailbox properties, under Mailbox Features, click on Retention Policy.
- In the retention policy window, choose the policy you want to apply, then click save.
It’s important to note that changes may take up to 24 hours to be applied.
2. Types of Retention Tags
Microsoft 365 provides three types of retention tags:
- Default Policy Tag (DPT): Applies to all items in the mailbox which don’t have a retention tag applied explicitly.
- Retention Policy Tags (RPT): Applies to the default folders in the mailbox (Inbox, Deleted Items, Sent Items, etc.).
- Personal Tags: Users can apply to items or folders they choose.
3. Creating New Retention Tags and Policies
To create a new retention policy and tag, follow the steps:
- Within the Exchange admin center, go to compliance management > retention policies.
- Click on the ‘+’ icon to create a new policy and provide a name and description if needed.
- Next, go to compliance management > retention tags.
- Click on the ‘+’ icon to create a new retention tag. Specify a name, select the “Applied Automatically to a folder” tag type (aka, RPT), choose the Action to take after the retention period (Move to Archive, Delete, etc.), and finally choose the folder to apply the tag to.
Finally, link the newly created tag to the policy created before. The newly created subscription should now be available in the list of retention policies.
In Conclusion
Setting the right Messaging Record Management (MRM) and retention policies can significantly help in controlling the email lifecycle in an organization and ensure compliance with record management requirements. Every organization’s needs are different, hence the flexibility provided by Microsoft 365 to create custom policies and custom retention tags.
Practice Test
True or False? Messaging records management (MRM) helps organizations retain and delete content in Microsoft Exchange.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: MRM in Microsoft Exchange allows organizations to manage email lifecycle and reduce legal risks associated with email and other communications.
True or False? With MRM, you cannot apply different retention settings to different items in the same mailbox.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: With MRM, you can have different retention settings for different emails or folders in the same mailbox.
Under which branch in the Microsoft 365 security & compliance center do Retention & Deletion policies come?
- a. Information management
- b. Information governance
- c. Threat management
- d. Permissions
Answer: b. Information governance
Explanation: Policies about retention or deletion can be defined under Information Governance in the Microsoft 365 security & compliance center.
True or False? A single retention tag can be applied to a mailbox at any given time.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Multiple retention tags can be applied to a single mailbox at any given time.
Which command is used in Exchange Management Shell to configure MRM?
- a. Set-Mailbox
- b. Set-Folder
- c. Set-TransportRule
- d. Set-MailboxFolder
Answer: b. Set-Folder
Explanation: The Set-Folder command is used in Exchange Management Shell to configure the messaging records management (MRM) policy for a specific mailbox folder.
True or False? The retention period for an item begins when it’s moved to the Deleted Items folder.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The retention period for an item starts when it is moved to the Deleted Items folder in Microsoft Exchange mailbox.
What are the three types of retention tags that can be applied with MRM? (Choose three)
- a. Default
- b. Personal
- c. Mandatory
- d. Global
Answer: a. Default, b. Personal, c. Mandatory
Explanation: The three types of retention tags are: Default tags, Personal tags, and Retention Policy tags (which are mandatory).
True or False? Items in the Recoverable Items folder are not visible to end users.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Items moved to the Recoverable Items folder because of MRM retention aren’t visible to end users.
True or False? Deletion policies allow you to permanently delete messages after a specified period.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Deletion policies in Microsoft 365 allow to automatically permanently delete messages after they’ve been in a user’s mailbox for a specified amount of time.
What does DPT acronym stand for in MRM?
- a. Default Policy Template
- b. Document Policy Tag
- c. Default Policy Tag
- d. Data Protection Tag
Answer: c. Default Policy Tag
Explanation: DPT stands for Default Policy Tag in Messaging Records Management.
True or False? You can apply multiple retention policies to a single mailbox.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You can apply only one retention policy to a single mailbox.
What does MFA stand for in the context of Microsoft Exchange Online?
- a. Microsoft Folder Access
- b. Multi-Factor Authentication
- c. Mail Folder Access
- d. Mail Feature Activation
Answer: b. Multi-Factor Authentication
Explanation: In Microsoft Exchange Online, MFA stands for Multi-Factor Authentication.
True or False? Administrator can modify the retention policy tags after setting them.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The retention policy tags can be modified by the administrator after setting them using Set-RetentionPolicyTag command.
Which PowerShell cmdlet is used to assign a retention policy to a mailbox?
- a. Set-Policy
- b. Set-Mailbox
- c. Set-RetentionPolicyTag
- d. Set-SetMailboxFolderPermission
Answer: b. Set-Mailbox
Explanation: The Set-Mailbox cmdlet is used to assign a retention policy to a mailbox.
True or False? Retention policies can only be applied to emails.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Retention policies can be applied to emails, attached documents, and other types of items.
Interview Questions
What is the purpose of Messaging Records Management (MRM) in Microsoft 365?
MRM is used in Microsoft 365 to help organizations manage the lifecycle of email messages. This includes classifying email, setting up retention policies to ensure important messages are kept as long as required, and removing messages that are no longer necessary.
How do you configure default retention policy for a specific mailbox in Microsoft 365?
In the Microsoft 365 admin center, you can go to “Active Users”, select the user’s mailbox, under “Mail Settings”, click on “edit” for Email apps, and then select “Manage email app settings”. Here you can set the default retention policy for the user’s mailbox.
What is a retention policy?
A retention policy is a group of retention tags that are applied to a mailbox to ensure the retention and deletion of messages to meet the organizational, legal or compliance needs of an organization.
What is the difference between a retention policy tag (RPT) and a default policy tag (DPT)?
An RPT applies retention settings to a default folder while a DPT applies the retention settings to all items in the mailbox that do not have a retention tag already applied.
What type of retention tags are available in MRM?
There are three types of retention tags available in MRM: Default Policy Tags, Retention Policy Tags, and Personal Tags.
How do you assign a retention policy to a mailbox in Microsoft 365?
A retention policy can be assigned to a mailbox by going to the Microsoft 365 admin center, selecting “Exchange”, choosing “Recipients” on the admin center page, selecting “Mailbox features”, and then choosing the desired retention policy.
Can you assign more than one retention policy to a single mailbox in Microsoft 365?
No, each mailbox can only be assigned one retention policy at a time in Microsoft 365.
Are retention tags and policies user-configurable?
Yes, both retention tags and policies are user-configurable. However, system default folders cannot be deleted.
What is the difference between archive and delete in a retention policy?
Archive moves an item to the user’s In-Place Archive while delete permanently removes an item from the user’s mailbox.
How often does the Managed Folder Assistant (MFA) process a mailbox?
The Managed Folder Assistant processes a mailbox once every seven days by default in Microsoft 365.
What is the function of the Managed Folder Assistant?
The Managed Folder Assistant is a Microsoft 365 feature that automatically applies a retention policy to a mailbox based on the settings configured in the MRM.
What happens when a message reaches the end of its retention age?
At the end of its retention age, the message is moved or deleted according to the action specified in the retention policy.
Can an end user modify a retention policy?
While end users can modify retention settings for folders under certain circumstances, the overarching retention policies are typically controlled and managed at the organizational level by system administrators.
Can you recover a message that was deleted due to a retention policy?
If a retention policy deletes a message, it is first moved to the Recoverable Items folder. From there, it can be restored, unless it was deleted permanently from there as well. After that point, recovery becomes much more difficult and may not be possible.
What influences the priority of a retention tag in a policy, if a mailbox contains multiple tags?
If a mailbox contains multiple tags, the priority of these tags goes from specific to general. This means that Personal tags have the highest priority, followed by Retention Policy Tags and finally, Default Policy Tags have the lowest priority.
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