Retention policies in Microsoft Teams form a crucial component of an organization’s data governance strategy. When you are preparing to clear the MS-700 Managing Microsoft Teams exam, understanding the concept and configuration of retention policies can significantly contribute to your success.
Microsoft Teams Retention Policies
Retention policies in Microsoft Teams allow an admin to control how long to retain chat and channel messages before they are deleted. Not just to retain, these policies also give admins the authority to decide when to delete the data that is not required. This systematic data retention ensures compliance with internal regulations and external regulations.
It’s noteworthy that Teams retention policies are different from Exchange email retention policies. Indeed, Teams chat and channel messages are retained for compliance purposes in a separate Teams data store.
Types of Retention Policies
In Microsoft Teams, there are two types of retention policies that you can create:
- Preservation policy: This allows data to be preserved for a specified duration, preventing it from deletion even if a user tries to delete it from their Teams interface.
- Deletion policy: This removes data after a specified duration. Once deleted, the data is no longer available or accessible from Teams, neither by users nor admins.
How Teams Retention Policies Work
- When a chat or channel message expires (based on the duration set in the policy), it’s moved to a “SubstrateHolds” folder in the Teams’ SharePoint site.
- For a preservation policy: the data is held in the SubstrateHolds folder until the preservation period ends, after which it’s deleted.
- For a deletion policy: the data is permanently deleted from the SubstrateHolds folder after the deletion period ends.
Setting Up Retention Policies in Teams
- Sign in to the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
- Choose ‘Policies’ under ‘Data governance’, then click on ‘Retention’.
- To create a new policy, click on ‘+New’.
- Give the policy a name and optionallyprovide a description.
- Choose ‘Teams chat’ and ‘Teams channel messages’ in locations where you want the policy to be applied.
- Configure Preservation policy or Deletion policy as per the needs of your organization.
- Following the configuration, the policy will run once every seven days.
It’s vital for organizations to define a clear strategy for retention and deletion policies based on their regulatory compliance requirements. The clear knowledge of these configurations and applications is a must for MS-700 aspirants as it forms a core part of managing Teams data and information.
Organizations are advised to take a consultant or expert’s opinion while defining the retention policy strategy. At the same time, exam aspirants must familiarize themselves with Microsoft documentation and resources to gain a complete understanding of these complex yet critical aspects of Microsoft Teams management.
Remember, managing data correctly not only boosts your productivity but also elevates your reliability quotient by meeting compliance requirements.
In summary, retention policies are a powerful tool to manage organizational data within Microsoft Teams. Understanding their working and configuration is not just pertinent to acing the MS-700 exam, but also in practically managing and governing Teams data effectively in real-world situations.
Practice Test
True or False: Retention policies in Teams are used to remember and preserve data for a specified period.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Retention policies in Teams are designed to capture chat and channel messages and keep them for a designated period.
Which of these are possible purposes of a retention policy? (Multiple Select)
- A. To delete data immediately and permanently
- B. To reduce the risk of data loss
- C. To minimize compliance risks
- D. To enable quick and easy access to old data
Answer: B, C, D
Explanation: Retention policies are used to minimize compliance risks, reduce the risk of data loss, and utilize storage for inactive but necessary data.
What functions can a retention policy perform in Teams? (Multiple Select)
- A. Delete data permanently
- B. Preserve data for a set period
- C. Back up data
- D. Improves the interface of Teams
Answer: A, B
Explanation: Retention policies can be used to preserve data for a specific period and delete it permanently after the period expires, but not to back up data or modify the Teams interface.
True or False: One global Teams retention policy can be created and additional ones for specific users or teams.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Teams allows for one global (all-inclusive) policy and up to 10,000 additional policies for specific users or teams.
In Microsoft Teams, retention policies can be applied to what content? (Multiple Select)
- A. Channel messages
- B. Chat messages
- C. Teams call logs
- D. Both A and B
Answer: D
Explanation: In Microsoft Teams, retention policies can be applied to channel messages and chat messages.
Does a retention policy for Teams apply to files shared in a chat or channel?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: B
Explanation: The retention policies for Teams only apply to chat and channel messages, not to files shared in those places.
True or False: When a Teams chat message is edited or deleted by a user, copies of the original message are still retained according to the retention policy.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: If a Teams chat message is edited or deleted by a user, versions of the original message are preserved based on the conditions of the retention policy.
Does a Teams retention policy guarantee that data will be held for a legal hold?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: B
Explanation: Retention policies and legal holds serve different purposes. Even if a chat or channel message is deleted by a retention policy, it will still be preserved if it’s covered by a legal hold.
True or False: The date for starting a retention policy is always the date it is created.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The start date of a retention policy is always the date it is created, not a date specified in the past.
Can you use one retention policy for all Microsoft 365 services?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: B
Explanation: Different Microsoft 365 services have different capabilities and limitations for retention, so it is recommended to generate separate retention policy for individual services.
True or False: Preservation lock works by simply preventing anyone from reducing the preservation period or deleting a retention policy.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Preservation lock is a feature that once activated, prevents anyone – including admins – from reducing the preservation period or deleting a retention policy.
Who can create and manage retention policies in Teams?
- A. Members
- B. Guests
- C. Team Owners
- D. Compliance administrators
Answer: D
Explanation: Compliance administrators are responsible for creating and managing retention policies in Teams.
Interview Questions
What is a retention policy in Microsoft Teams?
A retention policy in Microsoft Teams is a tool administrators can use to handle data retention in Teams. It allows admins to control how long to retain data and what to do with the data after the retention period ends.
Can an admin set a different retention policy for Teams chat and Teams channel messages?
Yes, an admin can set a different retention policy for Teams chat and Teams channel messages. The admin can manage this at the level of a user, a team, or the entire organization.
Can you explain how a retention policy works in Teams?
Once you set up a retention policy in Teams, the service will retain chat and channel messages for the specified duration and then delete the data. If a user deletes a message before the retention period ends, the service holds the content in a hidden folder until the retention period expires.
What happens when there are conflicting retention policies I.e., one for Teams chats and another for an entire organization?
For Microsoft Teams retention policies, the specific always wins over the general. Therefore, if you have different retention policies, the one set for specific locations, users, or teams will overrule any organization-wide policy.
What types of content does a Teams retention policy cover?
A Teams retention policy covers Teams chat messages, Teams channel messages, and standard channel messages.
Aside from deletion, what other actions can a retention policy perform?
Aside from deletion, a retention policy can also define a period for preserving data. Administrators can specify periods for both deletion and preservation.
Where can administrators create and manage retention policies in Microsoft Teams?
Administrators can create and manage retention policies in the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
Can an admin retrieve data once it has been deleted as per the retention policy?
No, once the retention period expires and the data is deleted, it is not possible to retrieve it. It is permanently deleted from all storage locations.
Is it possible to have a never delete retention policy in Teams?
Yes, it is possible by creating a retention policy and setting the retention period as “Never delete”.
Are Teams retention policies applied to existing data or just new data after the policy is set?
Teams retention policies are applied to both existing data and any new data after the policy is set.
Are retention policies retroactive in Microsoft Teams?
Yes, once a retention policy is set, it applies to all data from that point onwards, including data generated before the policy was set.
What happens if a user tries to delete a message while a retention policy is active?
If a user tries to delete a message while a retention policy is active, the message will appear to be deleted from the user’s view, but it will be preserved in a hidden folder in Teams. After the retention period expires, the message is permanently deleted.
Where is the data stored during the retention period?
The data during the retention period is stored in a hidden folder in Teams. This hidden folder is not accessible by users and is managed by the system.
Is there a maximum duration for a retention policy in Teams?
No, there is no maximum duration for a retention policy in Teams. Administrators can set the retention period based on their specific needs.
Does the retention policy affect all Microsoft 365 products or only Teams?
The policy set in the Teams admin center only affects Teams. For other Microsoft 365 services like SharePoint or Exchange, separate retention policies need to be set.
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