Outlook Online Archive, also known as In-Place Archive or Exchange Online Archive, is an online mailbox accessible only with an internet connection. This feature helps you store older emails in a separate mailbox, freeing up space in your primary mailbox and improving Outlook’s performance.

Key Characteristics:

• Separate Mailbox: The archive is distinct from your primary mailbox.
• Internet-Dependent: Accessible only with an internet connection.
• Disk Space Saver: Data isn’t stored on the user’s computer.

Online Archive vs. Archive Folder

The primary difference between the two is that the Archive folder is part of the primary mailbox, whereas the Online Archive is a separate mailbox. The Online Archive offers a more efficient solution for reducing mailbox size and keeping your Outlook running smoothly.

Comparison:

• Location: Archive Folder – Primary Mailbox; Online Archive – Exchange Online
• Size: Archive Folder – Part of mailbox; Online Archive – 50GB/1.5 TB
• Search Results: Archive Folder – Displayed; Online Archive – Not displayed

Licensing Options for Exchange Online Archiving

Exchange Online Archiving for Exchange Online

• Cost: $3.60/user/month
• Features:
  • Provides an additional archive mailbox.
  • Archive mailbox offers more storage capacity beyond the 50GB primary mailbox.
  • Ideal for storing older emails and freeing up space in the primary mailbox.

Exchange Online (Plan 2)

As of 2024, Exchange Online (Plan 2) may no longer include Online Archiving.

• Cost: $8.00/user/month
• Features:
  • Increases primary mailbox storage to 100GB.
  • Includes additional features such as DLP (Data Loss Prevention) and legal hold capabilities.
  • No need for a separate archive mailbox as the primary mailbox itself has increased capacity.

How to Request a License Upgrade

If you need to upgrade to either of these licensing options, Design.Garden is here to assist you. You can request a license upgrade in the following ways:

• Email Support: Send a request to our support team at support@design.garden.
• Submit a Ticket: Log in to your customer account on my.design.garden and submit a support ticket.

How Design.Garden Implements the Upgrade

Once we receive your request, our team will:

1. Verify Your Requirements: Confirm the details of the upgrade and ensure all necessary information is gathered.
2. Purchase the License: Acquire the necessary licenses from Ingram Micro on your behalf.
3. Assign the License: Use our Microsoft 365 admin center to assign the new license to the designated user(s) in your organization.
4. Confirm Completion: Notify you once the upgrade is complete and provide any necessary instructions for utilizing the new features.

Enabling Archive Mailbox in Office 365

Using the Exchange Admin Center

1. Open the Exchange Admin Center.
2. Navigate to Recipients and select Mailboxes.
3. Select the user you wish to enable the archive for.
4. Click on Others and then Manage mailbox archive.
5. Enable the Mailbox Archive.

Using PowerShell

For enabling the archive mailbox for multiple users:

1. Connect to Exchange Online:

   shell
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   Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName your@adminemail.com
   

2. Enable the archive mailbox for all users:

   shell
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   Get-EXOMailbox -Filter {ArchiveStatus -Eq "None" -AND RecipientTypeDetails -eq "UserMailbox"} | Enable-Mailbox -Archive
   

Enabling Auto-Expanding Archive

Auto-expanding archiving increases storage automatically when the archive mailbox is almost full.

1. Enable Auto-Expanding Archive for the entire organization:

   shell
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   Connect-ExchangeOnline -UserPrincipalName your@adminemail.com
   Set-OrganizationConfig -AutoExpandingArchive
   

2. Enable for specific users:

   shell
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   Enable-Mailbox user@example.com -AutoExpandingArchive
   

Using the Exchange Online Archive

Manual Archiving

1. Select the emails you wish to archive.
2. Right-click and choose Move, then select the Inbox – Online Archive folder.

Exchange Online Archiving Policies

Policies can automatically move emails based on age. Default policies move emails older than two years to the Online Archive.

Custom Policies

You can create custom retention policies using PowerShell:

shell
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New-RetentionPolicyTag "Custom Policy 6 months" -Type Personal -RetentionEnabled $true -AgeLimitForRetention 180 -RetentionAction MoveToArchive

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Archive Not Working

1. Check the retention tag settings.
2. Verify that the user has the appropriate license.
3. Ensure the archive mailbox is provisioned.
4. Run the Managed Folder Assistant:

   shell
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   Get-MailboxServer | Get-ManagedFolderAssistant | Select-Object Identity,WorkCycle,StartTime,Status
   

Accessing Online Archive

Ensure users have the correct permissions. For shared mailboxes, full access is necessary.

Where Design.Garden fits in

Design.Garden, a Microsoft license reseller, works through Ingram Micro Inc as an Indirect Reseller, making us your go-to partner for all your Microsoft licensing needs. We assign licenses to our customer’s users via our Microsoft 365 admin center, ensuring seamless integration and management.

At Design.Garden, we are committed to helping you make the most of your Office 365 features, ensuring efficient email storage and seamless operations. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact our support team.