Exchange Online Deep Notes
### Core Administrative Responsibilities
1. User and Mailbox Management
- Create and manage user mailboxes via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center or PowerShell.
- Assign appropriate licenses (e.g., Exchange Online Plan 1/2).
- Monitor mailbox usage and quotas using `Get-MailboxStatistics`.
2. Mail Flow Configuration
- Configure Connectors for secure email flow between Exchange Online, on-premises servers, or
third-party services.
- Types: Inbound, Outbound.
- Set up and manage Transport Rules for mail flow control (e.g., blocking specific attachments or
redirecting emails).
3. Security and Compliance
- Implement Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Anti-phishing, anti-malware, and Safe
Links/Attachments.
- Use Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to prevent sharing of sensitive information.
- Monitor email traffic and security reports in the Security & Compliance Center.
4. Retention and Archiving
- Apply Retention Policies to manage email lifecycle.
- Enable Online Archiving for additional mailbox storage (infinite archiving for Plan 2).
- Configure Mailbox Litigation Hold to retain all mailbox content for compliance.
5. Monitoring and Troubleshooting
- Message Trace: Track email delivery for troubleshooting delays or failures.
- Analyze mail flow dashboards for insights into email volume and security threats.
- Use PowerShell cmdlets like `Test-MailFlow` to diagnose mail flow issues.
### Mailbox Types
1. User Mailbox: Standard mailbox with individual ownership.
2. Shared Mailbox:
- Used by multiple users.
- Does not require a license (up to 50 GB storage).
3. Resource Mailbox (Room/Equipment):
- Auto-scheduling for meeting rooms or equipment.
4. Group Mailbox:
- Associated with Microsoft 365 Groups for collaboration.
### Exchange Online Hybrid
- What is Hybrid?
- Combines Exchange Online and on-premises Exchange for coexistence or migration.
- Key Components
- Hybrid Configuration Wizard (HCW): Configures secure mail flow, Free/Busy sharing, and
directory synchronization.
- Edge Servers: Optional for secure internet-facing traffic.
- Scenarios
- Staged Migration: Migrates users in batches.
- Cutover Migration: Migrates all users at once.
- Hybrid Deployment: Long-term coexistence.
### PowerShell Administration
- Install Exchange Online Management Module for advanced management tasks.
- Common Cmdlets:
- Mailbox Management:
- `Get-Mailbox`, `Set-Mailbox`, `New-Mailbox`.
- Retention and Archiving:
- `Set-Mailbox -RetentionPolicy`.
- `Enable-Mailbox -Archive`.
- Mail Flow:
- `New-TransportRule`, `Get-MessageTrace`.
- Compliance:
- `New-ComplianceSearch`, `Set-Mailbox -LitigationHoldEnabled`.
### Compliance and Security Features
1. eDiscovery
- Search for specific content across mailboxes for legal or audit purposes.
- Compliance Center -> eDiscovery -> Content Search.
2. In-Place Hold and Litigation Hold
- Prevent deletion of emails for legal retention.
- Useful for lawsuits or compliance audits.
3. Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)
- Protects against sophisticated threats (e.g., zero-day malware).
- Features: Safe Links, Safe Attachments, anti-phishing policies.
### Transport Rules Examples
1. Block Emails Containing Specific Attachments
- Block `.exe` files or `.zip` attachments:
```powershell
New-TransportRule -Name "Block Executables" -AttachmentExtensionMatchesWords
@(".exe",".zip") -RejectMessageReasonText "Executable files are not allowed."
```
2. Redirect Emails
- Redirect emails from a specific domain to another mailbox:
```powershell
New-TransportRule -Name "Redirect External Emails" -FromAddressContainsWords
"[Link]" -RedirectMessageTo "admin@[Link]"
```
### Migration to Exchange Online
1. Cutover Migration
- Suitable for environments with fewer than 2,000 mailboxes.
- Migrates all mailboxes, contacts, and distribution groups at once.
2. Staged Migration
- For larger organizations.
- Migrates mailboxes in batches over time.
3. Hybrid Migration
- Best for long-term coexistence or gradual migration.
4. IMAP Migration
- Migrates emails only from non-Exchange systems (e.g., Gmail).
### Troubleshooting Tips
1. Email Delivery Issues
- Use Message Trace for tracking.
- Check quarantine for blocked emails.
- Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for email authentication.
2. Mailbox Access Issues
- Confirm licenses and user permissions.
- Check mailbox state (`Get-Mailbox -SoftDeletedMailbox`).
3. Mail Flow Problems
- Validate connector settings and MX records.
- Use `Test-MailFlow` cmdlet.
