Microsoft Exchange Products
Attender Utilities for Exchange®
Managing, Searching and Migrating PST Files
One of the key design goals in Sherpa's products for Microsoft Exchange is to provide tools that help email administrators better manage data stored in personal folder (PST) files. As both data volumes and compliance needs escalate, it becomes critically important to implement a strategy for PST data.
The following table outlines key challenges that our customers address by using Sherpa solutions.
PST Challenge |
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Loading PST's |
The desktop agent component will periodically scan all local fixed drives on a workstation and report PST files back to the administrator console. Network shares may be recursively scanned for PST data files. |
The PST import utility will recursively scan network file shares and identify all PST files located within the path. | The PST backup agent will periodically scan targeted fixed drives on a workstation and add or remove PST files for processing. | Within the discovery wizard a searcher can specify network shares to scan for PST data to include in the search criteria. |
Establishing Ownership |
A heuristic scan of the PST data can be performed for either network or desktop based files. If results are indeterminate, a table of possible owners is returned. | A heuristic scan of the PST data on the network can be performed. If results are indeterminate, ownership may be assigned manually. | PST data is assumed to belong to the workstation owner. | |
Reporting |
Extremely detailed report generation tools allow virtually any MAPI element from desktop or network based PST files to be added to a report. A quick snapshot of the file size and content can be easily acquired by enabling statistics for the PST. |
After ingesting PST files into an archive, they will be included in console search results with filters by keyword, date, sender, recipient or attachment name. | A notification of PST file data that has successfully been processed by the backup agent can be forwarded to an administrator. | Powerful search criteria including keywords, pattern matching, regular expressions and proximity may be applied to the network PST files in the search request. Results processing provides a variety of views to examine and review PST file messages that match search criteria. |
Management /Migration |
By combining the larger number of conditions and actions available in a rule, administrators gain complete control over PST data. This includes copying, moving, deleting or synchronizing messages and folders. Target repositories for data migration may include mailboxes, Exchange 2010 personal archive folders, network PST files or public folders. |
PST file data may be imported directly into the archive locations for reliable long term storage. Follow-up actions to the import include the ability to create a stub link shortcut to the message and place it in the user mailbox or delete the original message from the source PST. |
Backup policies will copy messages from the PST to a secure network based storage area. In the event of a failure, individual messages may be copied back to the workstation. Retention policies provide a convenient way to delete data from the PST on the workstation. Policies may apply to specific folders or include a variety of age/data criteria. |
