Need to delete AD user accounts and delay killing the corresponding Exchange mailbox
Environment: Exchange 2013, AD Forest Functional Level 2008R2
We're doing a cleanup of old user accounts (no login before 2019). In ADUC, we're deleting the user objects but we discovered that the corresponding Exchange mailbox is being deleted as well; we were under the impression that the disconnected mailbox is retained for 30 days before being purged.
So, a couple of questions/concerns:
1) What is the deletion procedure for only the AD account?
2) Where in EAC is the post-deletion retention policy configured?
Thanks for any help!
We're doing a cleanup of old user accounts (no login before 2019). In ADUC, we're deleting the user objects but we discovered that the corresponding Exchange mailbox is being deleted as well; we were under the impression that the disconnected mailbox is retained for 30 days before being purged.
So, a couple of questions/concerns:
1) What is the deletion procedure for only the AD account?
2) Where in EAC is the post-deletion retention policy configured?
Thanks for any help!
ASKER
OK, I checked EAC, and under DB Limits, the mailbox is indeed set to remain for 30 days and, only after a backup, should it be deleted.
Does this mean that by deleting in ADUC, by design, you immediately kill the mailbox?
Finally, how do you access the "death row" mailboxes in case you have to restore an erroneously deleted account?
Thanks again, this is great info!
Does this mean that by deleting in ADUC, by design, you immediately kill the mailbox?
Finally, how do you access the "death row" mailboxes in case you have to restore an erroneously deleted account?
Thanks again, this is great info!
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
Thank you, TimGreen7077, for the IMMENSELY helpful advice!!!!
sure thing.
1) What is the deletion procedure for only the AD account?
You can delete the mailbox via the Exchange shell or the EAC. To delete using the exchange shell run the following:
Remove-Mailbox -Identity "username"
This example removes the mailbox and the user account. The mailbox remains in the mailbox database for the deleted mailbox retention period that's configured for the database.
2) Where in EAC is the post-deletion retention policy configured?
Login to the EAC > Servers > Databases > Select DB to Edit > Limits > In the text box labeled "Keep deleted mailboxes for (days)" you will see the number of days designated to keep a disabled or deleted mailbox. After that time exchange will completely purge the mailbox and it will no longer be recoverable.