Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/50188
All PST files must be found, which means searching both client and file servers. It is also desirable to find the PST files without requiring a complex installation — or even better, no installation at all — on client workstations. PHASE TWO: UNDERSTAND THE DATA The second phase in the process is to understand the data collected. The nature of the data analysis is dependent on each individual firm or company; for example, an organization may have 190TB of PST data in total, but the information most relevant about the data will vary. Some organizations may want to determine how much of the data is older than three years or older than five years; others may want to determine how much belongs to a specific department or whether the owners of certain data are still employed by the organization. to remove it in place and then load the remainder in a considerably shorter time scale? Of course, if a retention policy is enforced, it is advisable to confirm whether there is a legal hold on the user or on specific data. more accurate projection of timescale and network loading." "Compiling the data allows for a much PHASE THREE: CULL THE DATA When the data are accurately defined, it's time to set retention periods and/or delete older data. Diligent application of corporate policies at this stage can really shorten migration timelines. For example, if 90TB of the 190TB total is older than five years and can be deleted in place, then the volume to move is almost cut in half. The critical aspect here is to take action on the data "in place." Many vendors tout their ability to cull older data, but this generally means they can do this only after they have loaded the data. Why load the full 190TB only to delete almost half, when it is possible 40 Tech Potpourri ILTA White Paper PHASE FOUR: INGEST THE DATA (DIRECTLY OR VIA AN ARCHIVE) Now that the data are understood and have been processed or culled down to the minimum set to be ingested, it is still required that the ingestion be conducted in a controlled manner. Simply setting all remaining data to be ingested will result in network flooding, partial ingestion of data and severe impairment of end users' productivity. Importing excessive PST data can swamp and completely fill end users' mailboxes and affect their ability to actually use Outlook. With reports on the volume of data to be ingested per user, and the current size and quota of each mailbox, intelligent and automated decisions can be made about whether a particular user's data should be ingested. At this stage, if there is still such a large volume of total data that the back-end Exchange storage infrastructure cannot cope, then all is not lost. As opposed to simply ingesting the data, one option is to archive the PST data, in place, bypassing Exchange and therefore drastically reducing (by up to 90 percent) the PST data size while still allowing real-