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How can we delete mail items from backups for GDPR compliance?


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I’ve been asked this by a customer for whom we backup their Office 365 applications for (MSP set up). The answer I thought would be a simple yes. However, it doesn’t seem that simple, from https://documentation.commvault.com/11.23/essential/104288_deleting_mail_messages_in_exchange_mailbox.html it says the deleted item is hidden from the user and an admin can view and restore. We have retention policy of 1 year based on deletion. The customer will be able to delete from the required mailbox and the items can be “deleted” from browsing for restore. However, that is not deleting the data which GDPR requires.

Is the documentation correct or is the mail really deleted from the backup (archive) image(s)? Or, is there some purge function we can invoke?

Best answer by dude

The link you provided is a configuration setting from a End User standpoint which makes sense that would not permanently delete the item or folder.

Take a look at these steps right here: https://documentation.commvault.com/11.23/essential/110998_deleting_mailbox_items_folders_or_messages.html

 

“The delete operation by the administrator will delete the messages or the folder permanently. Once deleted, the deleted items cannot be viewed from the Command Center or the CommCell Console UI browsing window.”

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I should have added that we are running 11.22.27 and have customers on the V1 and V2 O365 agents. Hopefully, any answer is common to both (for Exchange as that’s not changed much between the two).


dude
Byte
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  • Byte
  • 287 replies
  • Answer
  • June 29, 2021

The link you provided is a configuration setting from a End User standpoint which makes sense that would not permanently delete the item or folder.

Take a look at these steps right here: https://documentation.commvault.com/11.23/essential/110998_deleting_mailbox_items_folders_or_messages.html

 

“The delete operation by the administrator will delete the messages or the folder permanently. Once deleted, the deleted items cannot be viewed from the Command Center or the CommCell Console UI browsing window.”


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@dude thanks for that, your link jumps in under the journaling option but there is a similar page under the Exchange archiving section. Both refer to “Protect > Applications > Exchange” but for O365 we have to go to “Protect > Applications > Office 365” and then drill down through the Exchange application to the user’s mailbox.

I’ve tested it on our testbed and it does seem to delete properly (cannot be viewed again). So, I think BoL needs updating but other than that I have the information I need now. Many thanks.


dude
Byte
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  • Byte
  • 287 replies
  • June 29, 2021

Awesome. Maybe @Mike Struening can suggest to the documentation team to include that as part of the O365 documentation.

Glad it helped.


Mike Struening
Vaulter
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Tagging in @Seema Ghai to look at the docs.


Mike Struening
Vaulter
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@dude , I think we had the same idea at the same time :sweat_smile:

Tagging in @Lowgs as per Seema!


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  • Vaulter
  • 1 reply
  • June 30, 2021

We will work with the testers to add the information for the deleteoperation to the documentation.


Mike Struening
Vaulter
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Great!  Closing off the thread then!


Nikos.Kyrm
Byte
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Hello! This topic is solved?

Im not sure, If there is any way to actually delete any o365 backup!

There is still, only infinity retention for all o365 backup jobs!


Damian Andre
Vaulter
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Nikos.Kyrm wrote:

Hello! This topic is solved?

Im not sure, If there is any way to actually delete any o365 backup!

There is still, only infinity retention for all o365 backup jobs!

You can make the item un-recoverable, but you cannot free the storage from disk just yet.


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