Unlike managed folders, which require users to move items to a managed folder based on retention settings, retention tags can be applied to a folder or an individual item in the mailbox. This process has minimal impact on the user's workflow and e-mail organization methods. When a folder has retention tags applied, all items in that folder inherit the retention settings. Users can further specify retention settings by applying different retention tags to individual items in that folder.

Managed folders support different managed content settings for a folder, each with a different message class (such as e-mail items or calendar items). Retention tags don't require a separate managed content settings object because the retention settings are specified in the tag's properties. It isn't supported to create retention tags for particular message classes. Retention tags also don't allow you to use journaling (which is performed by the Managed Folder Assistant).

The following table compares the MRM functionality available when using retention tags or managed folders.

Retention tags vs. managed folders

Note:
You can't use the EMC to migrate mailbox users from managed folders.

For the following procedures, Contoso mailboxes have a managed folder mailbox policy applied containing the following managed folders.

Managed folders for Contoso

The following are general steps for migrating users from this managed folder mailbox policy to a retention policy. Each step is detailed later in this topic:

1. Create retention tags for the migration.
   
   
2. Create a retention policy and link the newly created retention tags to the policy.
   
   
3. Apply the retention policy to user mailboxes.
   
   

   Important:
   After you apply the retention policy to a user and the Managed Folder Assistant runs, the managed folders in the user's mailbox become unmanaged.

Step 1: Create retention tags for the migration

There are two methods you can use for this step:

• Create retention tags based on the managed folders and their corresponding managed content settings. With this method, you use the New-RetentionPolicyTag cmdlet with the ManagedFolderToUpgrade parameter. When you specify this parameter, the corresponding retention tag is automatically applied to the managed folder.
  
  
• Create retention tags by manually specifying the retention settings. With this method, you use the New-RetentionPolicyTag cmdlet without the ManagedFolderToUpgrade parameter. When you don't specify this parameter, any retention policy tags you add to the policy are applied to the default folders, and the default policy tag is applied to the entire mailbox. However, any personal tags you add to the policy aren't automatically applied to the managed folders.
  
  

Create retention tags based on managed folders

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Messaging records management" entry in the Messaging Policy and Compliance Permissions topic.

This example creates retention tags based on the corresponding managed content settings shown in the Contoso managed folder mailbox policy.

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New-RetentionPolicyTag Corp-DeletedItems -ManagedFolderToUpgrade Corp-DeletedItems New-RetentionPolicyTag Corp-SentItems -ManagedFolderToUpgrade Corp-SentItems New-RetentionPolicyTag Corp-JunkMail -ManagedFolderToUpgrade Corp-JunkMail New-RetentionPolicyTag Corp-EntireMailbox -ManagedFolderToUpgrade Corp-EntireMailbox New-RetentionPolicyTag 30Days -ManagedFolderToUpgrade 30Days New-RetentionPolicyTag 5Years -ManagedFolderToUpgrade 5Years New-RetentionPolicyTag NeverExpire -ManagedFolderToUpgrade NeverExpire

For detailed syntax and parameter information, see New-RetentionPolicyTag.

Create retention tags manually

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Messaging records management" entry in the Messaging Policy and Compliance Permissions topic.

This example creates retention tags based on the managed folders and corresponding managed content settings shown in the Contoso managed folder mailbox policy. The retention settings are specified manually without using the ManagedFolderToUpgrade parameter.

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New-RetentionPolicyTag Corp-DeletedItems -Type DeletedItems -RetentionEnabled $true -AgeLimitForRetention 30 -RetentionAction DeleteAndAllowRecovery New-RetentionPolicyTag Corp-SentItems -Type SentItems -RetentionEnabled $true -AgeLimitforRetention 1825 -RetentionAction MoveToDeletedItems New-RetentionPolicyTag Corp-JunkMail -Type JunkMail -RetentionEnabled $true -AgeLimitforRetention 30 -RetentionAction PermanentlyDelete New-RetentionPolicyTag Corp-EntireMailbox -Type All -RetentionEnabled $true -AgeLimitForRetention 365 -RetentionAction MoveToDeletedItems New-RetentionPolicyTag 30Days -Type Personal -RetentionEnabled $true -AgeLimitForRetention 30 -RetentionAction MoveToDeletedItems New-RetentionPolicyTag 5Years -Type Personal -RetentionEnabled $true -AgeLimitForRetention 1825 -RetentionAction MoveToDeletedItems New-RetentionPolicyTag NeverExpire -Type Personal -RetentionEnabled $false

For detailed syntax and parameter information, see New-RetentionPolicyTag.

Step 2: Create a retention policy

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Messaging records management" entry in the Messaging Policy and Compliance Permissions topic.

This example creates the retention policy RP-Corp and links the newly created retention tags to the policy.

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New-RetentionPolicy RP-Corp -RetentionPolicyTagLinks Corp-DeletedItems,Corp-SentItems,Corp-JunkMail,Corp-EntireMailbox,30Days,NeverExpire

For detailed syntax and parameter information, see New-RetentionPolicy.

Step 3: Apply the retention policy to user mailboxes

You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform this procedure. To see what permissions you need, see the "Applying retention policies" entry in the Messaging Policy and Compliance Permissions topic.

This example applies the newly created retention policy RP-Corp to the mailbox user Ken Kwok.

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Set-Mailbox -Identity Kwok -RetentionPolicy RP-Corp

For detailed syntax and parameter information, see Set-Mailbox.