UF Exchange
Service Specifications for UF Exchange
General FAQ's
Who can have an account on UF Exchange?
Faculty, staff and student employees – RAs, TAs and
undergraduate employees can all have accounts on UF Exchange. In addition,
departments on UF Exchange can have an unlimited number of service accounts.
How will quotas be assigned and controlled?
Users are not restricted in their storage of email in UF Exchange.
Users will be classified as either Light, Medium or Heavy email users for
system management. The initial determination will be made during conversion.
Users will be reclassified based on their usage.
How will Public Folders be supported?
UF Exchange will fully support public folders. For units
coming from Federated Exchange, there will be little change – units can create
public folders and assign rights to them. For units currently operating
independently, their “top level” folders will be put into a single unit-level
top folder. Public folders are
fully supported by Microsoft in Exchange 2007.
When will UF Exchange service be unavailable for maintenance?
UF Exchange is designed to be operational 24 hours a day, 7
days a week, 365 days a year. There will be no scheduled maintenance
downtime. All maintenance activities will be performed on the running system.
Complex system maintenance will be performed Sunday mornings from 6 AM to 10
AM, but these activities are not expected to disrupt service. Service
disruption can be caused by some types of rare hardware and network failures.
UF Exchange has been designed to minimize these service disruptions. As your
mail box is moved to UF Exchange, you may experience several hours without mail
service. Occasionally mail boxes may be moved or repaired and these activities
may also result in short periods where individuals will not have service.
Does UF Exchange support encryption of email?
Yes. For sending and receiving email to individuals outside
the UF Exchange system, S/MIME is supported. Users can have and exchange
public keys. Public keys are stored in your Contacts in UF Exchange. For mail
sent from one UF Exchange user to another, self-signed certificates are used
How is the Address Book maintained in UF Exchange?
The global address list is maintained through the UF
Directory. When you update your contact information in UF Directory, the
information is automatically supplied to Active Directory and UF Exchange.
These systems are always synchronized. In addition, each user has “Contacts”
Who can use the calendar?
UF Exchange will provide calendaring services to everyone who
has a mailbox. In addition, resource accounts can have calendars to provide
additional information regarding availability of resources. Scheduling
Assistant in Exchange 2007 provides real-time free/busy information. UF
Exchange is integrated with users in Federated Exchange providing a large
community of people accessible for calendar and scheduling.
What protocols are supported by UF Exchange?
UF Exchange supports imaps version 4, Outlook Anywhere (for
secure remote access without the use of a VPN), and https via a browser for
access to Outlook Web Access. Clients supporting these protocols should work
well with UF Exchange. POP (Post Office Protocol) clients are not supported.
Experience with POP indicates that many users have difficulty managing mail
using POP. As an early Internet protocol, POP does not have the features most
users have come to expect in a mail service. Use of other protocols is
encouraged.
How will spam be controlled?
Three levels of spam control will be provided – 1) the
university provides “Spam Assassin” service to all email messages coming onto
the UF network and destroys email determined to be spam; 2) Proofpoint spam
appliances will be used to keep email out of the UF Exchange system. Proofpoint
settings can be controlled by the user to provide more or less spam control
using filters; 3) Outlook junk mail filters will be used b y those
users using Outlook. UF Exchange strongly encourages the use of a 4th level of defense for spam – user defined rules to sort and filter email. Such
rules can be set up by the user to meet the user’s needs.
When an individual leaves UF, how will they get their email from UF
Exchange?
Users are responsible for removing any email they wish to
retain. Methods will be provided for users to extract their email from UF
Exchange. Departments may choose to facilitate this process via local
support. PST files can be used for this purpose.
Can I take all my email with me when I leave UF?
University policy may prevent the independent possession of
some emails as individuals leave the university. It is the user’s
responsibility to conform to UF policy in this regard.
What is the maximum mailbox size in UF Exchange?
UF Exchange runs Exchange 2007. The maximum mailbox quota in
Exchange 2007 is 2 GIG. An unlimited quota is also available. Both will be
supported in UF Exchange.
Will users be able to forward email from UF Exchange to other systems?
Current UF Email Policy will apply. Unless otherwise
restricted by policy, users will be able to forward their UF Exchange email to
other systems. HSC users are prohibited from forwarding email to systems
outside the ufl.edu domain.
Will “Vacation Rules” be permitted?
Yes. Users will be able to set vacation rules. Users should
not set vacation rules that respond to lists. User training and support will
be required.
Retention Periods
What are the retention periods used in UF Exchange?
Exchange Server Operating System |
28 days |
Mailbox store |
7 days |
Log message tracking |
7 days |
Deleted Mailbox |
7 days |
Deleted Item retention |
7 days |
Deleted Item Folders items |
30 days |
Junk E-Mail Folder items |
14 days |
| Inbox and Sent Item Folders | 365 days |
User created folder under Mailbox |
user set |
Retention of the operating systems and mailbox stores are done on off-line tape and are used solely for the purpose of restoring system services. UF Exchange does not provide restoration of individual mailbox contents from tape.
What mobile devices are supported?
UF Exchange will support synchronization with devices that use
Active Synch, Good Link and/or Blackberry synchronization. UF Exchange will
operate Blackberry Enterprise Servers for UF Exchange users. Each Blackberry
user must provide a Blackberry access license purchased separately – UF
Exchange will not provide Blackberry access licenses.
What Active Synch policies will be in place for security and protection
of mobile devices?
We will determine Active Synch policies as part of the advisory
process. The UF ITAC security Committee and others will provide
recommendations regarding appropriate policies.
We have many mailboxes for various purposes not assigned to
individuals. How will this be supported in UF Exchange?
These “service account” mailboxes will be supported in UF
Exchange. Units can have as many service accounts as they need. In all cases,
all mailboxes in UF Exchange are provided and used for UF purposes only.
How will UF Exchange support lists? Will LISTSERV be replaced?
There are no plans to replace LISTSERV. UF Exchange supports
three kinds of lists: 1) Mail enabled security groups; 2) Mail Enabled
All will be supported.
What attachments are allowed?
The list of disallowed attachments is available in the Service
Level Agreement. Attachments are disallowed in general if clicking on them
will cause content to execute on the recipient’s computer. Such email
attachments are generally considered to be a high security risk. Zip archives
are permitted as attachments. Sending executable content to another user can
be achieved by making a zip archive. The recipient must then unzip the content
and execute.
What is the maximum message size?
The maximum message size – mail message plus all attachments –
is 20 Megabytes. Remote sites may have smaller limits. Mail sent to such
sites will only be deliverable if the receiving site can accept a message of
the size sent by UF Exchange.
What happens to the mail service in the case of a disaster affecting the
data center?
UF Exchange would be rebuilt in the event of a natural disaster
affecting the data center. Data is backed up to the UF off site facility in
Atlanta, but no email capability is available there. Restoration of service is
expected to take several weeks in the event of a disaster. Standby Cluster
Replication for immediate offsite resumption of service is planned for UF
Exchange in the future.
Can I digitally sign an email without encrypting it?
Yes. This can be done with your public key.
Will UF Exchange support mail aliases?
Existing mail aliases will be supported. In addition, unit can
create unlimited mail aliases, known as secondary proxy addresses, for their
third level domain names (typically department name). So for example, the
English department could create info@english.ufl.edu, help@english.ufl.edu and many more. Units
cannot create name@ufl.edu type aliases as
these conflict the GatorLink name space. Such addresses can be requested and
will be provided if not already in use and not in conflict with potential
future uses.
Will Outlook Mobile Access (OMA) be supported?
Outlook Mobile Access was a feature of Exchange 2003 that provided a text-only web interface that could be used on older mobile phones. Outlook Mobile Access is not supported in Exchange 2007 and is not provided by UF Exchange. It is recommended that phones be upgraded to support one of the current supported interface technologies -- ActiveSynch, BlackBerry or Good Link.
Policy
Under what circumstances will email contents be disclosed to third parties?
General Counsel and Human Resource Services may request
disclosure of email contents stored in UF Exchange. All requests coming from
other units will be referred to General Counsel.
How does UF Exchange support UF record retention policy?
UF record retention policy requires that original senders of
email retain various emails as public records for various time periods. Users
are responsible for retaining their email in accordance with university
policy. The method of retention is determined by the user. Email may be
retained on paper, in computer files outside of UF Exchange or in UF Exchange
mailboxes. Mail retention policy on UF Exchange mailboxes may not be
sufficient for all users to retain all email as public records within UF
Exchange.
What policy governs the use of email in UF Exchange?
The University Acceptable Use Policy governs the use of email
in UF Exchange. In addition, the UF Email Forwarding Policy and the UF Email
as a Public Record Policy also apply.
Deployment and Adoption
When I move to UF Exchange, will all my mail be imported?
All your mail in your unit's university email system will be imported.
Mail you may have in any previous email system will not be imported. Mail you may have in other email systems will not be imported. Mail that
is in your Deleted Folder will be imported to your Deleted Folder in UF
Exchange. Mail in Deleted Item Retention, a system folder that allows system
administrators to recover lost mail that has moved out of your deleted mail
folder – will not be converted.
Does my department need to identify local support people in order to
adopt UF Exchange?
Yes. It is critically important to you and the members of your
department that you have good local IT support. Many features of UF Exchange
are best experienced on a well-supported work station. You will need to know
the names of the people in your department who provide this support. Training
and support will be given to them so that they can better help you.
Can I use the calendar only and continue to use my existing email?
Email and calendar are an integrated service offering. UF
Exchange will not provide calendar-only service. All UF Exchange calendar
users will have UF Exchange mailboxes. Users may have personal email services
outside of UF.
When my department migrates to UF Exchange, must I give up my GatorLink
WebMail Inbox?
Yes. All UF Exchange users will be required by policy to
forward mail received at gatorlink@ufl.edu to UF Exchange.
When my department moves to UF Exchange will I be able to keep my old
email address?
In general, yes. UF Exchange will support email addresses of two types – GatorLink@ufl.edu and GatorLink@deptname.ufl.edu. When
your department moves to UF Exchange, its third level domain name (deptname)
will move with it and the addresses will move as well. There will be no
interruption in service and your email address will remain the same. Your unit may provide support for additional email addresses for you. Management of these "aliases" is a local responsibility.
Can a unit join UF Exchange without joining UF Active Directory?
This approach is not recommended. UF Active Directory provides
the foundation for identity and access management for UF Exchange. Departments
considering such an approach will find adoption of UF Exchange more difficult
and their users will likely also find their service more difficult to use.
Can I get on UF Exchange before my unit? Can I delay getting on
UF Exchange until sometime after my unit moves to UF Exchange?
All users in a unit will move to UF Exchange together.
This is important to insure that all mail services and their support function
properly.
My department currently uses Federated Exchange and I access my mail via
webmail.ad.ufl.edu. Will this address go away? If so, when?
UF Exchange is providing an all new “front end” service that
will support Federated Exchange users. webmail.ad.ufl.edu is now a synonym for mail.ufl.edu. You should have your browser point to mail.ufl.edu. The address webmail.ad.ufl.edu will be retired. You will be notified
well in advance.
Support
If I have a problem with my mail in UF Exchange, who do I call?
You always have two choices. You can call your local IT
support person. Your local IT support person will be trained to provide
support for UF Exchange. In addition, you can call the UF Computing Help Desk
at 392-HELP. The UF Computing Help Desk provides phone and email support for
UF Exchange as well as routing of calls to local people who can help you.
What clients are supported for use by UF Exchange?
You may use a variety of email clients to access UF
Exchange. Most people will use Outlook 2007 and this is the preferred client,
offering the widest variety of features. But other clients will work
based on supported protocols. Additional information and support will be
available for the most commonly used browsers and desktop clients at UF.
Who supports my mobile device?
Your local workstation support person supports your mobile
device and its synchronization with UF Exchange.
What training and other user education will be available for UF
Exchange?
A variety of materials will be available on line for UF
Exchange users. All resources will be linked from www.mail.ufl.edu as a single one-stop shop for
information regarding UF Exchange. Users are encouraged to use Internet
resources to learn more about Exchange services in general and their clients
and devices in particular. Many good books are available on Exchange 2010 and
Outlook 2010. UF produced materials will focus on UF specifics –policies and
service levels. Generic instruction in email tools is widely available from
other sources.
Technical
How will attachments be handled so that the storage they use does not
swamp the mail servers?
UF Exchange stores one copy of an attachment for each mailbox
store. Many users will be in each mailbox store. The number of mailbox stores
will be closer to dozens than larger numbers. This means that when someone
sends an email attachment to 2,000 people, UF Exchange only stores one copy in
each mailbox store in which there is at least one recipient. Suppose 18 of 20
mailbox stores contain at least one of the 2,000 recipients. Exchange would
store 18 copies of the attachment.
How will archiving work? Will UF Exchange support PST files?
UF Exchange stores email in mailboxes that are accessible
on-line. In addition, users may chose to store mail in personal folders and or
archive folders that are located outside the UF Exchange system. Use of
Personal Folders and Archive Folders is the responsibility of the user. The
use of Personal Folders and Archive Folders is recommended for users who
require very long retention and for those who have a great deal of email.
Departments will assist their users in developing appropriate archiving methods
for their users. PST files can be used. Retention and management of PST files
is a personal responsibility supported by the units. We strongly recommend
that PST files be kept on managed departmental file servers. Storage of PST
files on personal computers and laptops is strongly discouraged. UF Exchange
is not responsible for the loss of email resulting from the use of PST files.
Departments may choose to eliminate the use of PST files by their users. This is a settable group policy within UF Exchange at the department level.
How can email users outside UF Exchange participate in UF Exchange
lists?
Contacts can be created in UF Exchange which contain “foreign”
(outside UF Exchange) email addresses. These contacts can then be added to any
distribution list. Rights can be assigned to the contacts so that they can
send and receive email from such lists. Persons without GatorLink usernames
and passwords cannot manage UF Exchange lists.
Can I use UF Exchange for large email lists such as for sending to all
staff or faculty?
LISTSERV remains the recommended tool for sending to large
groups of users.
What URLs are associated with UF Exchange?
web.mail.ufl.edu Browser-based
access to mail
imap.mail.ufl.edu imap services
smtp.ufl.edu smtp
services
www.mail.ufl.edu Information
about UF Exchange
autodiscover.ufl.edu Exchange
discovery services
spam.mail.ufl.edu Access
spam filter controls
Is POP a supported protocol provided by UF Exchange?
No. UF Exchange does not provide POP protocol service.
What versions of Outlook are supported for use with UF Exchange?
Outlook 20007 and up.
Future Services
How will provisioning and deprovisioning of mail boxes work?
UF Exchange will eventually provide automatic provisioning and
deprovisioning of mail boxes based on UF Directory affiliations. UF Exchange
is fully integrated with UF Active Directory and the UF Directory. These
systems maintain real-time information regarding the affiliation of individuals
with the university. As affiliations change, mail boxes will be created
(provisioned) and inactivated (deprovisioned). All such changes will be
governed by university policy. Departments can create and maintain
affiliations which insure continuous mail box service as needed. Automatic
provisioning and deprovisioning of mail boxes is a future feature of UF
Exchange.
Will all students be able to use UF Exchange?
UF Exchange is being designed for use by all university
faculty, staff and students. At the present time, only faculty, staff and
student employees of departments which adopt UF Exchange will have mailboxes on
UF Exchange. A decision to have the entire university community on the same
email system will be made in the future.