Tutorial / Cram Notes
Retention policies in Microsoft Teams are essential for ensuring that your organization’s data is managed according to regulatory, legal, and business requirements. As an Information Protection Administrator preparing for the SC-400 Microsoft Information Protection Administrator exam, it’s important to understand how to create and apply these policies effectively.
Understanding Retention Policies in Microsoft Teams
Retention policies in Microsoft Teams help you to manage content by specifying how long a message or a file should be retained and what should happen to it after that period. You can choose to retain data for a specified period, delete it after that period, or both retain and then delete the data at the end of the retention period.
Types of Data Managed by Retention Policies
Teams data is categorized into two main types that can be managed by retention policies:
- Chat messages: These include private messages between individuals and group chats.
- Channel messages: These are messages posted within a Teams channel, involving multiple members of the team.
Creating a Retention Policy for Microsoft Teams
To create a retention policy, follow these steps:
- Open the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
- Navigate to Solutions > Information governance or Data lifecycle management.
- Click on Create to start a new retention policy.
- Name the policy and add a description to help identify its purpose.
- Under Locations, choose Microsoft Teams chat and Microsoft Teams channel.
- Specify whether to retain or delete content or both and set the retention period (in days, months, or years).
- Choose if you want the retention period to start from the creation date, last modified date, or an event.
- Review your settings and create the policy.
Example of a Retention Policy for a Project Team
Consider a scenario where you have a project-based team that will dissolve after one year. You might want to retain the chat and channel messages for an additional six months before deleting them. In this case, your settings would look like this:
| Data Type | Retention Period | Action after Retention | Retention Trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teams Chat | 18 Months | Delete | When created |
| Teams Channel | 18 Months | Delete | When created |
Applying Retention Policies
Once a retention policy is created, it’s applied automatically to the data types and locations specified. It may take up to 24 hours for the policy to take effect. Be aware of the following implications when applying retention policies:
- When messages are subject to a retention policy, they’re moved to a hidden folder within the Teams infrastructure until the end of the retention period when they’re permanently deleted.
- If a delete action is specified, after the retention period elapses, the content is permanently deleted and not recoverable.
- Teams retention policies conform to the principles of data governance across Office 365 but take precedence over other retention policies applied to the same locations.
Monitoring and Reporting
Information Protection Administrators should set up monitoring and reporting mechanisms to ensure retention policies are functioning as intended. Use the Microsoft 365 compliance center to track the lifecycle of data within Microsoft Teams and determine if policies are being applied appropriately.
Compliance Considerations
When creating retention policies, admins must take into consideration the following:
- Legal and compliance requirements specific to the industry and region.
- Internal policies dictated by the organizational data governance framework.
Regular Review and Updates
It’s essential for Information Protection Administrators to conduct regular reviews and make necessary adjustments to retention policies to keep them in line with evolving business and compliance needs.
By mastering the creation and application of retention policies in Microsoft Teams, Information Protection Administrators can effectively manage risks associated with data retention and comply with legal and regulatory requirements, positioning themselves for success in both their practical roles and the SC-400 certification exam.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: Retention policies in Microsoft Teams can only be applied at the team level, not to individual users.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: Retention policies in Microsoft Teams can be applied at the team level, individual user level, or location level, such as channel conversations, chats, or files.
Multiple select: Which of the following locations can a retention policy be applied to in Microsoft Teams?
- A) Teams channel messages
- B) Teams chats
- C) SharePoint Online
- D) Teams meeting recordings
Answer: A) Teams channel messages, B) Teams chats, D) Teams meeting recordings
Explanation: Retention policies can be applied to Teams channel messages, chats and, as of recent updates, Teams meeting recordings also. SharePoint Online has its own separate retention settings.
True or False: To retain data in Microsoft Teams, one must create both a retention policy and a deletion policy.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: A retention policy can be configured to retain data, delete data, or both, after a specified period of time. A separate deletion policy is not necessary unless additional deletion rules are required.
Single select: What is the minimum number of days you can set for a retention period in Teams?
- A) 1 day
- B) 7 days
- C) 30 days
- D) 90 days
Answer: A) 1 day
Explanation: While some services within Office 365 have minimum retention limits (like 30 days for email), Teams policies can be set with a minimum retention period of just 1 day.
True or False: A single retention policy can cover Teams chats, channel messages, and files within Teams.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: A) True
Explanation: A single retention policy can indeed cover Teams chats, channel messages, and files within Teams, but the policy details need to be configured correctly to include these types of content.
Single select: What happens to Teams messages that are subject to a retention policy after the retention period expires?
- A) They are automatically archived
- B) They become read-only
- C) They are permanently deleted
- D) They are flagged for manual review
Answer: C) They are permanently deleted
Explanation: After the retention period expires, Teams messages that are subject to a retention policy are permanently deleted unless the policy specifies otherwise.
True or False: Retention policies in Teams are applied immediately after creation.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: After creating a retention policy, it might take up to 24 hours for the policy to be applied and reflected across Teams.
Multiple select: Which administrative roles can create retention policies for Microsoft Teams?
- A) Global Administrator
- B) Compliance Administrator
- C) Teams Administrator
- D) IT Support Staff
Answer: A) Global Administrator, B) Compliance Administrator
Explanation: Global Administrators and Compliance Administrators have the necessary permissions to create and manage retention policies for Microsoft Teams.
Single select: Which tool do you use to create and manage retention policies for Microsoft Teams?
- A) Azure Active Directory
- B) Microsoft Teams Admin Center
- C) Microsoft 365 compliance center
- D) SharePoint Admin Center
Answer: C) Microsoft 365 compliance center
Explanation: Retention policies for Microsoft Teams are created and managed in the Microsoft 365 compliance center, not through the Teams Admin Center or Azure Active Directory.
True or False: When you apply a retention policy to Microsoft Teams, it only affects messages and does not impact files shared within Teams.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: A retention policy in Microsoft Teams can affect both messages and files shared within Teams depending on how it is configured.
Single select: How long can you retain information in Microsoft Teams with a retention policy?
- A) 1 year maximum
- B) 3 years maximum
- C) 5 years maximum
- D) Indefinitely
Answer: D) Indefinitely
Explanation: Retention policies allow you to retain information indefinitely or for a specified period, which is customizable according to organizational needs.
Interview Questions
What is a retention policy in Microsoft Teams?
A retention policy is a tool for managing and controlling the lifecycle of your Microsoft Teams data.
What types of Teams data can be covered by retention policies?
Retention policies can cover Teams messages, Teams channel messages, Teams chats, Teams files, and Teams recordings.
How can you create a new retention policy for Teams data?
You can create a new retention policy for Teams data using the Microsoft 365 compliance center or PowerShell.
What is the difference between a Teams retention policy and a Teams retention label?
Retention policies are used to apply retention settings to Teams data based on the content and age of the data, while retention labels are used to classify Teams data based on its importance or sensitivity.
How can you apply a retention policy to Teams data?
You can apply a retention policy to Teams data by assigning the policy to a Teams user, a Teams channel, or a Teams team.
How can you exclude certain Teams data from a retention policy?
You can exclude certain Teams data from a retention policy by using the policy’s exclusions feature, which lets you specify criteria such as date range, keywords, or specific Teams users or channels.
Can you create a custom retention policy for a specific Teams channel?
Yes, you can create a custom retention policy for a specific Teams channel by using the Teams retention policies feature.
What happens when a Teams retention policy is triggered?
When a Teams retention policy is triggered, the Teams data covered by the policy is retained for the specified period of time, after which it is deleted automatically.
How can you view the Teams retention policies that are currently in effect?
You can view the Teams retention policies that are currently in effect by using the Teams retention policies report in the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
Can you modify or delete a Teams retention policy after it has been published?
Yes, you can modify or delete a Teams retention policy after it has been published, but you should be aware that changes to the policy can affect the retention and deletion of Teams data that has already been covered by the policy.
I’ve been struggling to create an effective retention policy for Microsoft Teams. Any best practices?
Thanks, this blog post really helped clarify some details. Much appreciated!
How do you apply a retention policy specifically to a Teams channel?
Can you mix retention policies for different channels within the same Team?
I followed the steps but my policy isn’t applying. Any troubleshooting tips?
This was exactly the information I needed. thanks!
Does the SC-400 exam cover advanced retention policy configurations?
How effective are retention policies in preventing data leaks?