Guideline for Staff mailbox space management
Email is crucial in supporting timely and effective communication for teaching and learning, research and administrative activities. UniSA has implemented the Microsoft Exchange technology to provide email capabilities for UniSA staff. Like many IT resources, unconstrained use and lack of management controls can place higher demand on IT resources (infrastructure and staff) above the capacity for which it was designed. Currently, Staff Exchange servers are storing over 1.1TB of email.
The performance and reliability of the university's email environment is dependant on adequate mailbox space management.
The existing email infrastructure is designed to support the following characteristics:
- Size limits (or quotas) are placed on all staff mailboxes. The default size limit is 200 MB.
- The Vice Chancellor and the Executive Officer to the Vice Chancellor is provided a limit of 300 MB.
- Each PVC and their respective Executive Officer is provided a limit of 300 MB.
- Each Dean (Teaching and Learning) and Dean (Research) is provided a limit of 300 MB.
- Each Head of School is provided a limit of 300 MB.
- Each Manager of a Unit is provided a limit of 300 MB.
- Each Director of a Research Institute is provided a limit of 300 MB.
- Each Program Director is provided a limit of 300 MB.
- Each Chairman of a Research Committee is provided a limit of 300 MB.
To assist the user in managing their mailbox space the following applies:
- Warning notifications are sent to a user when their mailbox size is within 50 MB of their quota size limit.
- If the user continues to add to their mailbox size they will be prohibited from sending email once their mailbox size is within 25 MB of their size limit.
- Once the size limit is reached, the user is prohibited from sending or receiving email. Any email sent to them will not be received and the sender will be sent a notification that the user was unable to take delivery of their message.
The application of these controls is displayed in the following example: A general staff member (Rachael) has reached 151 MB within her mailbox, and she has started to receive a daily warning notification email. Rachael ignores these notifications and her mailbox size continues to increase to 176 MB. Rachael now finds she can no longer send email messages from her UniSA email account. Rachael now deletes email messages she doesn't need and archives any messages she may need at a later date and reduces her mailbox size to 100 MB. She can now once again send and receive email as normal. (Note approx 1 MB = 1000 Kb)
Mailbox quotas can be increased at a cost funded by the users cost centre. The cost structure is $50 per user per year for an additional 100 MB of storage and $50 per user per year for every 100MB increase thereafter. The funds generated through this charge will be used by the ISTS Unit to purchase and support additional storage and processing capability for the Exchange environment.
When the increments are due for renewal, staff can opt not to renew if their current space has fallen below one or more increments of 100 MB.
The following should be noted.
- All users can reduce their Exchange server demands by monitoring their storage usage, deleting unwanted mail or archiving email to other storage media (eg desktop drives, Zip drives). Archiving will still permit easy access to material for retrieval etc. ISTS recommends that staff liaise with their local IT support staff to ensure that local conventions for archive storage are followed and appropriate backup procedures are undertaken. Please see Managing Mailbox Tips.
- Users will receive system generated messages informing them when they have reached 75% of their allocated (or purchased) quotas. This message does not mean that staff will be restricted from sending email but serves as a regularly reminder that 75% of the quota has been exceeded.
- Users are prevented from sending any more messages when they have reached 100% of their allocated (or purchased) quotas. Users have the option of removing and archiving items, or purchasing more space. Note that users in this situation will still continue to receive new messages.
- Default and allocated quotas will be reviewed regularly to ensure that 'normal' functions of users can be performed within the quotas allocated.
- The ISTS will manage all records for storage purchased and will make reports available to cost centre managers.
Procedure for applying for an increment to On-line Mailbox Space
The procedure for staff to apply for an increment to their disk quota is to send an email message to their cost centre manager containing:
- Staff members name
- Request to purchase an increment @ $50 per person each year
- Cost Centre code: xx yyyyy
The cost centre manager can approve the request by forwarding it to the IT Help Desk. The cost centre manager can reject the request by replying to the staff member directly.
A cost centre manager can delegate approval for such requests by sending a message to the IT Help Desk providing details of the person(s) who may approve requests for a specific cost centre. Requests which are received by the IT Help Desk which have not been forwarded by a cost centre manager or approved delegate will be sent back to the sender.
ISTS will
- increase the original staff member's mailbox quota;
- organise for a journal entry to pay for the increased storage capacity; and,
- ISTS will notify the user of the new quota via email.
All cost centre managers have been advised of this policy in a previous email.
Enquiries relating to the above policy or procedures should be directed in the first instance to Acting Deputy Director: Information Strategy, ISTS.
Paul Sherlock
Director: Information Strategy and Technology Services
University of South Australia
Mawson Lakes Boulevard
MAWSON LAKES SA 5095
Phone: +61 8 83023575
Fax: +61 8 83023577
Email: paul.sherlock@unisa.edu.au