Lync Archiving Integration

Another new integration feature introduced with Lync 2013 and Exchange 2013 is Lync archiving integration. With Lync archiving integration, Lync archive data is written to a user’s Exchange 2013 mailbox instead of the Lync archiving database. The end result is a common repository of archival data that simplifies compliance and eDiscovery tasks across the two communications platforms. Coexistence between the archiving platforms is also supported, such that archive data for some users can be maintained in Lync, while archive data for other users is stored in Exchange. This is particularly beneficial for mixed environments that include both Exchange 2010 and 2013. For example, if an organization is gradually transitioning mailboxes from Exchange 2010 to Exchange 2013, archiving to Exchange is supported for the users with Exchange 2013 mailboxes, and archiving to the Lync Archiving Server can be used for users with Exchange 2010 mailboxes.

When Lync archiving integration is enabled for a user, the archive data is written to the Purges folder in the user’s mailbox. This folder is hidden from the user’s normal view but is indexed by the Exchange 2013 search engine, and can therefore be viewed using either the MailboxSearch function or SharePoint 2013 Discovery Center. This same folder is also used as the target for the Exchange 2013 in-place hold feature; therefore, all user archive data becomes searchable using a single centralized location.