Exchange Migration FAQs

Who can use Exchange?
All faculty and staff can use Exchange. Students will not.

Is it mandatory that I use Exchange e-mail?
Yes and No. All faculty and staff e-mail will be moved to and be handled by the Exchange Server. It may still be possible to access your e-mail by using an IMAP client such as Thunderbird. Please note: This will prevent you from accessing all other features that Exchange offers, such as the calendar and global address list.

Is it mandatory that I use Exchange Calendar?
No, use of Exchange Calendar is a personal or departmental choice. Your supervisor may require you to use it. If you currently use Meeting Maker we encourage you to move to Exchange, as it will be the campus standard for shared calendars. Meeting Maker will be shut down once the migration is complete. This is expected to be sometime in May. This will occur because the University pays a monthly lease for the software. Meeting Maker is also not integrated with e-mail and cannot be accessed with a mobile device. However, the University recommends all users continue using Meeting Maker as your primary calendar until the process is complete, so that scheduling conflicts do not occur.

What applications/programs does Exchange support?
In order to access all, or most of the features of Exchange, including e-mail, Calendar, and Address Book, you can use the following:
On Windows – Microsoft Outlook, or Outlook Web Access (OWA)
On Mac – Microsoft Entourage, or Mac Mail (Requires Snow Leopard Operating System) For Mac users who do not have Snow Leopard and wish to continue using Mac Mail, the University will upgrade the OS at no charge to the department.

OWA Light (accessible using browsers other than Internet Explorer) provides access to limited Exchange features on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

How will I access my e-mail?
Windows users will use Outlook on their office computers. On any non-University computers they will use Outlook Web Access (OWA), or OWA Light. OWA requires Internet Explorer and provides almost the same functionality as Outlook. OWA Light will work in Firefox and other browsers, but with limited features.

Can I use Thunderbird?
Yes, using IMAP, though you will not have acess to the other features Exchange offers, such as intergrated calender and contacts.

Can I access my e-mail on the web?
Yes, you can use OWA, which is accessed at at owa.mta.ca. There is a slight difference between OWA and OWA Light. The OWA interface is only supported in Internet Explorer, and one of the main differences is that in OWA many of the selections will open in a new window, where in the Light version they will open in the right frame. Some features are not available in the Light version.

Can I keep using my own preferred e-mail program (e.g., Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc.) instead of Outlook or Entourage?
We are currently testing the use of Thunderbird, using IMAP with Exchange, and hope to be able to support this, though you will not be able to use the other features that Exchange offers. Outlook may also be able to be used in this way. Eudora will not be supported, as it is no longer being developed or supported by the manufacturer. The University will only support the e-mail clients listed above.

Can I use POP?
No, but a rule can be set up in your application to move all mail to the local drive on arrival.

If I used POP before, how do I get my old e-mail into Outlook after I have set it up for Exchange?
A Computing Services Technician will assist in moving all of your e-mail and folders to the Exchange server.

Is the central mail service going away?
Not at this time. Students will use it, until a decision is made regarding student e-mail.

I’ve always downloaded my mail to my computer and deleted it from the server. Can I still have all my mail on my computer?
You can have a copy of your e-mail on your computer, but the mail stays on the server.

Is there a charge to have an Exchange account?
There is no charge for an account, but in order to access all of the features of Exchange, you need to use one of the supported applications. If you wish to do this on a personally owned computer you will need to purchase the appropriate software, or use OWA, which is free.



How can I access Exchange using Linux?
You can use OWA Light with Firefox or another web browser to access Exchange using Linux.

Can I get training?
The University offers Outlook training every Wednesday and Friday at 2 p.m. Please contact Robin Hamilton (PH. 364-2474, rhamilton@mta.ca) to register for a session. The Microsoft Campus Agreement includes free online training for all faculty and staff. More information on training and other resources will be available on our website soon.

What about Webmail 4? How does that fit in with Exchange?
Webmail4 is the new version of Webmail. Students will use it to access their e-mail. It cannot be used to access Exchange. Web access to Exchange can only be achieved using OWA (accessed at owa.mta.ca).

What is the limit on the size of message I can send?
The maximum message size is 60 Megabytes (60MB). Please note that attachments that are not text will increase in size when sent at a 3:4 ratio because of the encoding method that is used. This means an attachment that is about 45MB will increase to about 60MB.

Most universities have a message limit of 10–25 MB. Google has a limit of 25MB and Microsoft Live has a limit of 20MB for paid accounts.



How can I block SPAM/Junk messages?
While the University employs filtering software, Outlook and Entourage have built-in junk mail filtering. After turning it on, you identify junk mail messages and the software learns the patterns. After a few days, the software will identify the junk mail on its own. You can decide what the software will do with the messages. For more information and detailed instructions visit the Handling SPAM page (coming soon).

Can I get my e-mail, Calendar, and Contacts on my iPhone or BlackBerry?
Yes, iPhones can do this now but you must contact the Helpdesk to have a Technician assist in setting it up. BlackBerry users will soon have this capability. When available, Computing Services will contact BlackBerry users to assist in the set up.

What is the e-mail quota on Exchange?
The default quota (how much storage space is allowed for each person including the space required to store all e-mail, calendar data, contact information and task management data) for each mailbox is 2 Gigabytes (2GB), or approximately 2000 Megabytes (2000MB). You will receive a warning when your account reaches 95% of your quota. When you reach 100% of your quota you will no longer be able to send messages, though you will continue to receive messages until your account reaches 115% of your quota, at which time you will no longer be able to send or receive messages.

To request a quota increase, contact the Computing Services Helpdesk (PH. 364-2473, helpdesk@mta.ca).

All users are recommended to regularly empty their Trash and Junk mail folders as this contributes to the amount of e-mail space you have available.

Can I set a vacation or away message?
The Out-of-office assistant is available within Outlook, Entourage, and both versions of the Outlook Web Access client (OWA). Please Note: Computing Services discourages the use of out-of-office messages, as they confirm your e-mail address for Spammers and ultimately lead to more SPAM. If your position prevents you from being away from e-mail for any length of time, consider getting a generic e-mail address (e.g. helpdesk@mta.ca) that can be pointed to another user’s account while you are away.

What is the backup/restore policy?
Your e-mail and other Exchange data will remain on the server until you delete it. Exchange keeps deleted items until you empty your Deleted Items folder. Once the Deleted Items folder has been emptied, deleted messages and folders can be recovered for up to 14 days.

The entire Exchange server is backed up daily. These backups are kept for four weeks. The recovery of deleted items allows for individuals to recover messages they have deleted. Exchange Server backups allow Computing Services to recover quickly from a system failure.

After migration, will I lose all my old e-mail, attachments, contact lists, and folders?
Computing Services will import all your mail, attachments, and folders. In certain cases it may be necessary to use alternate means to import contact data, but this is not usually necessary. Calendar data will not be imported, but it is possible for you to export from Meeting Maker with mixed results. If you currently use Meeting Maker, you will need to continue using it until the Exchange migration is complete, as some users may still be sending meeting requests in Meeting Maker. Computing Services will notify the community when it is time to cease using Meeting Maker.

Are conference rooms and other resources available to book in Exchange?
Room and Resource booking will soon be available.

What support resources are available?
Contact the Computing Services Helpdesk (PH. 364-2473, helpdesk@mta.ca).

I am a retired faculty or staff member. What does Exchange mean for me?
You will continue to use an IMAP account until a decision is made regarding student e-mail. The solution chosen for students will also affect retired faculty and staff.

Can I just use G-mail for my e-mail?
Yes, but your Mount Allison address is the official address for University business. When university staff receive messages from xyz@gmail.com there is a good chance that your messages will get overlooked, or at least not processed as quickly as mail coming from Mount Allison addresses. You will be relying on Google’s Technical support if you have a problem. Google also does not provide data recovery services. If you empty your trash or leave a message there longer than 30 days it is gone for good. Google will not recover it. Google mines your email. Here is a line from their Privacy Policy:
“The Gmail service includes relevant advertising and related links based on the IP address, content of messages and other information related to your use of Gmail.”

What if my question is not answered here?
Please contact the Computing Services Helpdesk (PH. 364-2473, helpdesk@mta.ca).