MailStore – Exchange messages sent to or from a distribution group, a mail contact or a linked mailbox are not archived in MailStore
Summary
When using Microsoft Exchange Standard Journal rules while also using distribution groups, mail contacts or linked mailboxes, messages sent from these objects using “Send as” or addressed to these objects will not be archived in MailStore.
Cause
Exchange does not generate a journal report for messages addressed to or from these types of objects when using Standard Journal rules.
Resolution
This is expected behavior with Exchange Standard Journaling. Exchange Premium Journaling will permit these types of messages to be journaled by Exchange and therefore archived in MailStore.
Exchange Premium Journaling rules do not suffer from this limitation, therefore you must create an Exchange journal rule that applies to the email address of the distribution group or mail contact. Review the following articles from our documentation to configure Exchange Premium Journal rules.
MailStore Help: Archiving Emails from Microsoft Exchange 2007 – Configuring Premium Journaling
MailStore Help: Archiving Emails from Microsoft Exchange 2010 – Configuring Premium Journaling
MailStore Help: Archiving Emails from Microsoft Exchange 2013 – Configuring Premium Journaling
MailStore Help: Archiving Emails from Microsoft Exchange 2016 – Configuring Premium Journaling
MailStore Help: Archiving Emails from Microsoft Exchange 2019 – Configuring Premium Journaling
Additional Information
When Exchange is configured to create journal reports using standard journaling, Exchange uses the Active Directory attribute homeMDB to look up the Exchange database where the mailbox of an email’s sender or recipient resides. The database’s AD attribute msExchMessageJournalRecipient contains the address of the journal mailbox. Distribution groups and mail contacts do not have a mailbox of their own, therefore the homeMDB AD attribute is missing and standard journaling will not generate a journal report.
Exchange Premium Journaling may require Microsoft Exchange licensing, consult with Microsoft or your Exchange license vendor to confirm.
This issue does not apply to Microsoft 365, but may apply to hybrid environments.