UA Microsoft Exchange Frequently Asked Questions

Who can use Exchange?
Faculty and staff can use Exchange.

Is there a charge to have an Exchange account?
No, but to use Exchange Messaging Services, your department must be a participant in the Microsoft Campus Agreement, or you must individually purchase the required Microsoft license(s).

Can I keep using my Unix account after I start using Exchange?
In certain circumstances this can be accomplished, but it is recommended that you store email in the Exchange mailbox to increase consistency.

Is it mandatory that I switch to Exchange email?
No.

Is the central mail service going away?
No.

Can I get training?
Yes, we offer Exchange training. Please visit uits-training.uark.edu for more information.

Where can I get detailed instructions for moving to Exchange?
Visit exchangeinfo.uark.edu or askit.uark.edu for detailed instructions.

Email

What is the email quota on Exchange?
The default quota is 250 MB.

How can I check my quota?
Use the folder properties option for the mailbox to see your total used space. You can also check it with OWA Premium.

Will my email address change?
No.

Can I use a Mac?
Yes, Entourage is the preferred client if you want to take full advantage of the calendar features in Exchange, however any IMAP capable client will work with Exchange email.  

Can I import my contacts?
Yes, we can help you import your email contacts into Exchange.

Will my mail filtering rules be brought into my new Exchange mailbox?
No, but new rules can be  created within Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Web Access Premium, (exchange.uark.edu). This feature is not available in Entourage.

Can I still 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 email into Outlook after I have set it up for Exchange?
Mail items can be moved directly from personal folders if there is enough space to hold them.

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.

What are the size restrictions for email messages and attachments?
The maximum size is 15 MB. We recommend using dropbox.uark.edu for large file transfers to email recipients.

What is the backup/restore policy?
Data is available for 30 days after being removed from deleted items provided it has not been purged by the user.

Is there a web client?
You can access Outlook Web Access (OWA) at exchange.uark.edu. There is a slight difference between OWA Premium and OWA Basic. The Premium interface is only supported in Internet Explorer, and one of the main differences is that in Premium many of the selections will open in a new window where in basic they will open in the right frame.

Is Exchange Outlook Web Access ADA compliant?
Yes. According to Microsoft, "In OWA Light, we have ensured that we have a strong story in place for the majority of screen readers for blind users, as well both user and system scalable fonts and layout for low vision users."

Can I keep using my own preferred email program (e.g., Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc.) instead of Outlook or Entourage?
Yes, but it is recommended that you use the full-featured clients, Outlook or Entourage, to leverage the Exchange capabilities.

Will I lose all my old email, attachments, contact lists, and folders?
In most cases, no. In certain cases it may be necessary to use an alternate means to import or access the previous data, but this is not usually necessary.

Calendar

Is Meeting Maker going away?
Meeting Maker will be discontinued at the beginning of FY 2010. If you choose to remain on Meeting Maker after June 30, 2008, you will need to renew your license for one more year. However, we expect the majority of campus to make the switch prior to that time.

Is it mandatory that I use Exchange Calendar?
No, just like use of Meeting Maker has been, use of Exchange is a personal or departmental choice. If you currently use Meeting Maker, we encourage you to move to Exchange as it will be the campus standard for shared calendars.

Can I import my Meeting Maker events, To Do's, banners, and contacts into Exchange?
Most Meeting Maker events will import; however, importing to-dos, banners, and contacts is not a readily available option. In some cases, additional data can be imported with other devices, such as a Palm OS based smartphone, but this is not a guaranteed approach due to differences in data types and handling.

Are conference rooms and other resources available to book in Exchange?
Yes. Resources such as conference rooms, AV equipment, loaned equipment, etc, can be added to Exchange. Resources are managed and controlled by the individuals that are members of a department's Resource Manager group. Typically resources are set up to handle meeting requests on a first-come, first-serve basis. Exchange resources, however, are flexible enough that they can be configured in a multitude of ways and restricted according to the needs of the department.

What support resources are available?

• Visit askit.uark.edu for additional instructions and support.
• UAChat Live support. Join exchange@conference.jabber.uark.edu
• Hands on Training. Visit uits-training.uark.edu for scheduling and resistration info.