License to Overfill – 

When dealing with complex and constantly evolving technologies, sometimes documentation doesn’t accurately reflect a tech’s actual state. An example of this recently cropped up in Exchange Online mailbox sizing, but with a twist.

This time, it’s the documentation that’s correct and the reality that doesn’t match up. It turns out that Exchange Online shared and resource mailboxes have been incorrectly generating with a default size of 100GB even if they had no licenses assigned.

Starting at the end of July, that will be reduced to the 50GB the technical documentation has claimed all along. Going forward, if a new shared or resource mailbox will eventually require more than 50GB, it’ll need an Exchange Online Plan 2 license assigned to it.

But, of course, this brings up an important question. What happens to extant shared or resource mailboxes that were created with the 100GB cap and now have more than 50GB?

The answer is “nothing” – if you can ensure nothing changes. If a mailbox’s license changes at all (even if was unlicensed and is gaining a license for the first time), Exchange Online will irrevocably apply the new 50GB policy to it and you’ll be stuck with a “Mailbox is full” error. Check out Microsoft’s Q&A on the change for more details on how the change will manifest.

Need to check your mailbox sizes? Cayosoft Administrator users can run the “Office 365 Mailboxes and Sizes” report (note that soft-deleted mailboxes won’t be sized).

The Cayospective

Between corrections like these, updates, and new releases, keeping up with Microsoft license changes can be time-consuming at best. Adjusting to the latest changes and maintaining an error-free, secure license assignment process is arduous enough—adding license micromanagement for optimal value to the to-do list and you end up with little time for anything else.

It was with these challenges constantly in mind that Cayosoft Administrator was developed. License management with Cayosoft means complex license scenarios are automated effortlessly, complete with automatic conflict resolution. It means alerts and remediation when Microsoft changes tenant licenses. And it means license adoption analytics that reveal license adoption levels and potential cost savings.

There’s plenty more, too. Learn more here about Cayosoft’s license management and analytics capabilities.

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