What email clients are compatible with the Hosted Exchange service?
Outlook 2007 & 2010, Entourage and any clients compatible with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and 2013. We’re also able to support Outlook 2003 in dedicated environments.
I don’t have an email client – which client can Global Access provide?
Microsoft Outlook 2010 & 2013
What is the advantage of a dedicated Hosted Exchange server?
With a dedicated Hosted Exchange server you have complete admin access using secure RDP to the server and it works like having your Exchange server onsite. You are also able to integrate that server with other systems like your CRM, either onsite or in the Cloud.
Is there a minimum number of mailboxes for the dedicated Hosted Exchange service?
In normal circumstances, the minimum number of mailboxes is 100, but if you have a requirement for a dedicated Exchange server with fewer mailboxes we can offer a bespoke email service. Please contact our Sales Team for more details.
Which version of Microsoft Exchange server does Global Access use?
Services are based on Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 or 2013.
Why is using a Hosted Exchange service better than buying my own server and running it onsite?
The key benefits of using Global Access‘ Hosted Exchange service are that you are able to have access to the best hardware and hosting at a lower cost than purchasing individually. Hosted Exchange also allows you to shift your IT investment from CAPEX to OPEX.
Rather than running on a single server – with Global Access‘ Hosted Exchange service the servers are replicated in case of a failure of the Exchange server and the data storage is also replicated in case of any hardware storage failures. In addition, backups of the data are taken automatically and sent to another ISO27001 PCI DDS compliant data centre
Can I connect my Windows smartphone to the Hosted Exchange Environment?
Yes – Windows smartphones connect using ActiveSync and are compatible with both Shared and Dedicated Exchange.
How do Blackberry phones connect with Hosted Exchange?
For the dedicated Hosted Exchange service you can connect using either Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) or Blackberry Enterprise Server Express (BESx). You can either host your BES server locally or for faster performance we can host the Blackberry server for you.
Please contact our Sales Team for more details.
I operate multiple domains for email, can I use the service?
Yes – you can have multiple domains on either the shared or dedicated Hosted Exchange services.
We want to integrate our CRM package and other systems we host onsite with the Hosted Exchange service, is this possible?
With the dedicated Exchange Server we can setup a VPN to allow for integration with other packages, but unfortunately this isn’t possible with the shared Exchange service.
Where are my emails stored?
The Exchange platforms are hosted in the most secure ex-military data centres in the world. Hosted in the UK, the data centres are ISO27001 certified and PCI DSS compliant.
What are the charges if we need to increase or decrease the number of mailboxes?
The service is charged based only on the number of mailboxes that you use. You are free to increase or decrease the number of mailboxes as frequently as you like and are charged only for the number of mailboxes used that month. There are no other charges for any changes you make.
We have some users with very large mailboxes and others who don’t often use email, do they all have the same mailbox size?
No, the 20GB mailbox limit can be aggregated across all of your users for a total storage pot.
Am I charged for general email addresses like info@ or accounts@?
No, Global Access charge by the mailbox, not by the address
Am I charged for distribution lists that deliver mail to all of my sales or accounts teams?
No, there are no charges for distribution lists.
What do I need to do, to migrate from our existing email server?
There are two key areas to setting up your Hosted Exchange service. The first is to redirect emails to the new email server and the second is to import your old emails. If you are using Exchange already and can export to PST files we can then import these either online or physically on disk at the data centre. If you are using a different mail package or require assistance please contact our sales team for more information.
What are the differences between Exchange Server 2010 and previous Microsoft Exchange Server?
OWA has improved from previous versions – the view is now much more like the look of Outlook and now has the same feel across all browsers. Exchange 2010 now has a ‚conversation view‘ to help manage your inbox and additional server rules to protect business information in email.
What is “OWA”?
The Outlook Web App is a way to access your emails over the internet rather than using an email client. If you are working from home or find yourself in front of a computer that doesn’t have an email client installed on it, you can access your email directly through your web browser.
What is “Outlook Anywhere”?
Outlook Anywhere (formerly RPC over HTTP) allows you to connect a computer from outside the corporate network to the Exchange server or Hosted Exchange environment. This means you can connect to Outlook clients over the internet.
Is Hosted Exchange secure?
Yes. Global Access offer the most secure and resilient hosting in the UK from ex-military data centres. The tunnel between the Exchange server and the email client is encrypted and if you use OWA, access is secure over the internet.
What happens if I lose my internet connection?
If you operate a single internet connection, and it goes down – this will mean that you will no longer be able to receive email in the office. You will still receive email to your smartphone and can still access the Hosted Exchange platform using Outlook Anywhere or OWA from somewhere else that still has internet access.
How do I set up my out of office message?
To set up an automatic out of office reply, click the File tab, followed by Info in the left hand menu. In the automatic replies dialogue, select the Send Automatic Replies checkbox. Specify the a set time and date range and select the Only send during this time range check box. Then set Start time and End time.
We have a legal requirement to hold all emails for 10 years, is this possible?
Yes. With the large 20GB mailboxes available you should have plenty of space for years of email. In addition we would recommend the Mailsphere email security and archiving service.
BACKUP
How do I run a manual backup, off schedule?
- Open the Online Backup Software
- Enter Username and Password
- Expand the required backup set
- Right click on the backup set and select ‘Backup Now’
- Select ‘Next’
- Select ‘Finish’
- An activity box should display the progress of the backup
How can I check my encryption key is correct?
- Open the Online Backup Software
- Enter Username and Password
- Expand any backup set
- Right-click on the backup set and select ‘Validation’.
- In the wizard, enter the DS-Client Encryption Keys.
- Choose ‘Selective’ validation
- Select ‘Next’. If the following screen appears then the encryption keys entered are correct.
I’ve lost my encryption key. Can I retrieve it?
Security is absolutely central to the services we provide and the software we use to deliver them. We cannot reset encryption keys or retrieve any data encrypted from your account if you lose the key. We advise all customers to keep multiple copies of the key with trusted staff. Keys are made of at least 16 characters and are required only for restorations – not backups. For this reason we advise all customers to validate periodically.
How do I restore data?
You can restore via the ‚Restore Now‘ or the ‚Restore‘ tab at the main bar. This will open a new window displaying the tree root of your files and folders. All you need to do is tick the file you want to restore and click finish.
How can I delete data?
To delete one specific file/folder go to SETS at the top menu and choose „selective delete“. To delete a whole backup set, right click the backup set and choose the option „Delete“. To watch the video about how to delete data on an Online Backup Software, click here.
What are “Generations”?
Each revision you make to a file creates a historical version, or ‚Generation‘, which if stored, enable the user to restore to versions other than the most current.
What is MLR?
Message Level Restore is a plugin for Exchange and Outlook email backup which compartmentalises the mailbox into individual items, i.e. Inbox, Sent Items, Junk etc. This enables granular restoration, down to an individual email.
Can the software be set to stop backing up after a certain time has elapsed?
Yes, Online Backup Software is designed to fit specific backup windows. For example, policies can be set to stop at 8:00am, when employees are starting to arrive, or maybe by 5:00am if there is an important batch process to run.
What happens if the backup is interrupted?
If the backup is stopped manually it will reconnect and resume from the same point at the next scheduled time. If the backup was prevented by a connection drop, the software will attempt to reconnect and continue as soon as possible.
Why is my storage size increasing?
Storage increases typically occur when data becomes historical and non-imperative. Files depend on effective retention, deletion and archiving policies, or they will stay on our servers indefinitely.
What’s the most efficient way to manage my data storage?
You can setup retention rules to automatically remove data from our servers after a specified number of days once it has been deleted or moved to a different location client side.
I’ve lost a file/folder. Why can’t I find the file on the restore session?
The software displays files that are present at both the client and server sides. Deleted files that have been backed up won’t display in this tab. To restore them, you’ll need to choose the option „latest generation of data“ after clicking on the advanced options.
Why is my backup status incomplete?
Incomplete backups are most commonly caused by power saving functions such as hibernate or standby. Make sure these are turned off on relevant hardware.
Can I backup more than one computer?
Yes, you can back up as many computers as you need at no extra cost. We only ever charge by data volume, not by individual machines.
How do I check the amount of data I’m storing in your servers?
- Open the Online Backup Software
- Enter Username and Password
- Select ‘Reports’ from the drop down list
- Select ‘Backup Sets’
- Select ‘Print Preview’ to view a report showing the different backup sets and the amount of compressed data stored. ‘Stored Size’ shows the amount you’re charged for.
How do I check my account backup activities?
- Open the Online Backup Software
- Enter Username and Password
- Select the Activity Log button (5th from top left)
- Select ‘Find’
- View the displayed activity list
DISASTER RECOVERY
Can you protect my physical server?
Yes, as long it’s running!
How do I recover all of my data?
- Customers using hybrid solutions have the ability to recover from their site, for a loss of a server. They can also perform test recoveries. However, if they lose their whole site, they have to raise a service request to failover into Global Access’ sites.
- Customers using Global Access’ IaaS platform receive a fully managed service
Can you protect my virtual environment?
Yes, we natively support VMware replication, other environments will be treated as physical
What is the minimum internet connection required?
There is no minimum – it depends entirely on how much you are replicating and what kind of RTOs and RPOs your business continuity plans require – how much data your changing, how many VMs, target SLAs etc.
How quickly can you restore my data?
Our target SLAs vary depending on how many machines are protected and whether they’re physical or virtual. For individual figures, please get in touch.
Who can see the data at Global Access?
Nobody. Your replicated virtual machines remain offline until the point of failover.
Can I access my DR and trigger restores from a remote site?
If you’re able to remotely access your main site, then you can run tests and trigger restores as normal. However, if not, this will require you to raise a service request with Global Access
Can I failover part of my systems and replications?
Yes, we can recover individual servers. For more granular file and application based protection, we recommend using Global Access Backup Services