Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 : Managing Transport and Journaling Rules - Setting Up Message Classifications (part 2)

2.1. Modifying and Creating Message Classifications

To create new classifications or customize the properties of existing classifications, you must use the New-MessageClassification, Get-MessageClassification, and Set-MessageClassification cmdlets in the Exchange Management Shell.

Get-MessageClassification

This cmdlet shows you the existing message classifications in your organization:

Get-MessageClassification

Set-MessageClassification

This cmdlet modifies the properties of an existing classification. The following example takes an existing classification named NewMC, sets its precedence to High, and sets the RetainClassificationEnabled property so that the classification will be retained across forwards and replies:

Set-MessageClassification -Identity NewMC -DisplayPrecedence High 

-RetainClassificationEnabled $True

New-MessageClassification

This cmdlet creates a new message classification in your organization, configuring it on your Exchange 2010 servers and registering it in the Active Directory:

New-MessageClassification -Name "RandDInternal" -DisplayName "R+D  

   Internal Only"
-RecipientDescription "This message may contain confidential and/or 

 proprietary information.  If you have received this message in error, please 

 delete it."  -SenderDescription "This message may contain confidential 

 Ithicos Solutions confidential R and D information. Do not forward to 

   external parties without department lead approval."

					  

2.2. Deploying Message Classifications

When you create or modify classifications, they are automatically visible to OWA users. In what is a particularly painful oversight, the same is not true for Outlook 2007 users. If you want your Outlook 2007 users to benefit from message classifications, you have two tasks to complete:

These steps must be performed every time you add new classifications or modify display properties of existing classifications. Just to make it even more annoying, these tasks are completely manual.

The following sections cover these steps in greater detail.

2.2.1. Exporting Classifications from Exchange

If you're looking for an EMS cmdlet to export all your classifications, stop. You have to use EMS, but no built-in cmdlet exists to perform this task. Here's how to do it:

2.2.2. Out-of-Sync Classifications

If the XML file that Outlook uses is out of sync with the actual classifications specified on the Exchange server, Outlook will not display the classifications that are missing from the file. It will, however, retain them if they can be retained, and they will still be on the messages (and can be viewed in OWA). Once the file is updated, they will become visible to the user.

2.2.3. Importing Classifications in Outlook

This task has two parts: creating the necessary Registry entries and copying over the XML file you just created in the previous step. Once you've created the Registry settings on a given client, you don't need to keep setting them when you update the classifications XML file.

Copying the XML file over is simple; you can do it manually, via a batch script, or through your existing desktop management solution. If you are going to change the classifications on a regular basis, you might want to configure some sort of automated deployment system to minimize the need for manual involvement. For example, you might consider the use of a logon script to ensure that the latest copy of the classifications XML file is pushed out to your clients. If you've deployed Microsoft Systems Management Server (or some third-party equivalent) in your environment, you can also use that mechanism.

Outlook reads the file in when it starts, so if the file is updated while Outlook is open, it will not use the updated information until it is next restarted.

The following Registry key and values must be created on all Outlook 2007 computers whose users have mailboxes on Exchange Server 2010 servers and who are going to be sending message classifications. Until these Registry entries are created, classifications will not be displayed in Outlook, even though they exist on messages.

For Outlook 2007, In the HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common key, first create a new key named Policy. Within this new key, create the following values:

"AdminClassificationPath"="C:\\ Path\\To\\Filename.xml"
"EnableClassifications"=dword:00000001
"TrustClassifications"=dword:00000001

You should set the values of these keys accordingly:

AdminClassificationPath

Specifies the full path and filename of the XML file you copied from the export process. Though this path can be on a network share, it might cause problems for laptop users or other users who lose network connectivity. The file is small, so there's no harm in copying it to the local hard drive.

EnableClassifications

Allows you to toggle whether message classifications are read and honored in Outlook 2007 on a per-user basis. The value 1 enables classifications, and the value 0 disables them.

TrustClassifications

Allows you to toggle whether Outlook actually trusts classifications on messages that are sent to users on legacy Exchange Mailbox servers. The value 1 enables trust; 0 disables it. Microsoft recommends that you enable this value only for mailboxes on Exchange 2010 servers.

Keep in mind that there are other options as well. The Office 2007 Customization Tool allows you to specify additional Registry keys that will be installed when Office is installed on a machine. If you want to ensure that message classification support is universally deployed and supported in your organization, you might want to include these Registry settings in your configuration when creating your installation scripts.