Understanding Exchange ActiveSync Mailbox Policies

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 will reach end of support on April 11, 2017. To stay supported, you will need to upgrade. For more information, see Resources to help you upgrade your Office 2007 servers and clients.

 

Applies to: Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2007 SP1, Exchange Server 2007 SP2, Exchange Server 2007 SP3

This topic discusses Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policies and how they can be used in your Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 environment.

Overview

Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policies let you apply a common set of policy or security settings to a user or group of users. The following tables summarize the settings that you can specify by using Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policies. The first table summarizes the settings that are available with an Exchange 2007 Standard client access license (CAL). The second table summarizes the settings that are available with an Exchange 2007 Enterprise CAL.

Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy settings with a standard CAL

Setting	Description
Allow HTML E-mail	This setting specifies whether e-mail synchronized to the device can be in HTML format. If this setting is set to $false, all e-mail is converted to plain text.
Allow non-provisionable devices	This setting specifies whether older devices that may not support application of all policy settings are allowed to connect to Exchange 2007 by using Exchange ActiveSync.
Allow simple password	This setting enables or disables the ability to use a simple password such as 1234. The default value is $true.
Allow S/MIME software certificates	This setting specifies whether S/MIME software certificates are allowed on the mobile device.
Alphanumeric password required	This setting requires that a password contains numeric and non-numeric characters.
Attachments enabled	This setting enables attachments to be downloaded to the mobile device.
Device encryption enabled	This setting enables encryption on the device. Not all devices can enforce encryption. For more information, see the device and mobile operating system documentation.
Password enabled	This setting enables the device password.
Password expiration	This setting enables the administrator to configure a length of time after which a device password must be changed.
Password history	This setting specifies the number of past passwords that can be stored in a user's mailbox. A user cannot reuse a stored password.
Policy refresh interval	This setting defines how frequently the device updates the Exchange ActiveSync policy from the server.
Maximum attachment size	This setting specifies the maximum size of attachments that are automatically downloaded to the device.
Maximum calendar age filter	This setting specifies the maximum range of calendar days that can be synchronized to the device. The value is specified in days.
Maximum failed password attempts	This setting specifies how many times an incorrect password can be entered before the device performs a wipe of all data.
Maximum inactivity time lock	This setting specifies the length of time that a device can go without user input before it locks.
Minimum password length	This setting specifies the minimum password length.
Maximum e-mail age filter	This setting specifies the maximum number of days' worth of e-mail items to synchronize to the device. The value is specified in days.
Maximum HTML e-mail body truncation size	This setting specifies the size beyond which HTML-formatted e-mail messages are truncated when they are synchronized to the device. The value is specified in kilobytes (KB).
Minimum device password complex characters	This setting specifies the minimum number of complex characters required in a device password. A complex character is any character that is not a letter.
Maximum e-mail body truncation size	This setting specifies the size beyond which e-mail messages are truncated when they are synchronized to the device. The value is specified in kilobytes (KB).
Password recovery	When this setting is enabled, the device generates a recovery password that is sent to the server. If the user forgets their device password, the recovery password can be used to unlock the device and enable the user to create a new device password.
Require Device Encryption	This setting specifies whether device encryption is required. If set to $true, the device must be able to support and implement encryption to synchronize with the server.
Require encrypted S/MIME messages	This setting specifies whether S/MIME messages must be encrypted.
Require manual synchronization while roaming	This setting specifies whether the device must synchronize manually while roaming. Allowing automatic synchronization while roaming will frequently lead to larger-than-expected data costs for the mobile device plan.
Require storage card encryption	This setting specifies whether the storage card must be encrypted. Not all mobile device operating systems support storage card encryption. For more information, see your device and mobile operating system for more information.
UNC file access	This setting enables access to files that are stored on Windows file share (UNC) shares.
WSS file access	This setting enables access to files that are stored in Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services document libraries.

Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy settings with an enterprise CAL

Setting	Description
Allow Bluetooth	This setting specifies whether a mobile device allows Bluetooth connections. The available options are Disable, HandsFree Only, and Allow.
Allow Browser	This setting specifies whether Pocket Internet Explorer is allowed on the mobile device. This setting does not affect third-party browsers installed on the device.
Allow Camera	This setting specifies whether the mobile device camera can be used.
Allow Consumer Email	This setting specifies whether the mobile device user can configure a personal e-mail account (either POP3 or IMAP4) on the device.
Allow Desktop Sync	This setting specifies whether the mobile device can synchronize with a computer through a cable, Bluetooth, or IrDA connection.
Allow Internet Sharing	This setting specifies whether the mobile device can be used as a modem for a desktop or portable computer.
AllowIrDA	This setting specifies whether infrared connections are allowed to and from the mobile device.
Allow POPIMAPEmail	This setting specifies whether the user can configure a POP3 or an IMAP4 e-mail account on the device.
Allow Remote Desktop	This setting specifies whether the mobile device can initiate a remote desktop connection.
Allow storage card	This setting specifies whether the mobile device can access information that is stored on a storage card.
Allow text messaging	This setting specifies whether text messaging is allowed from the device.
Allow unsigned applications	This setting specifies whether unsigned applications can be installed on the device.
Allow unsigned installation packages	This setting specifies whether an unsigned installation package can be run on the device.
Allow Wi-Fi	This setting specifies whether wireless Internet access is allowed on the device.
Approved Application List	This setting stores a list of approved applications that can be run on the device.
Unapproved InROM application list	This setting specifies a list of applications that cannot be run in ROM.

For example, you can create a policy that you apply to all users in your Exchange organization. The following table lists possible settings for this policy.

Sample Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy settings for all users

Setting	Value
Allow non-provisionable devices	False
Allow POPIMAPEmail	True
Allow Remote Desktop	True
Allow simple password	True
Allow S/MIME software certificates	True
Allow storage card	False
Allow text messaging	True
Allow unsigned applications	False
Allow unsigned installation packages	True
Allow Wi-Fi	False
Alphanumeric password required	True
Approved Application List	Null
Attachments enabled	True
Device encryption enabled	True
Maximum calendar age filter	15
Maximum attachment size	500 kilobytes (KB)
Maximum failed password attempts	4
Minimum password length	4
Maximum e-mail age filter	10
Maximum e-mail body truncation size	3 KB
Minimum device password complex characters	2
Maximum HTML e-mail body truncation size	7 KB
Password enabled	True
Password expiration	10 days
Password history	8 passwords stored
Require manual synchronization while roaming	True
UNC file access	Disabled
WSS file access	Disabled

Note

You do not have to specify all policy settings when you create a new Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy. Any policy setting that you do not explicitly set will keep its default value.

Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policies can be created in the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell. If you create a policy in the Exchange Management Console, you can configure only a subset of the available settings. You can configure the rest of the settings by using the Exchange Management Shell.

When you install Exchange 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1), a default Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy is created. If you have installed the original release (RTM) version of Exchange 2007, you must specify a policy as the default policy after you install Exchange 2007 SP1. The default policy is automatically applied when a new user is created through the Exchange Management Console or the Exchange Management Shell.

You do not have to assign a user to an Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policy. The following table summarizes the policy settings that are used if you do not assign a user to a policy.

Default Exchange ActiveSync settings

Setting	Value
Allow Bluetooth	Allow
Allow Browser	True
Allow Camera	True
Allow Consumer Email	True
Allow Desktop Sync	True
Allow HTML E-mail	True
Allow Internet Sharing	True
AllowIrDA	True
Allow non-provisionable devices	True
Allow simple password	False
Allow POPIMAPEmail	True
Allow Remote Desktop	True
Alphanumeric password required	False
Allow S/MIME software certificates	True
Allow storage card	True
Allow text messaging	True
Allow unsigned applications	True
Allow unsigned installation packages	True
Allow Wi-Fi	True
Attachments enabled	True
Device encryption enabled	False
Maximum calendar age filter	7
Password enabled	False
Password expiration	Unlimited
Password history	0
Policy refresh interval	Unlimited
Document browsing enabled	True
Maximum attachment size	Unlimited
Maximum failed password attempts	4
Maximum inactivity time lock	15 minutes
Minimum password length	4
Maximum e-mail age filter	3
Maximum e-mail body truncation size	3 KB
Minimum device password complex characters	0
Maximum HTML e-mail body truncation size	3 KB
Require Device Encryption	False
Require encrypted S/MIME messages	False
Require manual synchronization while roaming	False
Require storage card encryption	False
Unapproved InROM application list	Null
Password recovery	Disabled
UNC file access	Enabled
WSS file access	Enabled

Exchange ActiveSync Mailbox Policy Examples

The following figure shows how Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policies can be created to control various settings for three groups of users.

Example of Exchange ActiveSync mailbox policies

For More Information

For more information about how to manage Exchange ActiveSync by using policies, see Managing Exchange ActiveSync with Policies.