Course Overview
This three-day technical course on Exchange Online provides delegates with in-depth knowledge and practical experience to effectively manage and secure Microsoft’s cloud-based email and collaboration system.
Delegates begin with an overview of Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online, learning about service limits, subscription plans, and basic user setup. They also explore essential management tools, including the Exchange Online Admin Center and PowerShell, to perform administrative tasks such as creating users and configuring mailbox permissions.
Delegates then dive into advanced administrative tasks, such as managing different types of recipients, configuring mail flow, and implementing security protocols. The course covers how to set up Microsoft 365 groups, manage shared and resource mailboxes, apply role-based access control (RBAC), and configure mail flow settings and learn how to create distribution lists, setting up calendar sharing, and trace messages.
Finally, students learn about compliance and security features vital for organizational data protection, including Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Exchange Online Protection (EOP), and Defender for Office 365. Through modules on troubleshooting, monitoring, and using the Microsoft 365 Defender Portal, students gain tools to ensure smooth and secure Exchange Online operation. By the end, attendees will be equipped to manage Exchange Online environments effectively and troubleshoot potential issues.
Labs and hands-on exercises provide experience with practical skills for each module. Each student receives a free 30 day Microsoft 365 Enterprise environment provided as part of the course
Please note this course is not suitable for delegates wishing to learn how to deploy a Hybrid Exchange Environment (On-Premise and Exchange Online integrated). Delegates wanting to have hands on exposure to planning and deploying a Exchange Hybrid Environment should attend the QA Deploying a Exchange Hybrid Environment (QADEXHE) course.
Prerequisites
Important This course may require the use of Multifactor Authentication (MFA). Please read this page and download the Microsoft Authenticator app (or similar app) prior to attending the course:
https://www.qa.com/resources/faqs/mfa-requirements/
Please see the below Microsoft article for further information on reasons for the MFA requirement:
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Basic understanding of 'cloud' concepts
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Experience with Office 365 core components such as user IDs
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Familiarity with Exchange and Outlook use
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Experience with PowerShell
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Experience with traditional collaboration methods such as email and file sharing
Whilst this is not a powershell course, as powershell is one of the core administrative tools within Microsoft 365 products - there will be powershell steps referenced within the course and used in the labs. Where powershell is used in the labs Students can either copy and paste the instructions, or in most exercises use a GUI alternative method (though sometimes a GUI alternative is not available). A high level understanding of what powershell is would be very beneficial, but not absolutely essential for this course.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, delegates will have the skills and knowledge to manage, configure, and secure Exchange Online environments within Microsoft 365. They will be proficient in using the Exchange Online Admin Center and PowerShell for user and group management, configuring mail flow, setting up security controls, and applying compliance features. Delegates will also gain hands-on experience with troubleshooting tools and monitoring techniques, equipping them to optimize email and collaboration workflows while maintaining data security and compliance in a cloud-based environment.
Course Outline
Module 1 – Introducing Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online
- Microsoft 365 service overview
- Microsoft 365 is a dynamic service
- Microsoft 365 release preferences
- Microsoft 365 browser and system requirements
- Microsoft 365 subscription plans
- Exchange Online service overview
- Exchange Online limits
- Exchange Online standalone plans
- Lab 1.1a – Sign into Microsoft 365 and create sample users
- Lab 1.1b Optional – Upload Sample User Photos
- Lab 1.2 – Review Upcoming Changes to Exchange Online
Module 2 – Exchange Online Management Tools
- Exchange Online Admin Center
- Exchange Online Permissions
- Requirements for using PowerShell to manage Exchange Online
- Connecting to PowerShell
- Connecting to Exchange Online using PowerShell
- Exchange Online PowerShell v3 Module
- Exchange Online Protection (EOP) PowerShell
- Lab 2.1 – Exchange Online PowerShell
Module 3 – Administering Exchange Online Recipients
- Recipient Types
- Mailboxes
- Creating User Accounts via the GUI
- Create a user using Microsoft Graph PowerShell
- Soft deleting User Mailboxes
- Hard-deleted user mailboxes
- Restoring user mailboxes
- Configuring mailboxes
- Mailbox E-mail Addresses
- PowerShell – Distribution Lists
- Lab 3.2 Creating and Configuring Distribution Lists
- Mail Enabled Security Groups
- Lab 3.4 Creating and Using Dynamic Distribution Lists
- Creating and Configuring Resources
- Configuring Resources using PowerShell
- Creating a Room Distribution List
- Lab 3.5 Creating and Using Resource Mailboxes
- Creating and Configuring Shared Mailboxes
- Lab 3.6 Creating and Using a Shared Mailbox
- Creating and Configuring Address Lists and Address Book Policies
- Address Lists
- Offline Address Books
- Custom Address Lists
- Address Book Policies
Module 4 – Microsoft 365 Groups
- Microsoft 365 group building blocks
- Microsoft 365 group creation
- Other ways to create Microsoft 365 groups
- Deleting a Microsoft 365 group
- Microsoft 365 group recovery
- User Microsoft 365 group recovery
- Administrator Microsoft 365 group recovery
- Permanently deleting Microsoft 365 groups
- Guest access in Microsoft 365 groups
- Controlling Microsoft 365 group guest access
- Removing guest users
- Microsoft 365 admin center guest access controls
- Entra ID B2B controls
- Controlling guest access to a specific Microsoft 365 group using PowerShell
- Controlling Microsoft 365 group guest access by domain
- Microsoft 365 Group PowerShell management
- Controlling Microsoft 365 group creation
- Obsolete Microsoft 365 group expiration and removal
- Finding and archiving obsolete Microsoft 365 groups
- Microsoft 365 group governance
- Lab 4.1 Managing Microsoft 365 Groups
Module 5 – Exchange Online Organisation Sharing and Apps
- Overview of Sharing in Exchange Online
- Organisation Sharing in Exchange Online
- Individual Sharing in Exchange Online
- Applying Sharing Policies
- Sharing and Publishing Calendars in Outlook and OWA
- Exchange Online Apps
- Default Exchange Online Apps
- Configuring Default Apps
- Deploying\Blocking Apps
- Using Apps in Outlook
- Lab 5.1 – Exchange Online Apps
Module 6 – Administering Exchange Online Security
- Introducing Security in Exchange Online
- Role Based Access Control (RBAC)
- RBAC Role Groups
- Creating Role Groups
- Configuring Role Groups
- Exchange Online Permissions
- Lab 6.1 Exchange Online RBAC
- Role Assignment Policies
- Changing the Default Assignment Policy
- Applying Role Assignment Policies
- Configuring the Default OWA policy
- Lab 6.3 OWA Policies
Module 7 – Mailbox Plans, Client Access Services (CAS) Mailbox Plans and Client Access Policies
- Introduction
- Mailbox Plans
- Editing mailbox plans
- CAS Mailbox Plans
- Editing CAS mailbox plans
- Lab 7.1 Editing Mailbox and CAS Mailbox Plans
Module 8 – Administering Exchange Online Mail Flow
- Overview of Mail Flow
- Exchange Online Message Tracing
- Accepted Domains
- Exchange Online and SMTP DANE & DNSSEC
- Remote Domains
- Connectors
- Mail Flow Reports and Insights
- Lab 8.1 – Mail Flow Rules and Message Trace
Module 9 – Exchange Online Compliance Features
- Microsoft Purview Portal
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
- Microsoft 365 DLP Policies
- DLP Policy Templates
- DLP Locations
- DLP Policy Settings – Conditions and Actions
- DLP User Notifications
- Email Notifications
- DLP Policy Tips
- Policy Tip Wait on Send
- Activity Explorer
- Lab 9.1 Exchange Online DLP
- Archive Mailboxes
- Moving Messages to an Archive Mailbox
- Archive Mailboxes Integration with other Exchange Online Features
- Enabling and Disabling Archive Mailboxes
- Lab 9.2 Exchange Online Archiving
Module 10 – Exchange Online Protection
- Overview of Exchange Online Protection (EOP)
- Exchange Online Protection PowerShell
- Exchange Online Protection, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and 2
- Exchange Online Anti-Spam Protection
- Connection filter
- Verify Spam Policies are Configured and Working Properly
- Control Automatic External Email Forwarding
- Disable Automatic Forwarding to a Specific Domain
- Email Forwarding Rule Alerts
- Exchange Online Auto Forwarded Message Reports
- Mail Forwarding Insights
- Exchange Online Protection Spoof Intelligence
- Block URLs
- Block Files
- Allow\Block IP addresses
- Enhanced Email Protection with DKIM and DMARC
- DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM)
- Enabling DKIM in Microsoft 365
- Domain-based Messaging and Reporting Compliance (DMARC)
- Implementing DMARC in Microsoft 365
- Anti-phishing policies
- Safety tips and indicators
- Microsoft 365 Antimalware Protection
- Antimalware Policies
- Antimalware Policy Priority
- Microsoft 365 Secure by Default
- Advanced Delivery for Phishing Simulations and Security Operations Mailboxes
- Preset Security Policies
- Security Policy Order of Precedence
- Configuration analyzer
- Defender for Office 365 Safe Attachments and Safe Links
- Defender for Office 365 Safe Attachments
- Defender for Office 365 Safe attachments for SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams
- Quarantine in Defender for Office 365 for SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Teams
- Defender for Office 365 Safe Attachments Reports and Alerts
- Defender for Office 365 Standalone
- Defender for Office 365 Safe Links
- Defender for Office 365 URL Protection report
- Lab 10.1 – Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Module 11 – Troubleshooting and Monitoring Exchange Online
- Troubleshooting Exchange Online
- Exchange Online Troubleshooters
- Mail Flow Alert Polices
- Checking Exchange Online Service Status
- Microsoft Support and Recovery Assistant - SaRA
- Microsoft 365 Apps Health Dashboard
- Microsoft 365 Apps Health Metrics, Trends, and Advisories
- Lab 11.1 Troubleshooting Exchange Online Connectivity
- Monitoring Exchange Online
- Microsoft 365 Defender Portal Reports
- Microsoft 365 Usage Analytics
- Lab 11.2 Exchange Online Reports
- Microsoft 365 auditing
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