Today I completed the Configure Exchange Online lab from the Microsoft 365 Identity and Access Specialist track, and it was a super insightful experience. In this post, I’m breaking down how I approached it—not just following instructions but understanding the purpose behind each action and thinking about the practical implications. Here’s a walkthrough from start to finish.
What Was This Lab About?
In this guided lab, I learned how to configure Exchange Online mailboxes, set policies like Out of Office replies and litigation holds, add MailTips, and trace messages to troubleshoot mail flow. The lab gave me hands-on experience with the core tools admins use to ensure secure and smooth communication within an organization.
Why These Features Matter
Exchange Online is at the heart of collaboration in Microsoft 365 environments. From setting up user accounts with the right licenses to enabling automated replies and tracking message flow, each of these configurations ensures that users can communicate effectively while keeping sensitive information secure.
Here’s why each feature is important:
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Out of Office replies keep senders informed when recipients are unavailable, helping avoid miscommunication.
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Litigation holds ensure data is preserved for compliance and investigations.
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MailTips provide contextual info to avoid errors, like sending sensitive emails to the wrong group.
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Message tracing helps diagnose delivery issues and system-generated messages—critical for troubleshooting.
Misconfigurations in any of these can lead to downtime, data loss, or confusion—so it’s crucial to know how they work and how to properly set them up.
How I Completed the Lab – The Step-by-Step Process
Step 1 – Creating Users for the Lab
First, I created two users with specific roles and licenses to simulate real-world mail scenarios (Check here on how to create a user:
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Craig Dewar
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Username: CraigD
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Role: E5 licensed user
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Set with a manual password.
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Lori Penor
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Username: LoriP
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Role: E5 licensed user
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Also, with a manual password
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Why this matters: By disabling auto-generated passwords and assigning licenses upfront, I mimicked organizational setups where users need specific configurations for access and compliance. In a real environment, failing to assign licenses or incorrectly configuring account settings could block important workflows.
Step 2 – Configuring Mailbox Settings
I enabled automatic replies for Lori’s mailbox so that anyone emailing her would get a message saying “I am out of office.”
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Went to the Exchange admin center → Recipients → Mailboxes → Lori Penor
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Managed automatic replies and set them to “On”
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Entered the out-of-office message for both internal and external users.
Litigation Hold for Lori Penor
To ensure her emails were preserved for investigation or compliance, I enabled a litigation hold for 10 days.
MailTip for Craig Dewar
I added a MailTip to Craig’s mailbox with the message “I am working in a different office” to inform senders as they compose messages.
Why this matters: These tools are essential in environments where users handle sensitive information or where communication delays can impact operations. An Out of Office message prevents confusion, while litigation holds preserve critical data. MailTips reduce accidental miscommunication, saving time and preventing errors.
Step 3 – Testing Configurations
I tested the settings by sending emails through Outlook for Office 365.
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Sent a test message to Lori and confirmed the automatic reply appeared.
Composed an email to Craig and saw the MailTip during message composition.
Why this matters: Testing ensures that configurations work as expected before users rely on them. Skipping tests could result in undelivered messages or confusion when automatic replies don’t appear.
Step 4 – Creating and Reviewing Message Traces
Finally, I verified email delivery and system messages through message tracing.
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Traced mails sent from the admin account to Lori’s mailbox
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Used the last two days as the time range.
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Reviewed the results and noted the events tied to Out of Office replies.
Why this matters: Message tracing is a powerful troubleshooting tool that helps admins diagnose delays, check for message filtering, and monitor system-generated responses. Without it, investigating email issues would be guesswork.
What Could Go Wrong?
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Incorrect mailbox settings could prevent replies or data retention, impacting business operations
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Neglected audits might miss malicious attempts to intercept or alter messages
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Weak security policies could expose sensitive communication, leading to data breaches
By configuring these features properly and testing them, I ensured both usability and security.
Final Thoughts
This lab reinforced that Exchange Online is more than just a mailbox—it’s a set of tools that support productivity, compliance, and communication integrity. I now feel confident configuring mailboxes, enabling policies, and using troubleshooting tools like message tracing.
For anyone aiming to build expertise in Microsoft 365 environments, this lab is a must-do. Not only did it help me learn the step-by-step process, but it also sharpened my understanding of real-world applications and risks.
If you're diving into admin roles, start here—mail flow management is where security and collaboration meet.
