The primary way to locate content on any given subject across Microsoft 365 is via the Content Search option in the Compliance portal.
#HOW TO DOWNLOAD TEAMS CHAT HISTORY CODE#
The messages are then copied, less some content elements (for example: reactions, audio records, code snippets), to a hidden folder in either (a) end-user mailboxes for one-to-one chat and private channel chats, and (b) M365 Group mailboxes for channel chat. The version in the database is the complete version of the chat message. The following is a summary from Tony Redmond’s article.Ĭhat messages are stored directly in the backend Azure Cosmos DB (part of the so-called Microsoft 365 ‘substrate’). Only the chat messages in Team channel chat are connected through the context of the Team/channel. However, one-to-one chats have no logical subject or grouping. Messages created in both options could be regarded as records because they may contain evidence of business activity. Within channel-based chats, a person may create a private channel which is visible only the person who created the private channel and any participants.
Teams chat is visible to all members of the Team.
#HOW TO DOWNLOAD TEAMS CHAT HISTORY FULL#
Two key reasons for leaving chat messages in place are: (a) chat messages are dynamic and may not always be a static ‘thread’, and (b) the chat messages exported from Exchange may not contain the full content of the message. This post draws on the article to describe the factors involving in managing the chat element of Teams as records. It notes that, while is is technically possible to export chat messages (in various ways), it may be much better from a recordkeeping point of view to leave them where they are and subject them to a retention policy. He also makes the important point that, while it may be possible ‘… to backup Teams by copying the compliance records in an Exchange Online backup … you’ll never be able to restore those items into Teams.’ In other words, it is better to leave the data where it was created – in MS Teams. In the article, Tony describes where and how the chat component of MS Teams is stored and how this might affect eDiscovery. On, Tony Redmond published a very helpful article on the Office 365 for IT Pros website titled ‘ Using Teams Compliance Data for eDiscovery‘. (The image above was part of collector’s album issued in 1930 by Echte Wagner, a German margarine company.