MRM theory question

Question

Hello,

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/policy-and-compliance/mrm/retention-tags-and-retention-policies?view=exchserver-2019

When planning to create retention policies, you must consider whether they'll include both archive and deletion tags. As mentioned earlier, a retention policy can have one DPT that uses the Move to archive action and one DPT that uses either the Delete and allow recovery or Permanently delete action. The DPT with the Move to archive action must have a lower retention age than the DPT with a deletion action. For example, you can use a DPT with the Move to archive action to move items to the archive mailbox in two years, and a DPT with a deletion action to remove items from the mailbox in seven years. Items in both primary and archive mailboxes will be deleted after seven years.

Would anybody please explain to me how the primary mailbox can contain messages older then 2 years if each two years all items (at least the ones without other tags applied) are to be moved to the archive mailbox?

In other words how an item in the primary mailbox can reach the age of 3--4-...7 years in a mailbox with DPT = Move to Archive in 2 years?

Thank you in advance,
Michael

Answer 1

I think that's just bad wording in the article, you can open a feedback item to get it updated. Although you can also have a scenario where you have such two default tags applied on a mailbox without an Online Archive enabled, in which case the "move to archive" tag will not do anything and leave the messages in place.