You can export Microsoft 365 Exchange mailbox data from Cove Data Protection (Cove) to a .pst file and save it locally. Use this capability to offboard users when you don’t need regular backups but must keep mailbox data for compliance, disaster recovery, or long-term storage.
Exporting to .pst for local storage also reduces reliance on cloud backups and helps lower costs.
Cove supports exporting only the primary mailbox. Export of In-Place Archive (Online Archive) mailboxes is not supported. Support for exporting calendar and contacts will be available soon.
Access and Security
The PST export feature is restricted to only certain user roles with Security Officer (SO) permissions in Cove—this governs access to sensitive backup data across the platform.
Only the following user roles can export mailbox data and download the .pst file:
- SuperUsers with Security Officer permissions.
- Managers with Security Officer permissions.
This role-based access control ensures that only authorized users can export and access mailbox data. All export actions are logged for audit visibility and can be reviewed by administrators.
You do not need Security Officer permissions to cancel a .pst file export. A SuperUser or a Manager (with or without this additional permission) can cancel the export.
Best Practice
Review SO permission assignments regularly to ensure only authorized users have access to the PST export functionality, especially for sensitive mailboxes.
Why Microsoft Global Admin credentials are not required
PST export runs entirely within the Cove platform and does not access or modify the live Microsoft 365 tenant. Therefore, Microsoft Global Admin credentials are not required. This reduces operational risk and simplifies access control. It’s especially useful when access to the live Microsoft tenant is unavailable, such as during disaster recovery or legal compliance.
What's inside: