Understanding Group Expiration Policy and Its Impact on 80k+ Groups

As organizations continue to grow and evolve, managing group membership and expiration becomes increasingly important. Microsoft recently announced that they are considering enabling group expiration on 80k+ groups, leaving many IT professionals curious about the criteria used by the group expiration policy and how to run a “what-if” scenario before kicking off the policy. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the specifics of the group expiration policy and provide guidance on how to analyze its impact on your organization.

Group Expiration Policy Criteria

The group expiration policy is designed to automatically remove inactive users from groups they are a member of. To determine which groups will be affected, it’s essential to understand the criteria used by the policy. Unfortunately, there isn’t any documentation available that outlines the specific criteria, leaving IT professionals with limited information to work with.

Microsoft Support’s Limited Assistance

When seeking assistance from Microsoft Support, they were only able to suggest checking audit logs, which only keep data for 90 days. This limited response left many IT professionals searching for alternative solutions to understand the impact of the group expiration policy on their organizations.

Analyzing Group Expiration Policy Impact

To analyze the impact of the group expiration policy on your organization, you’ll need to take a proactive approach. Here are some steps you can follow:

1. Review Group Membership: Start by reviewing the membership of all groups in your organization. Identify any groups with a large number of members or those that have been inactive for an extended period. These groups are likely to be affected by the group expiration policy.

2. Analyze User Activity: Analyze user activity in each group to determine which users are actively participating and which ones are inactive. This will help you identify which groups may need to have their membership updated or removed.

3. Check Group Settings: Check the settings of each group to ensure that they are set up correctly and aligned with your organization’s policies. Make any necessary adjustments before enabling the group expiration policy.

4. Use PowerShell Scripts: Leverage PowerShell scripts to automate the process of analyzing group membership, user activity, and group settings. These scripts can help you quickly identify which groups will be affected by the policy and provide insights into how to optimize your organization’s group management strategy.

5. Consult with Microsoft Support: While Microsoft Support may not be able to provide detailed information about the group expiration policy criteria, they can offer guidance on how to troubleshoot issues related to the policy. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them for assistance if you encounter any challenges during the analysis process.

Running a “What-If” Scenario

To get a better understanding of how the group expiration policy will impact your organization, consider running a “what-if” scenario. This involves simulating the effects of the policy on your group membership and user activity. You can do this by:

1. Identifying inactive users in each group.

2. Removing these users from the group.

3. Monitoring the group’s activity over time to see if the remaining members continue to engage with the group.

4. Analyzing the results of your “what-if” scenario to determine which groups may need additional management or adjustments to their settings.

Conclusion

The group expiration policy is an important feature that can help organizations manage group membership and ensure that only active users remain part of the group. However, without clear documentation on the criteria used by the policy, it can be challenging to understand which groups will be affected. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can analyze the impact of the policy on your organization and make informed decisions about how to optimize your group management strategy. Remember to consult with Microsoft Support if you encounter any issues during the analysis process.