Summary
Microsoft is retiring Exchange Web Services (EWS) for Exchange Online on October 1, 2026. Since Druva utilizes EWS APIs to facilitate Public Folder backups and restores, these specific data protection services will cease to function on the retirement date.
Critical Impact:
Backup Interruption: Druva will no longer be able to ingest new data from Exchange Online Public Folders after Oct 1, 2026.
Restore Limitation: Programmatic recovery of Public Folder data via the Druva console will be blocked by Microsoft’s API.
End-User Access: This change affects API-based backup automation; it does not immediately delete Public Folders from the Outlook client for end-users.
Recommendation: Migration to Microsoft 365 Groups
Microsoft recommends migrating legacy Public Folder content to Microsoft 365 Groups (Group Mailboxes) to ensure long-term support and modern API access.
Benefits of Migration:
Full Support: Druva provides protection for Microsoft 365 Groups.
Modern API: Microsoft 365 Groups utilize the Microsoft Graph API.
Feature Parity: Groups offer collaborative features that replace the functionality of legacy Public Folders.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can Druva switch to Microsoft Graph to back up Public Folders?
A: No. Microsoft Graph does not currently support the necessary operations for Public Folder backup. Until Microsoft adds these capabilities to Graph, Druva cannot offer an alternative backup method for this specific workload.
Q: Will existing Public Folder backups in Druva be deleted on Oct 1, 2026?
A: No. Druva will retain existing snapshots according to your configured Retention Policy. However, you will be unable to restore that data back to Microsoft 365 once Microsoft disables the EWS API.
Q: How do I migrate my data?
A: Follow Microsoft’s official documentation for Migrating Public Folders to Microsoft 365 Groups.