HDS - IT & Media Services

Information Technology and Media Services

Email Quotas

Overview
Where is my email stored?
What is my quota?
Tips for managing quotas
Explanation of terms

Overview

Mail quotas restrict the amount of data that can be stored on the mail server by an individual. Once this limit is reached, users will receive an automatic mail message warning them their quota has been exceeded and their account will no longer be able to receive email messages. If this should occur, please refer to the section Tips for Managing Quotas for instructions on monitoring and managing your quota.

This quota policy will ensure that the services of the HDS mail server are not affected by issues related to the storage/management of large quantities of data, which would impact all HDS mail users.

Where is my email stored?

If you access your HDS email via an IMAP client, your messages will remain on the mail server and will be subject to quotas. The HDS Webmail client is an example of an IMAP client.

If you access your HDS email using a POP client, then your messages are being moved to your computer. Messages stored on local machines are not subject to HDS email quotas. The HDS IT website has some useful documentation on how to configure a POP client to download your email from our server under Checking Your Email From Home.

NOTE: POP clients can be configured to keep copies of email on the server for a specified number of days or indefinitely. By default, these settings are not turned on, but if the user configures them, then any mail remaining on the server is subject the HDS mail quotas.

What is my quota?

Mail quota settings are different for students and staff/faculty at HDS. The email quota for HDS Students is 200MB, and 1GB (1000MB) for HDS faculty/staff.

Tips for managing quotas

If you have exceeded your quota, then these steps are necessary to enable your account to start receiving mail again. However, all users should be actively managing their messages on the HDS mail server, even if their usage is well below our quota. If our users proactively manage their accounts, this will mean a more responsive mail server for all HDS email users.

Check your disk quota by going to Tools in Outlook > Mailbox Cleanup... > View Mailbox Size...
Delete old messages in Deleted Items folder and empty your Trash folder regularly.
Do not store large numbers of emails with attachments, since a single attachment can significantly decrease your available storage space.

Explanation of terms

Mail Quota:	Restrictions applied to a user's mail account that limit the storage space available for email messages.
Webmail:	An email application that is accessed via a web browser and which typically uses IMAP to retrieve email. HDS Webmail is an example of a Webmail client.
IMAP Client:	An email program that does not remove mail from the mail server it is accessing. Webmail clients are examples of IMAP clients.
POP Client:	An email program that, by default, will remove mail from the server it is accessing and store it on the user's computer. Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Eudora are examples of popular POP clients.