Table of Contents
Chipmunk FAQ
Below are the most common questions about Chipmunk and how it helps you manage Microsoft 365 user data after offboarding.
General
What is Chipmunk?
Chipmunk is an Azure-native solution that automatically archives Microsoft 365 user data (OneDrive, Exchange Online, Teams) when accounts are disabled or offboarded. Data remains securely stored in your own Azure environment.
Who is Chipmunk for?
Chipmunk is designed for medium to large organisations that need to retain offboarded users’ data for compliance, legal, or operational purposes — while reducing Microsoft 365 licensing costs.
Where is my data stored?
All archived data is stored in your Azure subscription, not in a third-party cloud. You retain full ownership and control.
Licensing & Costs
Do I still need to pay for Microsoft 365 licenses for archived users?
No. Once a user’s data is archived with Chipmunk, you can safely remove their Microsoft 365 license, saving ongoing subscription costs.
How is Chipmunk billed?
Chipmunk is billed monthly through the Azure Marketplace, based on the amount of data archived.
Features
What Microsoft 365 services does Chipmunk support?
Chipmunk currently archives:
- Exchange Online (Email)
- OneDrive for Business (Files)
- Microsoft Teams (Messages & Files)
Can I search archived data?
Yes. Chipmunk includes a Smart AI Search powered by Azure Cognitive Search. You can search by user, keyword, and service (Email, OneDrive, Teams), and download results.
Can I restore archived data?
Yes. You can:
- Restore full accounts to another active user or to an SMB share.
- Restore individual files, emails, or Teams chats and download them directly from the portal.
Compliance & Security
Does Chipmunk help with compliance?
Yes. Chipmunk maintains full audit logs, ensures data immutability, and supports retention requirements for legal and regulatory compliance.
Is archived data encrypted?
Yes. All data is encrypted at rest and in transit using Azure’s built-in encryption (AES-256).
Can I export archives if needed?
Yes. Archives and search results can be exported for legal, HR, or operational purposes.
Administration
How do I monitor archiving activity?
The Chipmunk dashboard shows:
- System statistics (total archives, storage used, counts per service)
- In-progress archive jobs with completion estimates
- Live activity logs
- Recent successful archives
How do I know when a user’s data is fully archived?
Chipmunk marks the user as Archived in the User Management view, and administrators receive status updates.
Do I need to install Chipmunk on-premises?
No. Chipmunk is deployed directly from the Azure Marketplace into your Azure subscription as a managed application.