Introduction
This article describes
- The differences between Virginia Tech email routing and forwarding,
- The current Virginia Tech email configuration regarding routing and forwarding,
- Options for routing your Virginia Tech email to Exchange Online (EO),
- Options for routing your Virginia Tech email to Gmail, and
- Additional considerations about Virginia Tech email forwarding and routing.
Contents
- Related Links
- Explanation
Related Links
Explanation
Routing is not the same as forwarding.
Routing
Routing determines which email server (Gmail or Exchange Online) will be the location where you check your Virginia Tech email. Routing is configured in MyCAT. If you are not eligible for an Exchange Online account, Exchange Online will not be a routing option for you and your email will be routed to Gmail by default.
Forwarding
Forwarding occurs when a message is delivered to an email server (Gmail or Exchange Online), but that email server then creates a copy of that email (with different headers) and sends it to a different email server. Forwarding occurs in your email client.
Virginia Tech Email Configuration
Email coming to @vt.edu addresses routes to Google first. Your routing setting within MyCAT will determine what happens with your email once it arrives at Google (i.e., does it continue to the Gmail email server or get routed to the Exchange Online email server).
The exception to this is when a Virginia Tech Exchange Online user sends email directly to another Virginia Tech Exchange Online user. In this case, email stays within Exchange Online unless a special forward is put into place to send it to Gmail.
Users routing their email to Exchange Online will see copies of external and Virginia Tech Gmail emails in their Virginia Tech Gmail inbox. This is due to a required setting being enabled within the Gmail email server called comprehensive email storage (CMS). CMS ensures messages sent by other Google Workspace core apps, such as calendar, drive, forms, etc., appear in users' mailboxes. The exception to this rule is International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Exchange routing which disables CMS for compliance reasons.
Options to Configure Exchange Online as Your Primary Email Service
- Email routed to Exchange Online and no forwarding at Gmail [Recommended]
- All email is routed to Exchange Online. The Gmail account will have copies of incoming emails from external or Virginia Tech Gmail users due to CMS. Virginia Tech Gmail will not have copies of EO-to-EO user emails.
- All email is routed to Exchange Online. The Gmail account will have copies of incoming emails from external or Virginia Tech Gmail users due to CMS. Virginia Tech Gmail will not have copies of EO-to-EO user emails.
- Email routed to Google and forwarded at Gmail to EO (forwarding to *@exchange.vt.edu)
- You will not see duplicates or copies of your email in your inboxes, though you may see more spam and phishing, or more false positives at your EO account than if you were configured for EO routing.
- You will not see duplicates or copies of your email in your inboxes, though you may see more spam and phishing, or more false positives at your EO account than if you were configured for EO routing.
Options to Configure Gmail as Your Primary Email Server
- Email routed to Gmail and forwarded at EO to Gmail (forwarding to *@g.mail.vt.edu) [Recommended if you have both a Gmail and Exchange Online account]
- All email is routed to Google. The EO account will have a copy of EO-to-EO emails that are forwarded to Gmail. All copies will have different headers.
- All email is routed to Google. The EO account will have a copy of EO-to-EO emails that are forwarded to Gmail. All copies will have different headers.
- Email routed to Gmail and no EO Mailbox [Recommended if you only have a Gmail account]
- All email is routed to Google. No email will be in EO. This is the most common scenario for retirees and alumni.
- All email is routed to Google. No email will be in EO. This is the most common scenario for retirees and alumni.
Additional Information
- Routing and Forwarding Virginia Tech Email
- Obtain a sponsored Exchange Online account
- You should never have forwarding configured at both Gmail and Exchange. This is a loop scenario and can cause missing email at both locations.
- If you change your routing in MyCAT from Gmail to Exchange Online, scripts will automatically place a forward on your EO inbox to send email to your *@g.mail.vt.edu address to ensure local EO to EO deliveries make it to your Gmail inbox. If you cannot change your routing in MyCAT you are either ineligible for an EO account, or you may be an ITAR user. In these cases, your only routing option is EO, and you should never forward email to your Gmail account.
- Non-ITAR users can become eligible for an EO account through sponsorship.
- If an EO routed user seems to be missing an email, check the Virginia Tech Gmail spam box. Google will not route "blatant spam" so in the rare case of a false positive marked as blatant spam, this email should be in the Spam box at Gmail for 30 days.