This article is the third in the Recycle Bin series, focusing on management from an administrator's perspective. Effective management of the Recycle Bin is essential for maintaining a SharePoint environment. In this post, I delve into why managing the Recycle Bin is crucial for optimizing storage, reducing risks, and ensuring compliance with organizational policies.
We will explore key activities administrators can implement to streamline Recycle Bin management. Additionally, I discuss how PowerShell and Microsoft Graph can simplify tasks, saving time and effort while enhancing control over your SharePoint environment.
Why It’s Important to Manage the Recycle Bin
Managing the Recycle Bin in SharePoint is important for keeping the environment secure and efficient. Deleted items can pile up in the Recycle Bin over time, taking up valuable storage space. Regularly clearing it helps avoid storage problems and keeps SharePoint running smoothly. The first-stage Recycle Bin, at the site level, affects the storage of that site and the entire SharePoint platform. The second-stage Recycle Bin, at the site collection level, impacts the platform’s overall storage even more.
Emptying the Recycle Bin regularly also lowers the risk of data theft. Files left in the Recycle Bin can be restored by malicious users, especially during the retention period. Site editors or owners might access sensitive files accidentally or intentionally.
Lastly, many organizations require regular purging of the Recycle Bin to follow data retention rules and prevent data breaches. This ensures compliance with company policies and keeps data secure.
Key Activities to Put in Place
Managing the Recycle Bin well involves specific steps to keep storage efficient and secure. One key step is regularly checking and emptying the Recycle Bin. Reviewing its contents and deleting unneeded items frees up space and avoids clutter.
Setting retention policies is another important task. These policies specify to delete items after a set time, reducing manual work and ensuring the organization follows its rules.
It's also important to monitor how much storage the Recycle Bin uses. This helps administrators quickly solve storage issues.
Lastly, training users is vital. Teaching them how to use the Recycle Bin and recover files correctly ensures they understand its purpose and how to keep SharePoint secure.
Automating Tasks
Using automation for Recycle Bin management can save time and effort compared to doing tasks manually. For example, you can set up policies and create automated processes to follow them. If files should stay in the Recycle Bin for only 30 days, you can use a PowerShell script to check compliance. This script can also send email alerts to site owners or people connected to the file, like its creator or deleter.
Custom tools can also help monitor site Recycle Bins. By using Microsoft Graph endpoints, you can collect data and take action when needed. These tools make it easier to delete old items or restore specific files without much manual work.
PnP PowerShell Commands
PnP PowerShell provides several commands for automating Recycle Bin management:
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Clear-PnPRecycleBinItem: Permanently deletes specific or all items from the Recycle Bin (https://pnp.github.io/powershell/cmdlets/Clear-PnpRecycleBinItem.html). -
Get-PnPRecycleBinItem: Retrieves one or more items from the Recycle Bin (https://pnp.github.io/powershell/cmdlets/Get-PnPRecycleBinItem.html). -
Move-PnPRecycleBinItem: Moves items from the first-stage to the second-stage Recycle Bin (https://pnp.github.io/powershell/cmdlets/Move-PnpRecycleBinItem.html). -
Restore-PnPRecycleBinItem: Restores deleted items to their original location ((https://pnp.github.io/powershell/cmdlets/Restore-PnPRecycleBinItem.html).
Microsoft Graph Endpoints
Microsoft Graph offers two groups of endpoints for managing Recycle Bin items:
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Recycle Bin:
- List Items: Lists all items in the Recycle Bin (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/recyclebin-list-items?view=graph-rest-beta).
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Recycle Bin Item:
- List: Similar to the above, lists existing items (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/recyclebin-list-items?view=graph-rest-beta).
- Delete: Deletes one or multiple items from the Recycle Bin (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/filestoragecontainer-delete-recyclebinitem?view=graph-rest-beta).
- Restore: Restores deleted items to their original location (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/filestoragecontainer-restore-recyclebinitem?view=graph-rest-beta).
At the moment of publishing this article, the official documentation talks about SharePoint Embedded, but they are equally applicable to SharePoint Online. It’s important to note that the endpoints for SharePoint Online are currently under the beta version of the Microsoft Graph API. As such, you can expect ongoing updates and potential changes, so be sure to check the latest documentation for any adjustments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, effective management of the Recycle Bin in SharePoint is crucial for optimizing storage, enhancing security, and ensuring compliance with organizational policies.
By implementing key activities like regular reviews, retention policies, and user training, administrators can maintain a clean and efficient environment.
Leveraging automation through tools like PowerShell and Microsoft Graph further simplifies these tasks, saving time and reducing errors.
A proactive approach to Recycle Bin management ensures better control over data and supports a well-organized SharePoint ecosystem.
References
- Panic Button: My SharePoint File Vanished (But Don't Worry, It's Not Gone Forever): https://intranetfromthetrenches.substack.com/p/panic-button-my-sharepoint-file-vanished
- 9 Essential Facts About the SharePoint Online Recycle Bin: https://intranetfromthetrenches.substack.com/p/9-essential-facts-about-the-sharepoint-online-recycle-bin
- PnP PowerShell cmdlets: https://pnp.github.io/powershell/cmdlets/
- Working with files in Microsoft Graph: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/resources/onedrive?view=graph-rest-1.0
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