Mimecast for Outlook - Activating / Deactivating Continuity Mode

This article contains information on activating and deactivating Continuity Mode in Mimecast for Outlook, including manual activation steps, administrator configurations, and key functionality during email server outages.

Introduction 

Continuity Mode may be activated in the following ways:

• By an Administrator. See Managing Continuity Events for full details on administrator-activated continuity events.
• Manually as described below.

In most instances, your Administrator will configure this to be "pushed" out to Mimecast for Outlook. However, there may be instances where you are required to activate continuity mode from inside Mimecast for Outlook.

• During continuity mode, Microsoft Outlook is placed into offline mode, and all messages are sent to and from Mimecast rather than your email server. Turning off continuity mode ensures all messages are sent to and from your email server.
• Once you have manually entered continuity mode, you cannot manually exit continuity mode for ten minutes, and the options listed below are unavailable. This short period allows Mimecast to perform necessary checks following the completion of a Continuity Event.
• If Microsoft Outlook is in non-cache mode, the options mentioned below are unavailable. During a continuity event, you should access the Mimecast Personal Portal to send and receive emails.

Activating Continuity Mode

You can manually activate continuity mode, by using the following steps:

1. Click on the Mimecast ribbon.
2. Click on Activate Continuity.

Alternatively:

1. Click on the Online Inbox button.
2. Click on the   icon in the top right corner of the Online Inbox window.

A temporary notification is displayed in the bottom right corner of your Microsoft Outlook window, alerting you that you are currently in continuity mode. The notification can also be accessed by clicking on the Mimecast for Outlook taskbar icon.

Deactivating Continuity Mode

You can manually exit continuity mode, by using the following steps:

1. Click on the Mimecast ribbon.
2. Click on Activate Continuity.

Alternatively:

1. Click on the Online Inbox button.
2. Click on the   icon in the top right corner of the Online Inbox window.

A temporary notification is displayed in the bottom right corner of your Microsoft Outlook window, alerting you that you have left continuity mode. The notification can also be accessed by clicking on the Mimecast for Outlook taskbar icon.