Users can access an archive mailbox in online mode only. Outlook doesn't create a local copy of the archive mailbox on a user's computer, even if it's configured to use Cached Exchange Mode. Users can copy or move items from their primary mailbox to their archive mailbox, and can also use retention policies to move items to the archive. The following table lists the client applications that can be used to access archive mailboxes.

In Exchange hybrid deployments, you can also provision a cloud-based archive mailbox for primary mailboxes located in your on-premises organization.

You can provision a user's archive mailbox on the same mailbox database as the user's primary mailbox, a different mailbox database on the same Mailbox server, or on a mailbox database on a different Mailbox server in the same Active Directory site. Users can view an archive mailbox and move or copy messages between their primary mailbox and their archive mailbox. The archive mailbox is accessible in Outlook and Outlook on the web (formerly known as Outlook Web App). The archive mailbox is an additional mailbox that's enabled for a user's primary mailbox.

In-Place Archiving in Exchange Server helps you regain control of your organization's messaging data by eliminating the need for personal store (.pst) files and allowing users to store messages in an archive mailbox.