Private Channels in Microsoft Teams Deep Dive The document discusses private channels in Microsoft Teams. It provides an overview of why private channels are needed, how they are architected with separate security and communication boundaries, and how control functions from the top level admin down to individual teams and channels. It also outlines how to start using private channels by understanding the feature, defining use cases, configuring policies, and training. Private channels allow for focused confidential conversations within teams while being seamlessly integrated and managed through Teams.

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2020
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Private Channels in Microsoft Teams
Deep Dive
Robert Mulsow
@Rob_The_Ninja

2. Join us on September 12
… and let’s celebrate 5th Anniversary!
SPS Warsaw Team
Tomek, Edyta, Marcin

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Sponsors and Partners

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1. Why are we here?
➔ The need for private channels
➔ Why chats and separate teams aren't enough
2. What's behind…
➔ Architecture
➔ Control functions
3. Rollout…
Agenda 03.04.2020
12.09.2020

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OR
4
Enter your name
and join the Game!Join Quiz by QR
03.04.2020
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6. Why are we here?
03.04.2020
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OR through
www.menti.com
Code 887902
Join Quiz by QR

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Send and
receive emails
Chats and
conversations
Share Files
Plan meetings
and events
Track tasks
Social
engagement
”Real-World” Teams
Management
Projekt X
Conversations
Share Files
Track tasks
Conversations
Share Files
Plan meetings
and events
OR through
www.menti.com
Code 887902
Join Quiz by QR

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It‘s Show Time!
Why group chats aren't enough…
03.04.2020
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OR through
www.menti.com
Code 887902
Join Quiz by QR

9. What’s behind…
Architecture
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Teams with “Standard” Channels…
Team
Channel 1
Tab 1
(Conversations)
Tab 2
(Files)
Tab 3
(SP Site)
Channel 2 …
Tab 1
(Conversations)
Tab 2
(Files)
Tab 3
(Notes)
Tab 4
(An App)
Security boundary
• Team (Group) membership
Communication boundary
“Open” Communication
with entire Team
Communication boundary
“Open” Communication
with entire Team
Resources to support collaboration
within the channel
Resources to support collaboration
within the channel

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Teams with “Private Channels”…
Team
Channel 1
Tab 1
(Conversations)
Tab 2
(Files)
Tab 3
(SP Site)
Channel 2 …
Tab 1
(Conversations)
Tab 2
(Files)
Tab 3
(Notes)
Tab 4
(An App)
Security boundary
• Team (Group) membership
Private Channel
Security boundary
Focused confidential comm.
Subset of overall Team members
Standard Channel
Communication boundary
“Open” Communication, entire Team
Resources to support collaboration
within the channel
Resources to support collaboration
within the channel

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<team name>-<Channel name>
Where’s content of Private Channels stored?

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DoIhavetoworryaboutallthosenewSPOsites?
Teams handles most of the work…
• Teams ensures SPO site members/owners kept in sync with the
PC owners/members
→ Teams PC member/owner change to SPO= immediate
→ SPO member/owner changes reverted within 4 hours to Team PC settings
• Teams will also ensure the SPO site for the PC lives & dies with
the PC
→ PC deletion triggers SP site deletion
→ restoration of PC = restore of site
→ Teams triggers restoration of sites if deleted before PC
But SharePoint is still SharePoint…
• Management of explicit SPO permissions outside of SPO
member/owner groups is on you
• PC site collections are not visible in the SPO admin center but
are discoverable through PowerShell and APIs

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User Mailbox User Mailbox User Mailbox
Conversations of a Private Channel

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eDiscovery support for
Messages + Documents
Information Protection
Retention support for
Documents

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Limits and Boundaries
• Site Collection limit per tenant has
been enhanced from 500K to 2M
• 30 Private Channels per Team
(at launch) in addition to 200
Standard Channels
• 250 members per Private Channel
(at launch )
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It‘s Show Time!
Private Channels in wild…
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18. What’s behind…
Control Functions
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Global/Teams Admins
1. ➔ Control to switch On/Off Private Channel feature
2. ➔ Control via Policies Who can create PC‘s in tenant
3. ➔ Team Owners control via setting
if members can create private channels
4. ➔ Team Members can create Private Channels*
5. ➔ PC Owners can add members and guests to a PC
Control from Top to Bottom
* if policies 1, 2, and 3 have been configured accordingly
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Who can see what with PC‘s?
What? Where?
Global/Teams
Admins
Team
Owner
Team
Member
Name, description
and channel owner
All PC‘s in a tenant
All PC‘s within (own) Team
PC‘s, where he/she is member of
Content and
conversations
All PC‘s in a tenant
All PC‘s within (own) Team
PC‘s, where he/she is member of
Timestamp of the last
activity
All PC‘s in a tenant
All PC‘s within (own) Team
PC‘s, where he/she is member of

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Who can do what with PC‘s?
What?
Global/Teams
Admins
Team
Owner
Team
Member
Channel Owner
Channel
Member
Add members and guests 1
Remove members and guests 1
Leave Private Channel 2
Create Private Channels 3 3 3 3 3
Edit Private Channels
Delete Private Channels 4
1 applies to all teams + private channels within entire tenant
² assuming the private channel owner isn't the last owner of the channel
³ if configured in the policies by tenant and by team
4 applies to all private channels within the team

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• New-TeamChannel
• Set-TeamChannel
• Get-TeamChannel
• Remove-TeamChannel
• Add-TeamChannelUser
• Get-TeamChannelUser
• Remove-TeamChannelUser
PowerShell

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It‘s Show Time!
Control functions…
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24. Roll out Private Channels…
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How To start with Private Channels?
1. 2. 3. 4.
Understanding
the Feature
Define
Use Cases
Configure
Policies
Training and
Rollout
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#Learn more about Private Channels:
Guide for Private Channels (German)
https://www.avepoint.com/blog/de/microsoft-teams-de/private-kanaele-microsoft-teams-2/
Microsoft Documentation
• Private Channels in Microsoft Teams
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/private-channels
• Manage the life cycle of private channels in Microsoft Teams
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/private-channels-life-cycle-management
• eDiscovery of Private Channels
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/ediscovery-investigation#ediscovery-of-private-channels
• When to create a private channel?
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/private-channels#when-to-create-a-private-channel
Ignite 2019 Session
https://myignite.techcommunity.microsoft.com/sessions/83912?source=sessions
PowerShell
• Explanation and usage of available cmdlets
https://office365itpros.com/2019/11/19/teams-updates-powershell-module-private-channels/
• Ready-made script for managing Private Channels
https://blog.admindroid.com/managing-private-channels-in-microsoft-teams/

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Summary
Rollout: 1. Understanding the Feature
2. Define Use Cases
3. Configure Policies
4. Training and Rollout
Frequently desired feature to
eliminate disadvantages of Teams
and Chats alone
Transparent and simple
relationship with the
associated Team
Enforced security features and
control capabilities for
companies

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We are doing this for the first time ☺
We’d love to hear you feedback!
http://bit.ly/SPSWarsaw2020Online_Survey

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#RobertMulsow
Wielkie Dzięki
Thank you!
Please rate my session and this conference ➔
Private Channels in Microsoft Teams - Deep Dive
Let’s connect!
→ linkedin.com/in/robert-mulsow/
→ @Rob_The_Ninja
→ www.rob-the-ninja.de (Blog)
→ www.skillbridge.de (Company)
03.04.2020
12.09.2020