Recommendations for utilizing a Symantec Mail Security for Exchange and a Symantec for SMTP product in your network

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Recommendations for utilizing a Symantec Mail Security for Exchange and a Symantec for SMTP product in your network

Question/Issue:
This page describes the best practices for installing a Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange and a Symantec Mail Security for SMTP product in a networked environment.

Solution:
To provide a more secure policy, it is important to provide multiple layers of protection to your environment, as shown in the illustration below:

Note: In the graphic above the Symantec AntiVirus for SMTP Gateways is where Symantec Mail Security for SMTP is inserted in the network.

When utilizing both Symantec for SMTP and Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange, Symantec recommends that the two products be installed upon two different servers.

Why does Symantec recommend the use of multiple servers?

Each software package will have full control of the appropriate ports and processing power needed to properly function.
It provides redundant service; each software package can "back up" the functions of the other if their primary servers need to be taken out of service.
Troubleshooting mail delivery problems is easier when each step in the delivery process can be segmented into discrete parts.

Technical Information:
Note about DNSBL
When using Symantec AntiVirus for SMTP Gateways as an interim step between the Internet and the Symantec Mail Security server, the DNSBL functions of Symantec Mail Security will not function, as the client IP address that the Symantec Mail Security server will receive is the IP address of the Symantec AntiVirus for SMTP Gateways server. The DNSBL features in Symantec AntiVirus for SMTP Gateways will continue to work as expected, provided the server receives the actual IP address of the external client and not the IP address of the Firewall or Router when an email is delivered to the server.

Available Translations:

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Document ID: 2003071610055954
Last Modified: 09/30/2005
Date Created: 07/16/2003
Operating System(s): Windows XP Pro, Windows 2000 Pro, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, Exchange 2000 Standard Edition, Exchange 2000 Enterprise Edition, Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition, Exchange 2003 Standard Edition, Exchange 2003 Enterprise Edition, Solaris 8.0, Solaris 9.0, Solaris 10, NT 4.0 Server, Exchange 2000 Server, Exchange 2000 Enterprise Server
Product(s): Symantec Mail Security 4.0 for Microsoft Exchange, Symantec Mail Security 4.0 for SMTP, Symantec Mail Security 4.5 for Microsoft Exchange, Symantec Mail Security 4.6 for Microsoft Exchange, Symantec Mail Security for SMTP 4.1
Release(s): SMS 4.0 [All Releases], SMS 4.1 [All Releases], SMS 4.5 [All Releases], SMS 4.6 [All Releases], SMSME 4.0 [All Releases]