Installing Symantec AntiVirus on mail servers

Symantec.com > Enterprise > Support > Knowledge Base

Installing Symantec AntiVirus on mail servers

Question/Issue:
If you install Symantec AntiVirus on an email server, there are some steps that you must take to prevent damage to the data on the server. Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition is a file system scanner, and is not designed to handle mail server functions. Those functions are handled by products specifically designed to protect Exchange, Domino, or other gateway servers. Allowing Symantec AntiVirus to scan certain parts of a mail server can cause unexpected behavior, problems, or even total data loss. Additionally, unless it is configured correctly, Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition can interact harmfully with other Symantec antivirus programs designed to protect the email server, such as the Symantec Mail Security line of products. This document contains the information that you need to prevent problems with Symantec AntiVirus on your mail server.

Solution:
Read the documents for your situation before you install Symantec AntiVirus on your mail server.

WARNING: If you configure Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.x/9.x as a client on a Microsoft Exchange server or any SMTP server, be sure not to install Internet E-Mail Auto-Protect. This feature monitors the standard mail ports, and can cause performance degradation or failure if installed on mail servers.
For details, read the document for your product version:

Microsoft Exchange with Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.x

Best practices for Symantec AntiVirus 10.x Auto-Protect on a Microsoft Exchange server
Preventing Symantec AntiVirus 10.x from scanning the Microsoft Exchange directory structure
Symantec AntiVirus 10.1 automatically excludes Microsoft Exchange files and folders.
For details, read About automatic exclusions of Microsoft Exchange server files and folders in Symantec AntiVirus 10.1 and Symantec Client Security 3.1.

Microsoft Exchange with Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition 9.x

Microsoft Exchange with Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 8.x

Domino servers

Preventing Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition from scanning the temporary folder for Symantec AntiVirus/Filtering 3.x for Domino or Symantec Mail Security 4.0 for Domino on a Notes Server
Preventing Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition from scanning Norton AntiVirus for Lotus Notes temporary folder on a Notes Server
Best practices for running Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition and Symantec AntiVirus/Filtering 3.x for Domino on the same server
How to update virus definitions on a server running Norton AntiVirus for Lotus Notes and a Symantec corporate edition product

SMTP gateway servers

Preventing the scan of Symantec Mail Security 5 for SMTP product directories by Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition version 10.x
Preventing Symantec AntiVirus for SMTP Gateways 3.x or Symantec Mail Security 4.0 for SMTP from being scanned by Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition
If you use the Spam Quarantine feature with Symantec Mail Security 4.x for SMTP, also set the exclusions in the document Preventing Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.x/9.x from scanning the Brightmail directory structure.

Brightmail

Preventing Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.x/9.x from scanning the Brightmail directory structure

If you install multiple Symantec programs that use the virus definitions on the same computer, such as Symantec AntiVirus along with a Symantec product for Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Domino, use only Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition to update the definitions. If you allow multiple programs to run LiveUpdate and attempt to update the definitions, the definitions may become corrupted.
For details, read Configuring LiveUpdate for multiple Symantec products installed on the same computer.

Available Translations:

Document ID: 2004062508305148
Last Modified: 11/27/2007
Date Created: 06/25/2004
Operating System(s): Windows NT 4.0 SP6a, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP Professional Edition, Windows Server 2003 32-bit Edition, Windows Server 2003 64-bit Edition, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Product(s): Symantec AntiVirus 10.1, Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.0, Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 8.0, Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 9.0, Symantec Client Security 3.0, Symantec Client Security 3.1
Release(s): SAV 10.0 [All Releases], SAV 8.0 [All Releases], SAV 9.0 [All Releases], Symantec AntiVirus 10.1 [All Releases], Symantec Client Security 3.1 [All Releases], Symantec Client Security 3.x [All versions], Symantec AntiVirus 10.1, Symantec Client Security 3.1