Tue, May 11 2004 18:13
bradley
Thanks Les! - Tips and tricks for cleaning up your Exchange Server
I'm stealing another post from Les Connor...... tips and tricks for cleaning up your Exchange server...
In article 324958, check out the section entitled: "Clean Up the Exchange
Server's SMTP Queues" for the steps you can use to clean up the queue(s).
324958.KB.EN-US HOW TO: Block Open SMTP Relaying and Clean Up Exchange
Server SMTP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;324958
then:
(If you don't use Trend, just ignore those parts - the Exchange parts are
still relevant.)
Without any third party apps except Trend CSM - here is what I use.
1. Exchange
a) Internet Message Format
Advanced Tab
Disallow:
Out of Office responses
Automatic replies
Automatic forward
Delivery Reports
non-delivery Reports
Allow:
Preserve sender's display name on message.
b) Message Delivery > properties
Sender Filtering Tab
Filter messages with blank sender
Drop connection if address matches filter
Recipient Filtering Tab
Filter recipients who are not in the directory
c) Default SMTP Server
| General | Advanced | Edit (all unassigned)
Apply Sender Filter (although I have no filters presently)
Apply Recipient Filter
Apply Connection Filter (although I have none of these either, presently)
Messages Tab
Send copy of NDR reports is blank.
2. Trend Scanmail eManager
a) Antispam
Enabled
Threshold: High
Action: Quarantine
Notifications Button: None
Approved Senders Button: I have had to add a few to the list, but not many -
mostly list subscriptions.
Blocked Senders Button: None - useless against a reasonably competent
spammer.
b) Content Filter
Anti-spam, hoaxes, chainmail, and Melissa Virus enabled.
The other items will do a *lot* of blocking - too much when your threshold
is set to high.
c) Update
The automatic updates don't work. No reason, no error. But the Update button
does. I've been meaning to take this up with Trend, but haven't yet looked
into it. There are reasonably frequent updates, and they do make a
difference. I update whenever I think of it, generally at least monthly.
d) Log Files
Log files are daily, set to delete after 30 days. The reporting is useful
here, especially for initial tuning.
3. Scanmail
a) Options
Attachment Blocking is *not* enabled in Scanmail, but it is in Exchange. I
think you want to go with one or the other, not both. I may turn off
attachment blocking in Exchange, and instead do it in Scanmail as there are
more options in scanmail.
Virus actions are set to delete, delete, delete, delete.
b) Active Message Filter
Filter Inbound Messages *see Outlook section for a note.
c) Notification
virus scan - windows event log only
outbreak alert - email me, and event log.
attachment blocking - windows event log.
d) Quarantine Manager
This is where you go to check on the blocked items, including eManager spam
blocked mail. You spend some time here initially tuning things for your
environment.
Quarantine Maintenance is set to delete at 7 days. Works well.
Filed under: Exchange, SBS "Hacks"