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1. Introduction
ESET Mail Security 4 for Microsoft Exchange Server is an integrated solution protecting user mailboxes from various
types of malware content (most often they are email attachments infected by worms or trojans, documents
containing harmful scripts, phishing, spam etc.). ESET Mail Security provides three types of protection: Antivirus,
Antispam and application of user-defined rules. ESET Mail Security filters the malicious content on the mailserver level,
before it arrives in the addressee’s email client inbox.
ESET Mail Security supports Microsoft Exchange Server versions 5.5 and later as well as Microsoft Exchange Server in a
cluster environment. In newer versions (Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and later), specific roles (mailbox, hub, edge)
are also supported. You can remotely manage ESET Mail Security in larger networks with the help of ESET Remote
Administrator.
As far as functionality is concerned, ESET Mail Security is very similar to ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4.0. It has all the tools
necessary to ensure protection of the server-as-client (resident protection, web-access protection, email client
protection and antispam), while providing Microsoft Exchange Server protection.
1.1 System requirements
Supported Operating Systems:
Microsoft Windows Server 2000
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (x86 and x64)
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 (x86 and x64)
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003
Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2
Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008
Supported Microsoft Exchange Server versions:
Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 SP3, SP4
Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 SP1, SP2, SP3
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 SP1, SP2
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 SP1, SP2
Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 SP1
Hardware requirements depend on the operating system version and the version of Microsoft Exchange Server in use.
We recommend reading the Microsoft Exchange Server product documentation for more detailed information on
hardware requirements.
1.2 Methods used
Two independent methods are used to scan email messages:
Mailbox scanning via VSAPI
Message filtering on the SMTP server level
1.2.1 Mailbox scanning via VSAPI
The mailbox scanning process is triggered and controlled by the Microsoft Exchange Server. Emails in the Microsoft
Exchange Server store database are scanned continuously. Depending on the version of Microsoft Exchange Server,
the VSAPI interface version and the user-defined settings, the scanning process can be triggered in any of the
following situations:
When the user accesses email, e.g. in an email client (email is always scanned with the latest virus signature
database)
In the background, when use of the Microsoft Exchange Server is low
Proactively (based on the Microsoft Exchange Server’s inner algorithm)
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