Updating Virus Scanners

[Julian Field]

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At 20:56 24/09/2004, you wrote:
>Hi Julian,
>
>What is the logic behind searching for all installed virus scanners before
>running updage_virus_scanners script? If I am specifying in MailScanner.conf
>that Sophos is the virus scanner, why search the system for all scanners?
>
>I installed BitDefender (demo) a month ago to try it out. Today my server was
>crawling only to find out that the update_virus_scanners script was
>dragging my
>system to its knees because of an obvious problem with BitDefender bdc --vlist
>(which I am not using). I use Sophos and obviously the update scanner spotted
>that I have BitDefender installed and therefore it assumed that I use it.
>
>Is there any way that the update script *only* looks for what is setup in
>MailScanner.conf rather than what virus scanners are installed on the system?
>If not, that is okay ... I just learned a good lesson today.
>
>I am sure your update_virus_scanners is constructed that way for a good
>reason,
>I just don't see it.

The reason is that you might well install a scanner, come back a while
later and decide to start using it. At the point you start using it, you
need it to be already up to date with virus signatures. If I only updated
scanners that were in active use by MailScanner, then when you started
using a new scanner it wouldn't be up to date for the first hour, and would
let viruses through.
--
Julian Field
www.MailScanner.info
Professional Support Services at www.MailScanner.biz
MailScanner thanks transtec Computers for their support
Buy the MailScanner book at www.MailScanner.info/store

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