Exchange Conversion

[Paul Hutchings]

I can't really comment on the sendmail specifics as we use Postfix, but
in general the idea should be to have your external MX record continue
to point to the MailScanner/MTA box and have your internal Exchange
server use the box as a smarthost for outbound mail.

 

What I do is to have as many SMTP level checks as possible done by
Postfix before accepting the message (i.e. RBL/Greylisting/RFC & Format
violations), and then what's left gets put through MailScanner and is
then relayed on to the Exchange box.

 

Outbound mail from our specific IPs is always accepted by the Postfix
box, and we have some checks done by MailScanner i.e. Virus checks but
others are skipped i.e. Spam checks.

 

Postfix can pull a list of valid recipients from Active Directory so you
only need accept mail to valid addresses, not sure if Sendmail can do
this but I would be surprised if not?

 

I know I keep mentioning Postfix, but what I do isn't really MTA
specific I'd expect you can do the same with Sendmail.

 

As for Exchange, so long as you buy good, solid proven hardware and
configure it to best practices and ensure you back it up using an
Exchange Aware backup program you should have few problems - the main
things to check are that you are doing an "online" backup, that Circular
logging is disabled, and that you have a sensible deleted item retention
period setup.

 

Paul Hutchings

Network Administrator, MIRA Ltd.

Tel: 44 (0)24 7635 5378

Fax: 44 (0)24 7635 8378

mailto:paul.hutchings at mira.co.uk

 

From: mailscanner-bounces at lists.mailscanner.info
[mailto:mailscanner-bounces at lists.mailscanner.info] On Behalf Of Phil
Udel
Sent: 11 June 2007 13:20
To: mailscanner at lists.mailscanner.info
Subject: Exchange Conversion

 

Hi Everyone.

I know this is way off topic, but having used mailscanner for many years
I have come to value your options and insight.

 

Anyway,  I found out last Friday that management has deemed it necessary
to convert from our CentOS sendmail/pop server to Exchange on Winblows.

 

I have about 250 mail boxes that I will need to convert and I would
still like to you mailscanner to pre-process all internet mail inbound
going to Exchange.

 

I know that some of you have gone through this conversion, and since I
am on my own to learn Exchange and windows at the same time. I was
hoping I could get some.

"This is the best way to do it" documents.

 

Any help on the following topics would be greatly appreciated:

1)      How to set up Mailscanner for pre-process inbound mail to
Exchange.

2)      Best way to convert Sendmail/Pop to exchange.  All at once or
little at a time?

3)      Any add on tools for exchange to make it run better like,
reporting tools, database repair tools.

4)      Anything on how to set up a exchange server "Best Practices"

 

They want me to order hardware this week.  Lol.  I told them I have a
little reading to do first. So any help I can get from you guys would be
really helpful

 

Thanks in advance.

Phil

 

PS  Currently I think I spent maybe $3k on the server I am running now,
Exchange has priced out over $50K so far.  LOL


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