Fight Spam Using Exchange 2007's Edge Server Role

 Executive Summary:

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 includes new message hygiene features to filter spam at the network perimeter or demilitarized zone (DMZ).

A new server role in Exchange Server 2007, the Edge Transport server role, provides built-in filtering features, such as connection filtering, content filtering, attachment filtering, sender and recipient filtering, Sender ID, and transport rules.

Advantages of the Exchange Server 2007 Edge Transport server role include its integration with Active Directory (AD) and Microsoft Outlook, but it lacks some message hygiene features that large enterprises might need.

The ubiquitous usage of Internet-based messaging and collaboration services has intensified malware threats. To protect your organization’s messaging and collaboration infrastructure, you need to implement some type of message hygiene. Starting with Exchange 2000 Server, Microsoft has been gradually embedding more message hygiene features in Exchange. In Exchange Server 2007, Microsoft provides a special server role—the Edge Transport role—to provide message hygiene and routing services at the edge of organizations’ internal networks. To become familiar with the Edge Transport role, you’ll need to understand the Edge server’s architecture and spam- and content-filtering features. Once you have a grasp on these features, you can determine whether Exchange 2007’s Edge-based message hygiene services are rich enough to replace your third-party message hygiene solution. . . .