Smtp virtual and setup

[cVaSanJose]

At my two previous companies, we have FE and BE Exchange servers and we also use Postini. Here at my current company, we are a small (20) users so we have 1 Exchange server and a SMTP relay server with GFI installed.

In this case, is the FE server act as a smtp relay?

 

[58sniper]

There is no FE in a single server Org. You don't describe what kind of an SMTP relay you have, so I can't answer any further.

You also don't mention which GFI product is installed. GFI is a company - not a product.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Contributing author The Complete Reference: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007

 

[cVaSanJose]

sorry...at my current place, we set up a Windows 2003 to use as the SMTP relay and we install GFI mail essential.

 

[zbnet]

The Windows 2003 SMTP server (using the IIS SMTP service) and running Mail Essentials is being what is sometimes called a smart-host, or hygiene server, for you. These are often placed in a DMZ.

The term front end (FE) referes to an Exchange server that is dedicated to serving OWA/OMA-style connections to clients but holds no mail database (which is what the back end Exchange server is for). If you only have MAPI or POP3/IMAP connections, you only need a BE server - and if your company is small enough, you can combine the BE and FE roles onto the same server and still use OWA/OMA-style client connections to the single Exchange server.

 

[Zelandakh]

In essence, we're saying "Yes, your FE is a relay" but your FE and BE are both on the same box.

You'll see the "relay" in ESM in the connectors section. Exchange passes the outbound email to IIS which has the GFI Mail Essentials software sitting on top of it to do the messaging hygiene.

Hope that helps.