Hi, I have a customer who has an Exchange 2003 setup where inbound mail first hits an IIS SMTP server. It is then forwarded to a 3. party SMTP server and then forwarded to the Exchange mailbox servers. We are planning the transition to Exchange 2010 and I am wondering if it is possible to deploy Edge servers instead og the IIS SMTP servers. Is it possible to route mail from the Edge servers to the 3. party server or does it need to deliver directly to a Hub Transport server? Anything I should consider, prepare, fear? Thanks in advance! /Michael

Hi AFAIK it can only send to HUB because they uses edge subscription.. If I'm wrong here please correct me Have you read through the kb's on Edge role? http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb124701.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123492.aspx Also.. here's a good article on Edge, but it's for 2007 I think most of the details are same http://www.msexchange.org/articles_tutorials/exchange-server-2007/planning-architecture/uncovering-exchange-2007-edge-transport-server-part1.html Jonas Andersson MCTS: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007/2010 | MCITP: EMA 2007/2010 | MCSE/MCSA Blog: http://www.testlabs.se/blog

Hi, I have read the above articles, but I cannot seem to find any definitive answers to my question. How would one accomplish, what I want, using Edge servers if they can only communicate with Hub Transport servers?

Hello, Generally speaking, and as my knowledge, you can use EDGE servers for email filtering as any SMTP relay, and with any mail system, When using with Exchange HUB server, you have an extra advantage of EDGE Sync. for your question: Is it possible to route mail from the Edge servers to the 3. party server? Answer is yes (But you will lose EDGE Sync.),and will add extra headache to your deployment, it will work as Antispam/Antimalware solution, but you will not to be able to configure EDGE Subscription, so you will configure the connectors manually. I hope this helps.Ibrahim Al Masry http://www.ibra.me/

Ok, good points there! Wasn't sure if it would work but I think you're right that it's a manual job instead of the subscription..Jonas Andersson MCTS: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007/2010 | MCITP: EMA 2007/2010 | MCSE/MCSA Blog: http://www.testlabs.se/blog

Hi, Why do I have to loose the Edge Sync? I guess, I can still create the apropriate send connectors on a Hub server and sync them to the Edge servers? /Michael

Is there any reason why you don't have email delivered directly to the third party SMTP filtering application? I wouldn't waste the money on Edge if all the IIS SMTP is doing is handing over the traffic to a third party application. What would you hope to achieve by using Edge? You still need to have Windows licences, so all it does is increase the cost of the implementation. If the IIS solution works, then why change it? Simon.Simon Butler, Exchange MVP Blog | Exchange Resources

The 3. party SMTP handles encryption and the IIS SMTP handles antivirus and antispam.

Hi MGLDK, Ibrahim gave some good information, and if we set the edge server as a smtp gateway, we will not use the edge sync. Regards! Gavin TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.com Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Now I have tested this in a demo environment. Actually, I am able to use Edge Sync AND 3. party SMTP relay. I just have to make the send connectors manually to route the mails the right way. I have made the connectors on the hub server and initiated an EdgeSync. Works just fine. This means, I can achieve what I wanted AND benifit from Edge-servers knowledge about internal recipients. That's pretty cool. /Michae

Hi MGLDK, Sure, you are right, after some more research, I am sorry for the wrong information, some information for you: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb201724.aspx Regards! Gavin TechNet Subscriber Support in forum If you have any feedback on our support, please contact tngfb@microsoft.comPlease remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Hello, I'm glad you got what you wanted done, For this to work, It's obvious that there's direct routing between the HUB and the EDGE, Me (and I guess all) assumed that EDGE server will be on another network segment in front of the IIS SMTP, where the smtp traffic can flow as HUB <--> IIS SMTP <-->EDGE , but the EDGE Sync won't.Ibrahim Al Masry http://www.ibra.me/