Re: [Exim] OT: Need some feed back on Exchange as an SMTP se…

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Author: Tony Earnshaw
Date:  
To: Exim list
Subject: Re: [Exim] OT: Need some feed back on Exchange as an SMTP server
fre, 02.04.2004 kl. 04.23 skrev Kevin M. Barrett:

>          I can think of no better place to ask for feed back on Exchange as
> an SNTP server.  Here is the situation that I find my self in time after
> time.  I have clients who want, or at least think they want Exchange
> installed.  I personally do not like the product or the model of putting
> all the "eggs in one basket" ie: all of the mail is in a database.   But I
> can not address the worthiness of Exchange as an SMTP server, let's not go
> down the whole path of not putting any MS product on the Internet argument,
> I agree.  but let's assume that this is a safe install...

>
>          Are there any technical, standards based arguments why one should
> not use exchange?    Does it misapply or  just plain break the
> standards?  I need to know that my "personal feelings" are not what is
> making the judgment.

>
>          I by no means have nearly the experience with SMTP servers as many
> of you do, and I hope that I can get some guidance  on this subject from
> those of you who know the SMTP protocols and standards better than I could
> ever wish to.


As mailadmin I've installed and used a number of mail server types,
starting with Mercury for NetWare 3 and ending up with Exim 4 and
Postfix 2.0.19. I've never actually installed or used Exchange as
mailadmin, but the last firm I worked for (as so-called Unix field
engineer) had an Exchange sever farm of about 10 Exchange servers for
around 3.000 employees. The firm is long since bankrupt. I can remember
times when we were up to a week without email, because the Windows-based
farm got corrupted. My self-compiled Exim servers (from 1.9x to 3.x) on
SCO OpenServer and UnixWare never failed once in years of service,
served mostly Windows clients.

Many organizations, both large and small, are paying admins to put
*n?x-based mail servers between the Internet and their internal Exchange
servers, simply because the Exchange servers can't cope with what they
should (configurability, spam and virus scanning, mail rejection,
dependability, ease of backup/restore, performance etc.)

My main argument would be that Exchange is not suitable for smtp mail.
Exchange is good for groupware; Microsoft should realize that it has to
develop and market a separate mail server.

--Tonni

--

mail: billy - at - billy.demon.nl
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