Windows Server Article Categories

Fix Windows Update Looking Forever For AntiSpam Updates

Posted in Windows Server by Steve Sinchak

I experienced a strange error with Windows Update and Exchange 2007 AntiSpam updates on Windows Server 2008. When I enabled Exchange AntiSpam updates Windows Update would never stop looking for updates.  The host process for Windows Update, Svchost.exe, would run at 100% of one CPU core and never stop.  I had to kill the process in Task Manager. It was like there was an infinite loop condition somewhere in the code. When I disabled AntiSpam updates in Exchange Windows Update functioned properly again.

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Fix Hub Transport Install Failure on Server 2008

Posted in Windows Server by Steve Sinchak

When installing Exchange Server 2007 on a Windows Server 2008 machine with the IPv6 protocol disabled you will encounter Hub Transport installation failure. 

Hub Transport Role
Failed

Error:
The execution of: "$error.Clear(); install-ExsetdataAtom -AtomName SMTP -DomainController $RoleDomainController", generated the following error: "An error occurred with error code '2147504141' and message 'The property cannot be found in the cache.'.".

An error occurred with error code '2147504141' and message 'The property cannot be found in the cache.'.

Elapsed Time: 00:09:31

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Cut down on spam with IP Block List Providers (RBL)

Posted in Windows Server by Steve Sinchak

One easy way to make a huge dent in the amount of spam your Exchange organization receives is to configure the IP Block List Providers anti-spam agent.  This component checks senders against known databases of spammers, infected computers and open relays.  Also known as real-time block lists (RBL), they are provided by a number of non-profit and for profit companies.  From my experience I like using the free block lists provided by:

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Install Ant-Spam Agents on Hub Transport Role (Single Server Setup)

Posted in Windows Server by Steve Sinchak

On a normal Exchange Server 2007 deployment an Edge server role is setup facing the Internet and the Hub Transport role is hosted on an internal server.  Anti-Spam agents such as Content Filtering, Connection filtering, Sender ID, Sender Filtering, Recipient Filtering and Sender Reputation are only installed by default on the public facing edge server role.

If you have a small Exchange 2007 deployment where all roles are hosted on one server you will not be using a edge server role.  Instead, you will be using the Hub Transport role to send and receive messages.  Since that is not the typical way to setup Exchange the anti-spam agents are not installed on the Hub Transport role by default.

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Check Performance of IP Block Lists (RBL)

Posted in Windows Server by Steve Sinchak

The IP Block List Providers feature of the Anti-spam agents in Exchange 2007 is a valuable tool to cut down on spam from known senders.  The sucess of the feature depends on the block list providers that you use so how can you determine if they are actually catching spam?  Just open up the Exchange Management Shell and navigate to the scripts folder within your Exchange Server install (e.g. C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\Scripts\).  Then type in Get-AntispamTopRBLProviders.ps1 and hit Enter.

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