Forefront Protection Server Management Console 2010

Embora não seja uma notícia muito recente (tem 1 mês), achei que devia pelo menos mencioná-la: a Microsoft disponibilizou finalmente a Forefront Protection Server Management Console (FPSMC) 2010.

Overview
The Microsoft® Forefront Protection Server Management Console (FPSMC) 2010 provides multi-server management for Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server and Forefront Protection 2010 for SharePoint. The management console delivers a easy to use graphical interface for server discovery, configuration deployment, reporting, quarantine management and integration with Forefront Online Protection for Exchange. The Microsoft® Forefront Protection Server Management Console (FPSMC) 2010 is available as a free download.

System Requirements

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2008 R2

Minimum Server Requirements

• 64-bit (x64) architecture-based computer
• Windows Server® 2008 R2
• 300 megabytes (MB) of free memory
• 30 megabytes (MB) of available disk space for the console installation
• 900 megabytes (MB) of available disk space for SQL Server 2008 Express Edition R2
• 4 gigabytes (GB) of available disk space for full signature redistribution
• .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 or later
• Microsoft Chart Controls for .NET 3.5 SP1
• Latest Windows Update version
• Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0
• SQL Server 2008 or above is required for an Enterprise installation. Otherwise, FPSMC will automatically install SQL Server 2008 Express Edition R2.

Note: The FPSMC will automatically install .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 if they are not already present. The FPSMC will also automatically install SQL Server 2008 Express Edition R2 if you select the Express installation. You must manually install Microsoft Chart Controls for .NET 3.5 SP1 before you can install FPSMC. To install Microsoft Chart Controls for .NET 3.5 SP1, see Microsoft Chart Controls for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=202816).

Forefront Server Protection Script Kit

Já está disponível para download o Microsoft Forefront Server Protection Script Kit.

The Forefront Protection Server Script Kit (FPSSK) is a set of interrelated Windows PowerShell scripts that you control from a single master script, the FPSSK.ps1 script file. These scripts enable you to manage the configuration of two Forefront Protection products: Forefront Protection 2010 for Microsoft Exchange Server and Forefront Protection 2010 for SharePoint.
The script kit enables you to capture the names of all computers running Forefront Protection 2010 in a an Active Directory domain, capture Forefront Protection 2010 configuration settings from specified computers, deploy those settings to specified computers, compare captured settings to those on specified running computers, and run basic computer status reports.

Brief Description
The Microsoft Forefront Protection Server Script Kit provides multi-server management for Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server and Forefront Protection 2010 for SharePoint.

Overview
The Forefront Protection Server Script Kit provides multi-server management for Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server and Forefront Protection 2010 for SharePoint. In addition to the ability to manage multiple Forefront Protection Servers from a single location, this Solution Accelerator provides easily extensible command-line scripts that help enable server discovery, configuration, deployment, and integration with existing management technologies. It also offers basic reporting capabilities to detect configuration drift and monitor server statistics.

Supported Protection Servers

Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server

Forefront Protection 2010 for SharePoint

 

Configuration Management and Reporting

Capture server configuration snapshots and push snapshots to any number of servers

Compare configuration of any number of servers or baselines

Obtain statistics from one or many servers, including information about infected files, detected malware, server health, and more

See summary and/or server detail views

 

Ease of Use

Discover Forefront Protection Servers and export information to a .CSV file

Use customizable Windows PowerShell™ scripts to enhance your existing automation
To learn more about the Forefront Protection Server Script Kit, visit the TechNet Library.
Send questions or feedback directly to the security team at secwish@microsoft.com.

Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server Capacity Planning Tool

Apesar da equipa de produto do Forefront Server Protection já ter blogado sobre capacity planning, está disponível uma nova ferramenta (Excel spreadsheet) que constitui uma preciosa ajuda: Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server Capacity Planning Tool.

Brief Description
The Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server (FPE) capacity planning tool lets you understand the hardware requirements for planning new FPE deployments. It also lets you evaluate the system requirements for existing deployments.

Overview
The FPE capacity planning tool helps you understand how CPU utilization and memory requirements vary by specifying different protection settings of FPE. This tool is based on the capacity planning guidance provided for Exchange Server 2010. The FPE capacity planning tool uses two specific reference architectures, the Standard Reference Architecture which is targeted at the small to medium size customers and then the Enterprise Reference Architecture targeting larger organizations. You can select a workflow associated with a reference architecture and specify CPU utilization and maximum memory constraints for your targeted hardware. You can specify the desired protection settings for each of the FPE server roles in the associated reference architecture, and describe the desired environment to be supported. After all these items are specified, the tool produces a summary of the hardware requirements with the number of servers that should be utilized to support the targeted environment given the FPE protection settings and the specified hardware constraints. The tool also provides performance guidance using graphs to understand performance aspects of the product and comparative performance of virtualized and non-virtualized scenarios with different operating systems and Exchange versions.

Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server Best Practices Analyzer

O Microsoft Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server Best Practices Analyzer foi recentemente disponibilizado!

Brief Description
The FPE 2010 Best Practices Analyzer examines a local server running FPE 2010 and presents a list of warnings and errors for configurations that do not conform to recommended best practices.

Overview
The FPE 2010 Best Practices Analyzer examines a server running FPE 2010 and checks the server’s system configuration as well as the FPE 2010 product configuration. Any settings or combination of settings that do not conform to FPE 2010 best practices are summarized and displayed in a consolidated report, so that administrators can easily identify and address these issues.
The FPE 2010 Best Practices Analyzer also includes documentation that explains each best practice, as well as the reasons why a setting might violate that best practice, so that administrators can judge whether that best practice applies to their server.

Forefront Security for Exchange Server 10.1 MP for OpsMgr 2007

Está disponível para download uma versão actualizada do Forefront Security for Exchange Server 10.1 MP for OpsMgr 2007.

Brief Description
The Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Management Pack monitors Exchange Servers for virus and worm activity.

Overview
The Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Management Pack for Operations Manager 2007 supports the 10.1 version of Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server with Service Pack 1. The MP supplies critical events and alerts on virus and worm activity to Operations Manager 2007, and also monitors the health and availability of these products.
The Management Pack for Forefront Security for Exchange Server 10.0 can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=147D908C-9DC4-4F90-81B2-EE0764300BE2&displaylang=en
Management Pack Release History:
11/29/2007 Original release of English version of Management Pack. Localized versions of this MP scheduled for release in December 2007.

Recursos técnicos de Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server

Agora que o Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server entrou em RTM, convém não esquecer de ler a respectiva documentação:

• Microsoft Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server Documentation - Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server (FPE) provides fast and effective detection of viruses, worms, spyware and spam by integrating multiple scanning engines from industry-leading security partners in a single solution. Its comprehensive messaging protection includes integration with Forefront Online Protection for Exchange for the defense-in-depth benefits of hosted and on-premise filtering and content filtering to prevent out-of-policy content from entering or leaving your network. The documents available in this download include information about FPE deployment, operations, technical reference, and troubleshooting. This information is also available in the Microsoft TechNet Library at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=111583.

Existe ainda uma série de recursos técnicos adicionais que podem ser bastante úteis:

• Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server RTM Capacity Planning Guidance
• Official Microsoft Site
• Trial download
• White Papers
• TechNet Library documentation
• Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server Management Pack for System Center Operations Manager 2007

Documentação de Forefront Online Protection for Exchange (FOPE)

Para os interessados em Forefront Online Protection for Exchange (FOPE), também conhecido como Forefront Online Security for Exchange (FOSE), ex-Exchange Hosted Filtering (EHF), os seguintes downloads contêm a mais recente informação técnica:

• Setup Checklists: Microsoft® Forefront Online Protection for Exchange and Exchange Hosted Archive 9.2 - Use the following setup checklists to help you set up the individual or combined services that you signed up for. You can choose from a combined setup checklist for both Microsoft Forefront Online Protection for Exchange and Microsoft Exchange Hosted Archive, or the checklists for each individual service.
• Forefront Online Protection for Exchange (FOPE) 9.3 Product Documents – Product documents for FOPE 9.3 include the following: New Features Guide, Administration Center User Guide.
• New Features Guide: This 12-page guide provides up-to-date information about the latest features and changes for Microsoft® Forefront Online Protection for Exchange (FOPE), including new features of the Directory Synchronization Tool, new company filtering service settings, domain enhancements, and enhanced reporting features. You can use the information in this document to help prepare your messaging environment for updated services, and to communicate information to customers, partners, and employees.
• Administration Center User Guide: This guide provides in-depth information and instructions for using the Microsoft® Forefront Online Protection for Exchange (FOPE) Administration Center, a Web-based tool that allows you to create reports and customize your e-mail filtering account services. It includes essential information for finding what you need in the Administration Center and using it to optimize your FOPE antispam, antivirus, filtering, user management, and reporting services, among others.

Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server MP for OpsMgr 2007

O Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server Management Pack for System Center Operations Manager 2007 v11.0.0324.00 está disponível para download.

Brief Description
The Management Pack for Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server monitors the availability, security, configuration and performance of an FPE deployment.

Overview
The Management Pack for Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server (FPE) allows you to discover FPE installations and components and to monitor them within System Center Operations Manager 2007. When there is an issue that may impact the availability, configuration, or security of your FPE deployment, Operations Manager uses the management pack to detect the issue, alert you to its existence, and facilitate diagnosis and corrective actions.

Feature Summary:

• Support for Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server (FPE)
• Discovery and monitoring of key FPE services
• Monitoring of product license status
• Monitoring of the availability and configuration of scan jobs
• Monitoring of scan engine and definition updates
• Diagnostic and recovery tasks related to engine updates and service recycling
• Performance views of message scanning rate across scan jobs
• Discovery and monitoring of FPE running with an Exchange CCR cluster

Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Server RC

A Microsoft disponibilizou recentemente o Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Server Release Candidate.

Brief Description
Microsoft Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Server provides fast and effective protection against malware and spam by including multiple scanning engines from industry-leading security partners. It also integrates with Forefront Online Security for Exchange to provide the defense-in-depth benefits of hosted and on-premise filtering in a single solution.

Overview
Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Server provides fast and effective detection of viruses, worms, spyware, and spam by integrating multiple scanning engines from industry-leading security partners. Its comprehensive messaging protection also prevents out-of-policy content from entering or leaving your network using content filtering. Through integration with Exchange Server and core Microsoft infrastructure technologies, Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Server provides high performance, easily customized antivirus and antispam optimized for Exchange environments. It also integrates with Forefront Online Security for Exchange to provide the defense-in-depth benefits of hosted and on-premise filtering in a single solution.

Antigen e Forefront para Exchange com SP2

A Microsoft acaba de disponibilizar novas actualizações dos seus produtos de segurança para o Exchange Server.

The service packs introduce technology that will notify customers of engine changes – including the addition or elimination of engines – and allow administrators to update their engine configurations without having to deploy any new product updates. This update allows customers to accommodate engine changes effortlessly, helping maintain the high level of security provided in the Forefront server security products.
As an example of Microsoft’s commitment to continual improvement of our malware detection leadership, we are investing in new antispam technology through a partnership with Cloudmark that will provide an overall better antispam experience including higher detection rates, lower false positives, and improved submission and service experience. The Cloudmark engine is now included in latest service pack releases of Antigen for Exchange with Antigen Spam Manager 9.0 and Antigen for SMTP Gateways with Antigen Spam Manager 9.0 products as Beta while it undergoes customer trials.

• Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server with Service Pack 2: Forefront Security for Exchange Server integrates multiple scan engines from industry-leading security firms into a comprehensive, layered solution, helping protect your Microsoft Exchange Server messaging environments from viruses, worms, spam, and inappropriate content. Features include antimalware engine amendments and rollup of software fixes.
  Note:
  • Forefront Security for Exchange users who are running Exchange 2007 RTM and wish to upgrade to Exchange 2007 SP1 must first upgrade to Forefront Security for Exchange to the service pack 2 version.
  • For more information on antimalware engine amendments, refer to Antimalware Engine Notifications and Developments site
• Microsoft Antigen for Exchange with Antigen Spam Manager with SP2: The Messaging Security Suite includes Antigen for Exchange with Spam Manager, Antigen for SMTP Gateways with Spam Manager, and provides server-level protection against the latest e-mail threats. Features include antimalware engine amendments, support for new antispam engine from Cloudmark and rollup of software fixes.
  Note:
  • For more information on antimalware engine amendments, refer to Antimalware Engine Notifications and Developments site
• Microsoft Antigen for SMTP Gateways with Antigen Spam Manager with SP2: The Messaging Security Suite includes Antigen for Exchange with Spam Manager, Antigen for SMTP Gateways with Spam Manager, and provides server-level protection against the latest e-mail threats. Features include antimalware engine amendments, support for new antispam engine from Cloudmark and rollup of software fixes.
  Note:
  • For more information on antimalware engine amendments, refer to Antimalware Engine Notifications and Developments site

Links Relacionados:

• Now Available – Antigen and Forefront server security service packs!
• Description of Forefront Security for Exchange Server with Service Pack 2
• Description of Antigen 9.0 with Service Pack 2

Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Beta 2

Agora que a versão Beta do Exchange Server 2010 está disponível publicamente, é bom saber que também já podemos contar com o seu par perfeito no que toca a segurança, o Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Beta 2 também está disponível para download.

“Forefront Security for Exchange Server (FSE) provides fast and effective protection against malware and spam by including multiple scanning engines from industry-leading security partners in a single solution. This second public beta of the next generation of FSE provides customers with updates to the easy-to-use interface, further integration with the Stirling management console, additional scanning and filtering options, new monitoring features, and antispam protection. Future versions will provide additional features and enhancements.”

Todos os conteúdos técnicos, instruções de instalação e outra informação relevante está disponível nos seguintes links:

• Announcing the beta 2 public release of Forefront Security 2010 for Exchange Server
• Introducing Forefront Security for Exchange Beta 2 Antispam Technologies
• New documentation for FSE and FSSP beta 2 releases
• Protect E-Mail with Forefront Security

Documentação Forefront & Antigen SP1

Após a disponibilização do SP1 do Exchange Server 2007, assistiu-se ao lançamento quase de imediato do  SP1 de produtos muito próximos do Exchange.

Entretanto a documentação desses mesmos produtos foi actualizada e está agora disponível para download:

• Microsoft Antigen SP1 Documentation - The Messaging Security Suite includes Antigen for Exchange, Antigen for SMTP Gateways, and Antigen Spam Manager, and provides server-level protection against the latest e-mail threats.
• Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server with SP1 Documentation - Forefront Security for Exchange Server SP1 integrates multiple scan engines from industry-leading security firms into a comprehensive, layered solution, helping protect your Microsoft Exchange Server messaging environments from viruses, worms, spam, and inappropriate content.
  This new release provides support for Exchange Server 2007 SP1 and Windows Server 2008, as well as content filtering and manageability enhancements.

Chamo a vossa atenção para um dos documentos disponíveis no último link e que se prende com a instalação em cluster do Forefront. Apesar de poder ser instalado em ambientes cluster, a verdade é que a versão RTM do Forefront não é verdadeiramente cluster-aware, o que pode provocar alguns eventos aborrecidos no Application Event Log.

Existe um hotfix disponível e que está descrito no seguinte artigo da Knowledge Base:

• Forefront Security for Exchange Server fails in a single copy cluster environment

Este hotfix é na realidade uma instalação completa do Forefront, tornando-o cluster-aware (vão notar um novo cluster resource).

Ainda não tive oportunidade de experimentar o Forefront SP1, mas espero que inclua o fix atrás descrito (de acordo com o ficheiro README, isso está garantido).