Simplified Management
Centralized Web-based Control
Forefront Server Security Management Console provides central configuration, deployment, and updating for all Forefront server security products in enterprise environments that have multiple Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, or Windows SharePoint Services servers. This enables IT administrators to easily manage servers remotely, generate comprehensive reports, and receive outbreak alerts from across the infrastructure.
Automated Updates
Through its Rapid Update Process, Microsoft monitors all partner scan-engine vendor Web sites for updates, downloads and validates new engine versions and signatures as they become available, and then posts them online. Forefront Server Security Management Console automatically downloads and distributes the signature and engine updates to all Forefront Security for Exchange Server, Forefront Security for SharePoint, and Antigen deployments within the environment.
Automatic Server Discovery
Forefront Server Security Management Console automatically discovers new Exchange servers in an organization, helping administrators establish proper security configurations and reporting for messaging servers added to the environment.
Migration Protection
Forefront Server Security Management Console provides management for Forefront Server Security products, as well as Antigen for Exchange, Antigen for SMTP Gateways, and Antigen Spam Manager. This support allows organizations to monitor their protection for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2000 environments, and during migration to Exchange 2007.
Localization
Upon final release, Forefront Server Security Management Console will be localized in 11 languages, making it easier for administrators to manage their messaging server security in the language of their region. Languages include: English, German, French, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Portuguese (Brazil), and Russian.
Comprehensive Protection
Rapid Update Distribution
Forefront Server Security Management Console alerts all Antigen and Forefront servers when new updates are ready for download and distributes them immediately, helping ensure that all servers are protected with the latest signatures. If any updates fail, administrators are alerted, enabling them to quickly respond and minimize any risk of exposure.
Outbreak Response
Forefront Server Security Management Console provides outbreak alerts, giving administrators warning when their Exchange and SharePoint servers are under attack. In the case of new threats that do not yet have a detection signature, Forefront Server Security Management Console allows administrators to create file or content filters that can be pushed enterprise wide to help stop the outbreak in its tracks.
Optimized Performance
Mail Cluster Support
Forefront Server Security Management Console supports new Exchange 2007 cluster continuous replication (CCR) clusters. By monitoring and reporting on both active and passive nodes, Forefront Server Security Management Console helps ensure messaging traffic remains secure even if individual mail server nodes fail.
Redundancy
Forefront Server Security Management Console provides the ability to monitor system health and offload critical functions like signature updates and security setting propagation to a secondary Forefront Server Security Management Console server if necessary to help ensure availability, updates, and protection.
Integration with SQL Server and Windows Server 2003
Forefront Server Security Management Console uses Microsoft SQL Server for its quarantine and reporting data, helping ensure secure and reliable data management. Forefront Server Security Management Console Beta also takes advantage of the security and performance benefits of Microsoft Windows 2003 Server.