Zimbra and Antispam/Antivirus appliance implementation suggestion

[axcess]

Hi, We have a Zimbra Community edition mail server setup. We are now planning to have a separate hardware for spam and anti-virus for better spam control.

1) The mail server is located at location-1 while the appliance will reside in location-2
2) The mails will be initially received in the location-1 mail server passed to the appliance at location-2 for spam/virus filtration and then the mail has to be sent back to the mail server in location-1 for delivery to the user mailbox
3) I will not be able to put this appliance in location-1 since it a data-center at distant place

I thought that we should able to do this if we are able to send the mail from postfix in location-1 server to the spam appliance and then the appliance can pass them back to amavis in location-1 server.
I want suggestion on this method or any better way to implement this solution?

We have Zimbra 5.0.10

[bdial]

why would it come in to location-1? why not have it come in at location-2, get virus/spam scnaned, then go to location-1. then it only needs to go 1 way.

[axcess]

Originally Posted by bdial

why would it come in to location-1? why not have it come in at location-2, get virus/spam scnaned, then go to location-1. then it only needs to go 1 way.

Currently all the MX is pointing to server at location-1.

We are also planning to get the appliance for evaluation for 2 weeks period before deciding if it really makes the some difference in reducing the spam.

If the solution doesn't go well then we need to change the MX back to server at location-1. To avoid these risks we have planned for this.

Once we are finalized on the appliance, I think your solution makes it easier.

[travisb]

Have you looked at using something like google's email security to do the spam and virus filtering before it hits your server? This would prevent the need for a hardware appliance. Just a thought.

[uxbod]

Personally I agree with bdial, but if all you are doing is a initial evaluation then why not create a TLD (Third Level Domain) for testing ? this way you can point it directly at location 2 for scanning which is then delivered to you ZCS installation without effecting your primary domain.

[axcess]

I would surely try with a TLD but i really doubt if it will be good enough to do this testing since if i use a TLD the amount of spam which would get generated during the period may be very low or even zero since we would have only testing accounts.

But do you think the above method i have mentioned might work and wont create any major problems like loss of mails