How to configure a Sender Policy Framework record, SPF record in Exchange 2010, Understand SPF records

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Understand SPF records, Defining SPF records

How to configure a Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record, SPF record in Exchange 2010, Understand Sender Policy Framework records, Defining Sender Policy Framework records

Are you tired to get bounce emails from important for you recepients? Do you want to prevent spammers from sending messages with forged From addresses at your domain?
Then defining SPF records is helpful for you!
You didn`t know what is Sender Policy Framework record yet? Please, no worries! I would like to tell you about it. I hope you will understand Sender Policy Framework records and it would not be a problem for you in the future.

Understanding SPF records

Introduction in SPF records, Sender Address Forgery

Today, nearly all abusive e-mail messages carry fake sender addresses. The victims whose addresses are being abused often suffer from the consequences, because their reputation gets diminished and they have to disclaim liability for the abuse, or waste their time sorting out misdirected bounce messages.
Sender address forgery is a threat to users and companies alike, and it even undermines the Exchange 2010 e-mail medium as a whole because it erodes people's confidence in its reliability.

Understand SPF record

The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is an open standard specifying a technical method to prevent sender address forgery.
We recommend that you create a Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record for your domain. An SPF record is a type of Domain Name Service (DNS) record that identifies which mail servers are permitted to send email on behalf of your domain.
If your domain does not have an SPF record, some recipient domains may reject messages from you or your employees because they cannot validate that the messages come from an authorized mail server.

Defining Sender Policy Framework record

• Log in to the administrative console for your domain.
• Locate the page from which you can update the DNS records.
• Create a TXT record containing to following text:
  v=spf1 a mx ptr ip4:111.111.111.111 -all
  where 111.111.111.111 is the IP address (the version of IP is 4) of your Exchange 2010 server

To get more details please visit PlexHosted KnowledgeBase guide.
If you haven`t Exchange 2010 account yet please visit PlexHosted Exchange 2010 hosting page to get more details about the Exchange 2010 hosting.
Please note that you can choose one of three hosting plans with PlexHosted. Please see comparison Exchange 2010 page.

How to Add an Additional Exchange Email Account in Outlook

Microsoft Outlook 2010 is the full-version email client included in the Microsoft Office suite of productivity applications. Adding email accounts to Outlook is a fairly streamlined task, usually requiring only the email address and password for the Exchange email account.
To add an additional Exchange email account do next simple steps:

• Run Outlook 2010
• Click the File option on the top toolbar and then click the Add Account button under "Account Information".

• Type the name of the person to whom the new email account belongs into the field labeled Your Name. Type the email address for the new account in the Email Address input box. Type the password for the email account, and then retype the password to confirm. Click Next. Outlook will attempt to connect with the Exchange email server and log in with the information you have provided.

• If successful, click Finish. The configuration is complete. If unsuccessful, click the Retry button to reattempt the connection, or click the Back button and manually configure the email servers.

• You see the message like this. Press Ok and restart your Outlook 2010.

• Additional account was added!

Good luck!

How to migrate (copy) Microsoft Outlook 2010 custom views to backup or share

Microsoft Outlook doesn’t offer an easy method to backup or share custom views, and exporting the contents to a new pst does not include the views or custom forms.

Copy views to a ViewsBackup.pst

1. Add a new .pst (File, New, Outlook Data File).
2. Add folders to the .pst for each type of view you need to copy. (One folder each of Mail, Calendar, contacts, etc).
3. Select the first new folder.
4. Open the Define views dialog.
5. Select the view you want to copy to the new pst and click Copy.
6. Select one of the "This folder…" options.
7. Change the view name, if desired.
8. Click Ok.
9. Repeat for each view you want to copy.

Repeat for each folder type.
To copy a view that was originally designed for “this folder only”, you’ll need open that folder, and make a copy of it using the “For all [folders]” option then begin with Step 3.
Copying views to a different pst uses the same steps, but you’ll copy the “for this folder view” and set it for All [folder]. This adds it to the default pst (or Exchange mailbox). If you want it for a specific folder only, you’ll need to select the folder, copy the view again and set it for this folder only.
Views created for “this folder only” are stored in the folder – moving or copying the folder to a new pst includes these views (as well as custom forms published to the folder).
Exchange server users can copy views and published forms using the File, Folder menu.

Benefits of outsourcing Exchange Email

There are huge benefits to outsourcing your mail.

No single point of failure (power goes out, nic card dies, hard drive failure). All of this results in your mail being down.You do not have to pay for an exchange admin (min of $50k a year to have someone keep your mail server running)

Most hosting company (like the one i work for), have a ton of redundancy built into there networks. Its more more secure then your everyday work networks.

You can save a lot of money also by outsourcing. You never have to worry about hardware failure. No more having to purchase Microsoft Licenses, backup software,antivirus software. You also do not have to pay for that person to keep the server running. That includes everyday maintenance.

You also never have to upgrade. When you outsource, the hosting company do all the upgrades for you.

Also, most your hosting company have Top notch Enterprise security. Specially if the company is SAS70 compliant. They get audited all the time to make sure the customers data is secure and protected.

Also, Spam Filters. Most company's (at least you should check first), include spam filtering. That is another cost you will have to pay if you keep it in-house.

There are a lot more, and i will be happy to go more in depth in this conversation if you wish. Also, I work for a Hosted Exchange company. If you are interested in talking to me offline about your needs, let me know. I didn't want to make this just about my company but i wanted to just give you facts on any hosted exchange company you go with.

No matter what company you choose, i believe hosted exchange is a lot better then keeping it inhouse. Just make sure you do your research on the top hosted exchange company before you make your choice.

You can send me a private message if you want to talk offline about your needs and i can at least give you more information about what you need to look for.

Thanks