Author: Jamil Parvez

Upgrade GFI MailEssentials v21.4 to v21.5. First, we need to download the latest version of GFI MailEssentials on the server where GFI MailEssentials is currently installed. Go to the GFI site, log in with your username and key in your GFI Account credentials.

Upgrade GFI MailEssentials v21.4 to v21.5

1- Launch the GFI MailEssentials installer.

Open Command Prompt. So, I saved the GFI mailessentials.

exe file in my documents.

Enter cd Documents press Enter

Type cd GFI download folder name and press Enter

Enter mailessentials.exe to run the GFI MailEssentials installation file.

2- Select the language you would like to put in, select I even have read and comply with the terms and conditions checkbox and then click on next.

3- Now it’s ready to upgrade, then click the Install button to start the upgrade installation process.

4- So, its default running process.

5- Default running process.

6- GFI MailEssentials v21.5 successfully upgrade so, click on Finish.

For details click here

Export and Import spam keyword checking, Generate the template of the Spam Keyword Checking XML from the GFI MailEssentials Configuration.

1- Open GFI MailEssentials Configuration.

2- Expand the Anti-Spam option and then expand Anti-Spam Filters and select Spam Keyword Checking and so click on the Body Tab

3- Scroll down and then click on the Export button to get the XML file

4- So, click the Save button

5- Now Select the Subject Tab

6- Scroll down and then click on the Export button to get the XML file.

7- So, click the Save button.

Once You have saved your XML imported file.

Import the new exported_Spam_Body_Conditions XML file, into the GFI MailEssentials Configuration.

1- Open the GFI MailEssentials configuration

2- Expand the Anti-Spam and expand Anti-Spam Filters and select Spam Keyword and then click on the Body Tab

3- Scroll down and choose the Browse button

4- Browse the trail where you saved the xml file and choose Exported_Spam_Body_Conditions.xml file

5- Select the Import button to import the configuration

6- Click OK.

7- After import successfully

8- Now Select the topic Tab and Scroll down and choose Browse

9- Browse the trail where you saved the xml and choose Exported_Spam_Subject_Conditions.xml file

10- Select Import

11- Click OK

12- After import successfully

For more information click here

Export and Import Email Blocklist GFI Mailessentials, Generate a template of the Blocklist XML from the GFI MailEssentials Configuration

1- Open GFI MailEssentials Configuration.

2- Expand the Anti-Spam and expand Anti-Spam Filters and select Email Blacklist and then click on the Blacklist tab.

3- Scroll down and then click on the Export button to get the XML file.

4- Click the Save button.

Import the e-mail Blocklist within the GFI MailEssentials Configuration.

Once you’ve got saved your updated XML file, then import the new Email Blocklist XML, file into the GFI MailEssentials Configuration.

1- Open the GFI MailEssentials configuration once again,

2- Expand the Anti-Spam and expand Anti-Spam Filters and select Email Blocklist and then click on the Blocklist tab.

3- Scroll down and then click on the browse button.

4- Browse the trail where you saved the xml files and then choose the exported_blocklist.xml file.

5- Now Select the Import button to import the GFI Mailessentials blocklist.

6- Now the GFI Email blocklist successfully imported.

Export and Import Whitelist, Generate a template of the Whitelist XML from the GFI MailEssentials Configuration

Export and Import Whitelist GFI

1- Open GFI MailEssentials Configuration.

2- Expand the Anti-Spam and select Whitelist and then click the Whitelist Tab.

3- Scroll down and then click on the Export button to generate the XML file.

4- So, click the Save button.

5- Now select the Keyword Whitelist tab and Scroll down and then click on the Export button to generate the XML file.

6- So, click the Save button.

Import the Whitelist in the GFI MailEssentials Configuration.

Once you have saved your updated XML file, import the new exported_whitelist.xml file into the GFI MailEssentials Configuration.

1- Open the GFI MailEssentials configuration once again.

2- Expand the Anti-Spam > select Whitelist and select Whitelist Tab.

3- Scroll down and click on the browse button.

4- Browse the path where you saved the xml and Select exported_whitelist.xml file.

5- Select the Import button.

6- After import successfully.

7- Now select the Keyword Whitelist tab, scroll down and click on the browse button.

8- Browse the path where you saved the xml backup file and Select the exported_subject_keyword_whitelist.xml file.

9- Select the Import button.

10- GFI Mailessentials subject keywords successfully imported.

For more details visit GFI

The GFI MailEssentials switchboard interface can be loaded on the set up desktop solely (local mode) or available through http over the community (IIS mode).

GFI Switchboard Settings

1- Click start and click the program and click GFI MailEssentials and then click Switchboard.

2- Under UI Mode, so select the security button.

3- Configure who can access GFI MailEssentials and what features are available for which users.

IIS Mode Access control list so click on Add.

4- Enter the name of the user or group, click Check Names and then click Submit.

5- Select the Tracking tab and check Tracking Enabled.

6- Select Quarantine and review the details.

7- Select other tab, review current ports and click ok.

8- Click Yes to restart GFI Mailessentials services.

9- GFI Mailessentials services starting.

For more details click Here

To enable mail server to route emails (inbound and outbound) through GFI MailEssentials. In the configuration software of your mail server, use the alternative to relay all outbound electronic mail with the aid of another mail server (this choice is typically referred to as something comparable to Forwarding all messages to host.

Route Emails GFI MailEssentials

SMTP/POP3 Mail Server

1- Login to your mail server to route emails

Under Exchange admin center select mail flow.

Select the send connector.

Select your Send connector and then click the edit pen icon.

2- Left side select delivery

To route emails, Under Specify how to send a mail with this server and then select Route mail through smart hosts.

So, click plus add button

3- Enter the computer name or IP of the machine running GFI MailEssentials. So, click on the Save button to save the settings and restart your mail server.

How to Relay SMTP Server GFI MailEssenteals

Export-Import GFI configuration, GFI MailEssentials directory includes a Configuration Export/Import tool to export settings from one installation and import them in another.

1- First we need to stop the services listed below before the backup starts and to start the services again once the backup is complete.

GFI ListServer

GFI MailEssentials Enterprise Transfer Service

GFI MailEssentials Legacy Attendant Service

GFI MailEssentials AntiSpam Attendant

GFI MailEssentials EmailSecurity Attendant

GFI MailEssentials AS Scan Engine

GFI MailEssentials AV Scan Engine

GFI POP2Exchange

IIS Admin service SMTP

Open services

2- Stop IIS admin service and then SMTP.

3- So, using the Configuration Export/Import Tool

From the GFI MailEssentials installation directory (C:Program files\GFI\MailEssentials), then run meconfigmgr.exe

Export/Import GFI MailEssentials Configuration

4- Click the Export button to export the GFI mailessentials configuration.

5- Select the location where you want to save files and then click on ok.

Once complete, the following settings will be backed up in the specified folder:

AuAutowhitelist.mdb

Avapicfg.mdb

Buildver.bin

Config.mdb

Controllists.sdf

MECES_Reporting.xml Weights.bsp

SO, Manually copy the backup folder where the configuration settings were exported.

Paste the backup folder to the machines where to import the settings.

Import settings to new GFI MailEssentials installation Server

We need to stop the services listed below before the backup starts and to start the services again once the backup is complete.

GFI ListServer

GFI MailEssentials Enterprise Transfer Service

GFI MailEssentials Legacy Attendant Service

GFI MailEssentials AntiSpam Attendant

GFI MailEssentials EmailSecurity Attendant

GFI MailEssentials AS Scan Engine

GFI MailEssentials AV Scan Engine

GFI POP2Exchange

IIS Admin service SMTP

So, using the Configuration Export/Import Tool

From the GFI MailEssentials installation directory, then run meconfigmgr.exe

6- So, Click on Import.

7- Choose the folder containing import data and then click ok.

8- So, select copy and replace it.

9- GFI MailEssentials configuration imported successfully so, click on Yes.

10- Welcome to the GFI MailEssentials Port-Installation Wizard, then click on Next.

11- Select use the same DNS server used by this server and then click on next.

12- Select this machine connects directly to the internet and then click on next.

13- GFI post-installation wizard, so click on Add.

14- Type your domain name and then click on ok.

15- After adding domains, so click next.

16- Select this is the only SMTP server which receives emails directly from the internet and clicks next.

17- Under Select default, anti-spam action select Quarantine and click next.

18- GFI mailessentials post-installation wizard completed successfully, click Finish.

19- GFI MailEssentials Dashboard.

For more details click here

To create SMTP domains relay for email relaying for GFI MailEssentials, follow the below steps.

SMTP Domains Relay for GFI MailEssentials

1- Select the start button and select Administrative Tools and then select Internet Information Services (IIS), Manager.

2- Under the Internet Information Services manager expands the GFI-ME (local server).

And expand (SMTP Virtual Server #1) Select Domains, under the domain name, right click select new and then select Domain.

3- Select remote and then click on next.

4- Under name type Specify an organization domain name and then click on Finish.

5- Enable email relaying to your mail server

Domains Relaying

Right click on the new domain you added and then select properties.

6- Select allow incoming mail to be Relayed to this Domain and under remote domain select forward all mail to smart host and type the IP address of your mail server and then click on ok.

For more details click here

Just specify which mail servers can route emails through this SMTP email relay server. (for example, allow only specific servers to use this email relaying).

SMTP Email Relay Server

1- Click the start button and click administrative tools and then select Internet Information Services (IIS), Manager.

2- Under Internet Information Services Manager and expand the GFI Mailessentials (local computer) right click on the SMTP virtual server and then select properties.

3- Select the Access tab and then click the Relay button under relay restrictions.

4- Select only the list below and then click the Add button.

5- Specify the IP Address of the internal mail servers that are allowed to route emails through your mail relay server. Add single computers or groups of computers or Domain and then click ok.

NOTE:

The Domain option adds a processing overhead which will degrade SMTP service performance. this is often thanks to the reverse DNS lookup processes triggered on all IP addresses (within that domain) that attempt to route emails through this relay server.

6- Click ok.

7- Select Delivery and then click the Advanced button.

8- Click check DNS, the domain name is valid and click three-time ok.

For more details click here

GFI MailEssentials v21.5 Installation step by step.

NEW:

Support for Microsoft Exchange 2019

Support for Microsoft Windows Server 2019

System requirements

Hardware Requirements

Processor: 2GHz with multiple cores

Memory (RAM): 2GB dedicated for GFI MailEssentials

Disk space: 10GB dedicated for GFI MailEssentials

Software Requirements

Any version of Microsoft Windows Server 64-bit from 2008 R2 onwards.

The Microsoft IIS SMTP service or Microsoft Exchange Server 2010/2013/2016

Microsoft IIS World Wide Web service

Messaging Queuing Service (MSMQ)

.NET Framework 4/4.5

ASP.NET and Windows Authentication role services when installing on Windows Server 2008 R2 onwards

Microsoft SQL Server/Microsoft SQL Server Express (free) is usually recommended for the Reporting engine database for installs with quite 100 mailboxes.

Discontinued

McAfee and VIPRE AVs have been discontinued.

Microsoft Exchange 2007 is no longer supported.

Microsoft Windows 2008 is no longer supported. 

Installing on an email gateway or relay/perimeter server

Microsoft .NET Framework 4/4.5

How to install .Net Framework v4.5 Click here

Enable IIS SMTP Service

How to Enable Microsoft Web server IIS SMTP service in Windows Server 2008 here

GFI MailEssentials Installation

1- Launch the GFI MailEssentials installer.

Open Command Prompt. I saved GFI mailessentials.exe file in documents.

enter cd Documents press Enter

Type cd GFI Mailessentials v.21.5 press Enter

Type mailessentials.exe to run the GFI MailEssentials installation file.

2- Select the language you want to use and select I have read and agree to the terms and conditions and then click on Next.

3- Specifying a GFI account or a license key

Type your username and password click login to retrieve the license keys registered to your account, so I selected manually enter a License Key.

4- Enter your license key and then click on ok.

5- After entering the license key, so click on next.

6- Select Active Directory and then click next.

Note: this feature is merely available when installing GFI MailEssentials on a machine that’s joined to a lively Directory domain. GFI MailEssentials retrieves the list of mail enabled users from Active Directory Domain Controller.

7- GFI mailessentials 20.3, so Specify the administrator email address to use for notifications about product status and then click next.

8- GFI mailessentials web server configuration

Web server Configuration Path, MailEssentials RSS Path, MailEssentialsRSS, so click next.

9- Select a folder where you want to install GFI MailEssentials and then click next.

10- GFI mailessentials are ready to Install so, click the Install button to start the installation process.

11- GFI mailessentials installation, default running process.

12- GFI default installing process.

13- GFI MailEssentials installed successful, so click Finish.

14- Welcome to the GFI MailEssentials port-installation wizard and then click Next.

GFI Configuration.

15- Select use the same DNS server used by this server and then click on Next.

16- Select this machine connects directly to the internet and so click next.

17- GFI mailessentials inbound email domains, so click Add button.

18- Type your domain name and then click ok.

19- After adding domains, so click next.

20- Select This is the only SMTP server which receives emails directly from the internet and then click next.

21- Under select default, anti-spam action select Quarantine and then click next

22- GFI mailessentials post-installation wizard completed successfully and click on Finish.

23- GFI MailEssentials v20.3 Dashboard.

For more details click here