Licensing question for SBS with Exchange

Hi,

I'm wondering if someone (hopefully ESET rep.) can provide me some accurate information on ESET Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Server licensing. I have an SBS 2003 R2 server with 20 Exchange mailboxes that I would like to protect.

I can see that when I install ESET Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Server, it includes the components to protect the file system as well, and from trying the trial licenses, I know that you can't install both ESET Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Server and ESET File Security for Windows File Server at the same time.

What licenses am I required to purchase for this situation? Is it:

1. 20x Mail Security licenses

2. 20x Mail Security plus 1x File Security licenses?

3. 1 or 2 above plus 20x ESET NOD32 Antivirus Business Edition for Windows

4. Something else

Does the File Security product contain any functionality that is not also covered by the Mail Security product?

Thanks
Brett

 

You are paying for your mailboxes, nothing else.

You can use the Eset Mailbox Count tool which you can find here:
http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2425
(half down the page)

Eset File Security does not offer anything that Eset for Exchange does not offer.

 

ESET Mail Security contains all other modules (real-time protection, web access / email protection, on-demand scanner, etc.) so you pay for the number of mailboxes but get a complete protection for your server.

 

Thank you both for your answers. This is what I thought based on my reading, but the following statements from an ESET Australia Sales rep has confused me … or perhaps he's confused.

ESET Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Server is not available as a standalone product ... an ESET File Server or Business Edition license is also required.

--------------

The Mail Server licenses does not include the functionality of the File Server product.

--------------

ESET Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Server covers email ONLY .

ESET File Security for Windows File Server protects the File Server ONLY ... not Workstations.

1x ESET Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Server (25 users)

1x ESET File Security for Windows File Server

19x ESET NOD32 Antivirus (includes use on 1x Windows File Server)

This last quote includes the SBS server, a TS server and the network workstations. As you can see, the rep is consistently inferring that to cover the SBS I need x licenses for the mailbox plus a separate file server license (even though you can't install both at the same time). The only thing I could think of was that you installed the one Exchange product but you needed to purchase the file server license to activate the computer file system functionality.

If there's any ESET rep that wants to correct your Australia counterparts comments, it would be great to have an official statement as to what I need to purchase (even though I'm sure the above posters are correct).

Thanks
Brett

 

I've just been through this process myself and it is certainly confusing!

However, what I have established for charity licensing is this, (which I assume is the same as normal corporate licensing, but just with different per unit costs):


Your Mail Server itself is covered by Mail Security Product (which as you say covers that server for virus and spyware on its files), but it appears to not have it's own license type... it just needs a File Security licence to run that instance (assuming charity is the same as corporate remember). So you just need that one license to install the base product, but you don't install "File Security" as well.

Then you need a license per mailbox user, which covers the mailbox, but not the server.

Then you need enough NOD32 / Smart Security licenses per machine to cover them for virus/spyware on their files.

I think the issue that confused me was that Mail Security for Exchange doesn't have its own license type... so I assumed it was covered in the price of the mailbox licences, whereas it isn't. Which actually makes perfect sense when you think about it.

In the charity pricing it is further confused because the NOD32/FileSecurity/MailSecurity licenses are actually all the same thing. This might not be true in the corporate licenses, but I'm pretty sure however it works out, you don't need two licenses for your mail server, just one!

So to summarise your situation, my understanding is that you would require:

1x FileSecurity/MailSecurity license for SBS (then install MailSecurity for Exchange product not File Security!)

20x NOD32 Licenses, one for each machine

20x MailSecurity Mailbox licenses one for each mailbox in Exchange (although run their tool on your server to check how many mailboxes get counted, as your licensing cost will be based on their count, not on bodies in your office, and they might be different!! We have 21 users, but 35 mailboxes!)

To check mailbox licenses required, you download their tool onto your server, and run it with the /count option. If you want to track which users are being counted, then run it with the /names option, so if necessary you can prune old users before buying licenses so you don't pay for old users not required. see here for details and to download the tool.

Hope you get it sorted OK.

Mike

 

I think confirms what I've been told. You can't buy the Mail Security product. You buy the File Security product, but use that license to install Mail Security System on the server to protect the server itself.

This the confusing bit, but I think it is mainly bad wording. What I understand from Eset is that Mail Security licenses only exist as "per mailbox licenses". Hence the confusion. If you read the above with that knowledge, I think you can contort it to sort of understand (still confusing though!). So you buy enough licenses for each mailbox, and they indeed only cover the mailboxes themselves, that is the only type of Mailbox Security License you can buy.

So carrying on the contortion, the File Security license you buy, covers the server only (for running the Mailbox Security for Exchange Server Product!)

So the confusing bit is actually here in this final wording.They say you need 1x Mailbox Server licence, (for 25 users), whereas actually, this is in reality:
25x Mailbox Licenses (to use with the Server product which is licensed with the File Security License below!)

This bit is also confusing as they are selling you the File Security twice, but the count of licenses is correct. You need 19 clients and 1 server. I think the fact that they say "includes 1x File Server" suggests that behind the scenes the NOD32/FileSecurity/MailSecurity license are all the same (like with the charity licenses).


I think if you can do the mental gymnastics on the bad wording, it does eventually make sort of sense (nearly!)... but it is takes a while to get there!

I've certainly found this process quite confusing from the website, but found it was actually really simple when explained by the excellent help of the Eset NZ guys at Chillisoft.

So as long as the mailbox count is correct (remember to use the tool), then the above quote looks right, just badly worded! I hope I've managed to help
rather than confuse further! ;O)

Mike

 

Hang on... I've just seen that you have a TS server too!

So in that case, you need:


1x License for the TS server (running File Security product)
1x License for the SBS server (running Mail Security for Exchange Product)
25x Mailbox licenses.
18/19x NOD32 - one for each workstation computer (not sure if this is 18 or 19, but you will know).

So the wording above from the Aussie guys look even less contorted (but still not clear!)

If you want a second opinion, I suggest listing the exact number of computers you have. Number of servers. Number of Mailboxes. Then someone can summarise for you.

 

Thanks Mike for trying to untangle that mess of information. As you say, once it's explained, it does kind of make sense, but wow, they're certainly not doing themselves any favours. I've actually had a number of other emails with the sales rep where I've tried to clarify the information, but couldn't get a straight answer.

I'm still not quite sure what "ESET Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Server is not available as a standalone product ... an ESET File Server or Business Edition license is also required" means exactly. Can I purchase a File Server license for the server or a Business Edition license for each workstation accessing the mailboxes?? It's probably not important though, I'm mostly interested in the protection for SBS and TS boxes.

I'm also looking back at my emails and the initial quote for 2x File Server and 18x workstations was less than a later quote for 1x File Server and 19x workstation. This is all from the same sales person and only 10 days apart.

This is not the way to instil confidence in your product ESET.

Brett

 

If you replace the bold text with covers both e-mail and the server it is installed on then you're done

 

OK, thought I was getting somewhere with my understanding of these licenses, but apparently not. My latest question to and response from ESET Australia sales.

My Question
To be honest, I've been having a hard time understanding the licensing
information you've provided. One of the users on the ESET official forum has
explained it so I think it now makes sense, so let me try to explain it back
to see if I have understood correctly.

In order to protect both the file system and the emails on the SBS box, I
install only the ESET Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Server product.
This product includes all functionality to protect both the file system
(equivalent to ESET File Security for Windows File Server) plus the email.

The licensing for this product is the same cost as ESET File Security for
Windows File Server ($225) plus the cost of however many mailboxes ($412.50 for 25 according to below quote).

Is that correct?
.
.
.
Can you please provide quotes for each of

1x SBS, 1x TS & 21x mailboxes

.
.

ESET's Answer

OK ... to avoid further confusion, we'll do it your way .............

> Can you please provide quotes for each of

> 1x SBS, 1x TS & 21x mailboxes

1x ESET for Microsoft Exchange Mail Server (21x mailboxes) = $388.50 including GST.
1x ESET File Security for Windows File Server = $225.00 including GST.

.................

Now apart from completely ignoring the part where I was asking a pretty specific question, obviously trying to understand the licenses, the sales rep has now changed his quotes from previously always requiring two File Server licences to now only requiring one.

I seriously have no idea what the hell the licensing requirements are for my two servers. Anyone would think the MPAA was running this company with how hard they're making it for a customer to pay them money.

Brett

 

Final answer is you only need the ESET Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Server product and licenses. There is no need to purchase an ESET File Server for Windows File Server as well to cover the SBS server.

Thanks to those that replied.
Brett