Topic Last Modified: 2006-08-22

The Microsoft® Exchange Server Analyzer Tool queries the Active Directory® directory service for the distingushedName attribute value of the protocolCfgSMTPServer object class to list all Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) virtual server instances on the user-specified Exchange gateway.

The Exchange Server Analyzer then queries Active Directory for the value of the msExchSourceBridgeheadServersDN and routingList attributes for each msExchRoutingSMTPConnector object that is found to determine whether an SMTP connector has one of the detected SMTP virtual server instances set as its local bridgehead to an external SMTP address space.

An SMTP connector designates an isolated route for mail. You can use SMTP connectors to establish a gateway for Internet mail or to connect to a specific domain or mail system. Connectors let you define specific options for the designated mail route.

If the Exchange Server Analyzer determines that there are no SMTP connectors with an SMTP virtual server instance from the specified Exchange gateway server set as its local bridgehead server, the Exchange Server Analyzer displays a warning.

This warning indicates that servers other than the user-specified Exchange gateway server may unintentionally route messages outside the organization.

You may want to create an SMTP connector that designates an SMTP virtual server instance on the specified Exchange gateway server as its bridgehead to avoid this condition in which servers other than the user-specified Exchange gateway server can unintentionally route messages outside the organization.

Although you can send and receive Internet mail by using just an SMTP virtual server, it is a recommended best practice to configure a dedicated SMTP connector for routing Internet mail. Use of an SMTP connector is recommended because it provides an isolated route for mail that is destined to the Internet. In addition, more configuration options are available on an SMTP connector than on the SMTP virtual server.

For more information about how to use SMTP connectors, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 294736, "When to create SMTP connectors in Exchange 2000 and later" (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=3052&kbid=294736).

For more information about SMTP connectors, see the Exchange Server Transport and Routing Guide (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=47579).