Topic Last Modified: 2009-02-12

The Microsoft Exchange Server Best Practices Analyzer examines the transport rules that are configured on servers that are running the Exchange Server 2007 Edge Transport server role. If the Best Practices Analyzer determines that a transport rule action is configured to quarantine messages, the tool verifies that a destination quarantine mailbox exists. If the Best Practices Analyzer cannot locate a quarantine mailbox, the tool generates the following error message:

There is at least one transport rule (e.g. '<RuleName>') configured to quarantine messages, but there is no quarantine mailbox configured. This may cause quarantine messages to be silently deleted.

The Edge Transport server role can apply transport rules to e-mail messages that it handles. Transport rules can include actions and action properties. Exchange applies an action to an e-mail message that has both the following characteristics:

• The e-mail message matches the conditions that are set on a transport rule.
  
  
• The e-mail message does not match an exception that is set on a transport rule.
  
  

Each action affects e-mail messages in different ways. For example, an action can redirect an e-mail message to another address, or the action can reject the e-mail message. Each action is made up of the action itself, an action property, and a value for the action property.

You can use transport rule actions to quarantine messages that pass through Exchange 2007 servers that are running the Edge Transport server role. The put message in spam quarantine mailbox rule action redirects e-mail messages to an unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE) quarantine mailbox. (This is also known as the spam quarantine mailbox.) To use this action, a quarantine mailbox must be configured. You can configure a quarantine mailbox by using the Set-ContentFilterConfig cmdlet together with the QuarantineMailbox parameter.

Before you use the put message in spam quarantine mailbox rule action, the following conditions must be met:

• The destination mailbox must exist.
  
  
• The QuarantineMailbox parameter must be set on the Set-ContentFilterConfig cmdlet.
  
  

If these conditions are not met, messages that use the put message in spam quarantine mailbox rule action are not quarantined as expected. Instead the messages are deleted.

To address this issue, create and configure a spam quarantine mailbox.

To configure a quarantine mailbox

1. Log on to the Edge Transport server, and then start the Exchange Management Console.

2. In the navigation pane, click Edge Transport, and then click the Transport Rules tab.

3. Right-click the rule that is configured to quarantine messages, and then click Edit Rule.

4. Click Next until you reach the Actions page.

5. Click to select the log an event with message check box, and then click to clear the put message in spam quarantine mailbox check box.

6. Click the message link, type a message such as "temporary quarantine removal," and then click Next.

7. Click Update, and then click Finish.

8. On an Exchange 2007 Mailbox server, create a new quarantine mailbox if you do not already have a mailbox created.

9. On the Edge Transport server, start the Exchange Management Shell.

10. Run the following cmdlet:

    	Copy Code
    Set-ContentFilterConfig -QuarantineMailbox <SMTPAddress>

    In this command, replace <SMTPAddress> with the SMTP address of the quarantine mailbox.

11. On the Edge Transport server, start the Exchange Management Console, click Edge Transport, and then click the Transport Rules tab.

12. Right-click the rule that is configured to quarantine messages, and then click Edit Rule.

13. Click Next until you reach the Actions page.

14. Click to clear the log an event with message check box, click to select the put message in spam quarantine mailbox check box.

15. Click Next, click Update, and then click Finish.

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