Mail Filtering Service
The Mail Filtering Service provides reliable mail delivery, spam filtering and virus protection for mail servers across campus. This service consists of a number of IronPort email security appliances, IronPort Anti-Spam software, Sophos Anti-Virus software and an email filtering programming language that can be used for customized defenses against threats not caught by vendor supplied software.
An open mail relay is an SMTP server configured in such a way that it allows anyone on the Internet to send email through it, not just mail destined to or originating from known users.
Acts as an unauthenticated email relay for authorized devices
No cost.
Routine requests are typically addressed within one business day.
UT Service Desk staff may escalate requests as needed.
Technical Support
Technical support is available during normal business hours:
M-F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
UT Service Desk
512-475-9400
Create a Ticket
Direct Email help@its.utexas.edu
The Mail Filtering Service consists of a number of IronPort email security appliances, IronPort Anti-Spam software, Sophos Anti-Virus software and an email filtering programming language that can be used for customized defenses against threats not caught by vendor supplied software.
- Acts as a gateway for incoming mail on departmental and ITS mail servers
- Acts as a gateway for outbound email
- Acts as an unauthenticated email relay for authorized devices
Mail Filtering Service is available at no cost to departments.
Key Metrics
- Availability: 99.9%
- Delivery delay: Less than 1 hour
- Routine work request acknowledgment response time: 1 business day
- Review and response to pending open requests: 5 business days
Overview
This document defines the service level agreement for the Mail Filtering service.
Service description
The Mail Filtering Service provides reliable mail delivery, spam filtering and virus protection for mail servers across campus. This service consists of a number of Cisco IronPort email security appliances, Cisco IronPort Anti-Spam software, Sophos Anti-Virus software and an email filtering programming language that can be used for customized defenses against threats not caught by vendor supplied software.
Intended users
Mail Filtering can be used by administrators of e-mail servers on campus.
Supported computing environment
This service can support any e-mail servers that adhere to the SMTP e-mail standards.
Technical support
Both Tier 1 and Tier 2 technical support is available during normal business hours. Routine requests are typically addressed within one business day.
Tier 1
End users should start with Tier 1 technical support. Any user can call the UT Service Desk at 512-475-9400. Users with a departmental Technical Support Contact (TSC) should contact that individual.
Tier 2
Departmental support staff and the UT Service Desk may escalate issues to Tier 2.
Tier 3
The ITS-Systems Shared Campus Services group, is the next tier of support for this service. The UT Service Desk can escalate issues to the Shared Campus Services group.
Special Support
ITS has an ongoing support contract with Cisco in case we need to escalate problems to the vendor.
Maintenance
ITS will notify customers about both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance using the Alerts and Outages page of service availability and service delivery issues. Services may not be available during the maintenance periods.
Scheduled maintenance: Due to the architecture of this service, most maintenance tasks can be done on servers on a rolling basis and thus will not require any down time for the service as a whole.
Unscheduled maintenance tasks that require service downtime will be announced as soon as possible on the Alerts and Outages page.
Change notification: ITS will notify customers using the Alerts and Outages page of service availability and service delivery issues for the Mail Filtering service.
User responsibilities
Subscribers (users) of the service and identified owners/administrators agree to be aware of and adhere to the university's Acceptable Use Policy.
Email administrators who request this service agree to:
- Provide accurate information about their e-mail system, including the mail domains to be protected, the host names of the mail servers that serve these domains, and whether spam should be deleted or merely tagged with an X-header. Any changes to this information will need to be communicated to ITS in a timely manner.
- E-mail administrators will need to adhere to best practices for postmasters. Departmental administrators should take steps to insure attackers are prohibited from bypassing our email security appliances to connect to their servers directly.
- In cases where ITS staff detect problems such as e-mail loops they will contact the e-mail administrator(s) to request remediation. In extreme cases where this problem affects the whole service ITS might take action to remedy the situation first before contacting the customer.
- In cases where ITS staff detect problems with outbound and mail relay which might affect the whole service they might take direct action and then inform e-mail administrators.
Departmental IT support staff agrees to:
- Provide ITS the name and contact information of e-mail administrators. Departmental IT staff will inform ITS if there are any changes to their staff information.