Modernization of mail system



Open Technologies, Russian system integrator, completes mail system modernization project at Rings of the Urals CB.

The modernization of mail system was aimed at creation of a secure system with guaranteed level of service and opportunities of secure e-mail exchange.

The project included modernization of service infrastructure, creation of single fail-active mail system and a segment of public (free-for-all) services with protection from harmful codes and undesirable messages, provision of "Mobile Office" function.

While implementing the project the specialists of Open Technologies inspected the existing mail system, designed its new logical structure, developed a policy of objects naming and a site design, deployed and launched the system.

The offered mail system solutions was based on Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 product with front-end and back-end cluster architecture providing for high level of system protection from outside attacks and its overall responsibility.

Microsoft Exchange combined with Microsoft Office offers the following functions to the users:

  • control over task implementation;
  • organization of meetings;
  • supporting office schedules (negotiations, projects, etc.) with an option of automatic resource reservation and reservation agreed with an employee in charge of the resource;
  • joint work with documents;
  • automatic maintenance of personal and team schedule;
  • document routing according to the predetermined chain of receivers.

While building the segment of public (free-for-all) services the company used Cisco ASA and Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004 products. The servers and network equipment were mirrored to provide for fail-active function.

In order to protect the system from viruses the mail servers of Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 were supplied with Symantec Mail Security and Kaspersky software managed by ОС Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

In order to provide reliability of data storage the modernization of the mail system included adaptation of the existing reserve copying system. It was made on the basis of NTBackup reserve copying system included in Windows Server 2003 operational system. The servers reserve copying is made in tape library switched to Sun Solaris, controlled server. It is launched according to the schedule controlled by reserve copying policy.

The modernization of mail system provided for high degree of availability of mail services for the personnel, partners and clients of the Ring Urals CB; protection from harmful codes (viruses, Trojans, worms) and undesirable mil messages (spam); access of mobile users to the mail, an option of encoding and electronic signature in mail messages, basic services for future deployment of open keys infrastructure; effective management of common resources inside the company.

According to Mikhail Tsepayev, deputy head of Ring of the Urals CB System and Technical Department, " new mail system enables efficient collective work of the bank staff and provides for secure remote on-line access to the necessary information from their mobile devices - notebooks and PDA. Besides, when the full set of modules is launched outside the office the personnel enjoy the same opportunities, as if they were in the office: e-mail, synchronization of address book, personal data, calendar and nank mail system tasks. All these aspects will allow them being fully informed of the current events, make fast decisions and plan further work.

Modernization of data processing center