Deploying modusGate on Microsoft Azure MarketPlace

The following article describes how you can access modusGate on the Azure MarketPlace and deploy a VM in Azure with modusGate installed.

Note: In order to deploy modusGate on Microsoft Azure you must have an Azure Subscription account or you can sign up with your Microsoft Account here at sign-up for a free trial.

      1. Access your Azure portal and search for modusGate on the MarketPlace.

      2. Select modusGate email security from the list and click the "Create" button.

      3. Enter details of your VM in the "Create Virtual machine" panel.

                  a. Basics – Configure basic settings.

                  b.  Size - Choose the virtual machine size. Recommended VM for modusGate is A2 Standard, A3 Standard and A6 Standard. Visit this page for VM size details.

                  c.  Settings - These are optional feature settings. ie. Such as configuring a Static Public IP.

                  d. Summary details panel of the VM being deployed.

                  e. Buy - Purchase the VM offer. Vircom pricing is separate from MS Azure and is a BYOL (Bring Your Own License), please see Azure Pricing for all details.

                  f. Allow the VM approx. 5 minutes to be provisioned and once ready, log into the VM via the RDP client.

Start using modusGate on Azure with a free 30 day-trial license. See the following KB article on how to obtain your free 30 day-trial license.

Contact a Vircom representative for all modusGate pricing inquires. Contact us at 1-888-484-7266.

Getting started with modusGate on Azure

This article describes how you can get access to your modusGate or sign up for your 30-day free trial license for Azure BYOL (Bring Your Own License) .

Note: If you’ve not deployed modusGate from the Azure MarketPlace go to this KB page: deploying modusGate on Azure.

      6.  There are two options that can be used to start using modusGate.

              1. Select “I want to start a free trial, please send me a key!”. Complete a simple sign-up form and we will email you a free 30-day trial license. 

                 2. If you already have a modusGate ASV-AB key, then you can simply copy and paste it in the text box.

      7.  Copy and paste a Key in the text filed and seledt the "GO" button and modusGate will be initialized and ready to be used.

If you have any issues, please contact a Customer Support representative at 1-888-484-7266.

Next Step: How to configure a Route in modusGate.

Setting up a Route with Route Wizard

This article describes how to configure modusGate with your mail server.

NOTE: You must create a route for each domain for which modusGate is to filter email.

      1.  Launch the modusGate console. The Console will be launched and you will be prompted with the Routing Wizard.

      2.  Select the "Next" button and enter your Mail Domain Name, e.g. xyz.com. Email sent to this address will be filtered by modusGate.

      3.  Select the appropriate Mail server type from the dropdown list. If your server type is not listed, select one of the following: SMTP, SMTP_VRFY.

Please note the following server Types:

• The SMTP option cannot validate mail recipients, therefore invalid addresses will be created in the user list and count against your user license. In addition, if alias email addresses are used, they will be added to the user list and total user count. 
• SMTP_VRFY is supported by most mail servers, but must only be used if the mail server is protected by a firewall with no direct public access. Without a firewall, the list of valid user accounts can be easily obtained over the Internet. Alias email addresses are supported by SMTP_VRFY; they will not be counted against the user license.

     4.  Enter the Mail server name or IP.

     5.  The SMTP Port number automatically displays 25; change this only if you use a different port number.

      6.  If you had selected Exchange as a mail server type, click "Next" and enter your Active Directory/LDAP server information.

Note: The Exchange option authenticates with your LDAP/AD server. In order for the VM on Azure to have access you must create an inbound firewall rule to allow the public IP address of your VM to access port 389/3268 (LDAP). How to setup a Static IP in Azure.

      7.  Enter the Server name or IP address for your Active Directory or LDAP servers.

      8.  Verify the Port Numbers:

• If using Exchange 2007-2016, port 3268 is automatically configured for the Global Catalog: this provides access to the entire list of users’ mailboxes. Selecting Use TLS will auto-reset the port to 3269.
• You may optionally enter a custom port. 

      9.  Enter the AD root domain name. This is the root or internal domain name configured on your Active Directory/LDAP server, e.g. domain.local.

    10.  User DN and Password: enter the email address and password of the Administrator.

Note: Optionally you can create a mgate user in AD that has only read access. The email address format is supported by both Active Directory and LDAP. 

    11.  Enter a valid email address in the Enter Email to Test field and click Test Route.

• The system will attempt to connect to your mail server and send a message to your address.
• You will receive feedback if there are any errors.
• Check your Inbox to confirm the message was received.

    12.  Click Next to view the summary table.

• Click Add to enter other domains or mail servers, if necessary.
• To edit or change any information, use the Console's Connection settings.
• Click Finish to close the wizard.

If you have any issues, please contact a Customer Support representative at 1-888-484-7266. 

Next Step: Test your mail flow.             

Test your mail flow

After creating a route, you can optionally run this automated mail flow test to ensure the system is working properly.

Note: You must have configured a Route before testing the mail flow.

      1.  Ensure the modusGate VM is running and you’ve logged in, open the modusGate Administration Console to System > Services to verify that all services are running.

• The most important services required for basic functionality are: SMTPRS, SMTPDS, MODUSADM and MODUSCAN. 

      2.  Locate the Email Flow Diagnostic Tool on the desktop and click to open the program.

      3.  Verify that the SMTP server displays the modusGate server name, and enter your email address to perform the test.

      4.  Select to test a spam message, a legitimate message or both, and click Send.

• Check your Inbox in Outlook to verify that you received the legitimate test email.
• On the modusGate console, open the Quarantine tab and verify that the spam test message appears in the list (if the console Quarantine screen was already open, you might need to click the Refresh button to see the message). 

      5.  The mail flow test can be re-run at any time.

Setting up a Static IP address

Note: By default VM’s on Azure are configured with a dynamic IP. The IP of the VM will only change every time the VM is Stopped and then Started again. If you Restart the VM in Azure the IP will not change.

It’s important to note that it is highly recommended that the VM be configured with a Static IP when modusGate is deployed in a production environment.

      1.  Access the VM running modusGate from your Azure Portal Dashboard.

      2.  In the Settings panel select “Network interfaces” and then select the configured “Network Interface” that was created at deployment time.

      3.  Select the “IP Addresses” option from the Settings panel. 

      4.  From the IP Addresses panel select the option “IP Address” under the Public IP Address Settings section.

      5.  Select "Create New".

      6.  Give the new IP address a new Name and select the Assignment to "Static".

      7.  Select the OK button and your VM with modusGate on Azure will be assigned a Static IP.

Note: With every Azure Subscription you are entitled to 5 static IP’s. Please refer to the following link for prices of IP’s.

If you have any issues, please contact a Customer Support representative at 1-888-484-7266. 

Next Steps: Changing your MX Records.      

Changing your MX records

Once your connection(s) are tested and working, the next step is to change your DNS records.

• On the DNS Server, modify the MX (Mail Exchange) record so that your mail domain points to the modusGate server instead of the Exchange.
• Create an A or Host record that maps the new modusGate MX to the Gater server's IP address.
• Since the new MX records can take anywhere from 12 to 48 hours to propagate, only remove teh mail server's MX after modusGate's MX has been propagated. Do this to hide your mail server from public view: when spmmers see multipel MX's for the same domain, they often bypass the primary (modusGate's) and target the secondary (the mail server).

If you wish to check whether your MX record change has been propagated try using our Email Security Grader tool at www.emailsecuritygrader.com and enter your domain name.