Tip

Simplified Exchange IMF Spam Confidence Level rankings for Microsoft Outlook

Exchange Server's Intelligent Message Filter (IMF) assigns a value called a Spam Confidence Level (SCL) to all messages it processes.

Until now, the only way to expose the Exchange IMF SCL was through a custom form.

    Requires Free Membership to View

    Login

The disadvantage of this method is that it has to be set on every installation of Microsoft Outlook on which it's used.

The custom form method also doesn't allow rules processing on a Microsoft Outlook client using the SCL values. And, if you want to expose the SCL to all Microsoft Outlook clients, regardless of where they are, there's no easy way to do it.

Exchange Server programmer Victor Ivanidzehas has created an unsupported freeware plug-in called ShowSCL (for Exchange Server 2003 and up only) that simplifies the SCL display process.

The ShowSCL plug-in allows you to add the SCL score for a message as part of the default message categories. It can also be configured for individual mailboxes or on an entire store by default.

The only changes needed on the Microsoft Outlook client is to add the Categories field to a given view. Once this is done, you can create rules to process incoming messages by their SCL score. (The SCL score is added as a message category.)

Note that you will need to be the owner of any mailboxes for which you attempt to set up ShowSCL. In addition, the Exchange Server administrator does not have mailbox permissions by default. The documentation for the plug-in has details on how to set this up properly and safely.

About the author: Serdar Yegulalp is editor of the Windows Power Users Newsletter.

Do you have comments on this tip? Let us know.

Related information from SearchExchange.com:

  • Tip: How to display IMF's SCL rankings in Outlook using a custom form
  • Tip: Configuring Microsoft Outlook to display Sender ID information
  • Crash Course: Exchange Intelligent Message Filter
  • Learning Center: The spamfighter's toolbox
  • Learning Guide: How to fight spam on Exchange Server

    Please let others know how useful this tip was via the rating scale below. Do you have a useful Exchange Server or Microsoft Outlook tip, timesaver or workaround to share? Submit it to SearchExchange.com. If we publish it, we'll send you a nifty thank-you gift.

    This was first published in September 2006

    • Join the conversationComment

    Share
    Comments

      Results

      Contribute to the conversation

      All fields are required. Comments will appear at the bottom of the article.

      Disclaimer: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.

      Back to top