Exclusions for Windows Servers

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I am evaluating Avast Business currently on a couple of workstations. I am getting ready to install on some servers. One an SBS 2003 and the other Server 2008. From past experience with other AV Enterprise solutions, I found they would have templates with specific exclusions for servers. Does Avast already do this when installed on a server? What have you encountered installing on a server?

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Hi,

So far I have tested this on Windows Server 2003 standard (including R2) and Windows Server 2012 standard (including R2) and have not needed to add any OS file exclusions yet, so the product seems to recognise the OS files very well. This was also using the hardened mode set to aggressive.

These are fairly simple web servers and application severs so your mileage may vary depending on the OS features installed, but so far I am impressed on how little I needed to do to get AVAST working on the systems and the minimal impact on the systems themselves.

So there does not appear to be a need to have special settings / templates for different systems.

- Peter

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Thanks Peter! That is good information. Exchange servers are notorious for getting cranky with antivirus software. I would definitely add recommended exclusions for those at least.

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I'm also running 2012 R2 as a Domain Controller and nothing unusual to report. 

Whilst Avast is compatible with Windows Server (ie, a member server) I've never seen anything to do with having to set exclusions for Active Directory database for a Domain Controller for example. 

IMHO exclusions are just for performance reasons, so on a small single-site DC I'd doubt it matters much.  But I certainly would be checking the Microsoft documentation for recommended exclusions for individual products like Exchange and SQL Server (which are added on in SBS too) as they can create huge files and would suffer performance.  I know Microsoft have KB documents like that floating in their web somewhere, or might be in the product install guides.  It doesn't hurt to put the exclusions for another AV product into Avast if you are concerned