I manage a network of about forty 2K3 Standard SP2 servers. All of them are virtualized on 3 ESX 3.01 boxes. Most have up to date anti-virus (Computer Associates eTrust). However, I noticed that a couple of them do not have eTrust or any other AV software installed on them. The previous Network Admin is gone so I can't ask him why he never put eTrust or any other AV software on these. One is a SQL server and the other a DNS server. Is there a reason that certain servers do not need AV protection? I was always under the impression that all machines need to have AV protection. Thanks. Server 2003 MCSE, PS4 CCA

I agree. All the Microsoft Servers should have a virus protection. The servers always communicate to each other an so can always get infected. It's as necessary as all clients has to be virus protected.

Odds are they don't have AV due to cost/licenses. Not all servers need to have AV if you have your access traffic going thru a AV system. In our case we use a Sonicwall firewall with spyware/av subscriptions at the entry point for the internet. We then have SAV server that updates all the workstations. Out of 28 servers we have AV only on the main users file servers but not on DC's or app servers. If the virus has made it past the gateway and the users workstation, nothing is going to stop it anyway.