I'm looking for recommendations on how to get a Microsoft Azure MCA-E agreement set up quickly. A client of mine needs access to port 25 for an SMTP setup on Azure VMs for a proof-of-concept due on Monday. However, I found out that port 25 access is restricted under the MCA agreement. We've already submitted a ticket to Microsoft, but they mentioned that without an MCA-E agreement, the request might get denied. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
Instead of trying to open port 25, I suggest using an authenticated SMTP relay service to send emails from your Azure VMs or App Services. The good news is that TCP port 587 for these services isn't blocked. Microsoft Azure Communication Services offers an authenticated SMTP relay service, which you could leverage. Just make sure to check the rate limits and raise them with support if necessary. This is a more reliable option since it won't be restricted, regardless of your subscription type!
You'll likely need a Microsoft rep to establish a contract like an MCA-E, but honestly, for a proof of concept, that might be tough unless your client is a large enterprise. Instead, reach out to Microsoft Support for help. Just be aware that they won't open port 25 even if you do manage to get an MCA-E in place, so stick with their best practices and avoid unsupported workarounds.
Thanks for the info! Just to clarify, the client needs port 25 to relay emails from their servers, which might complicate things. Hopefully, Microsoft can help us get the MCA-E swiftly.