What does the Edge Transport server role in Exchange do?

The Edge Transport server role in Exchange is primarily responsible for managing the flow of email between the organization and the outside internet. It acts as a gateway, handling all incoming and outgoing emails, ensuring that messages are routed efficiently and correctly. This role includes essential functions such as message filtering, which helps in identifying and blocking unwanted spam or malicious email before they can enter the organization’s network. It also provides additional security features, like connection filtering, to control which external servers can send messages to the organization. Through these features, the Edge Transport server plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity and security of the organization's email communications.

The other roles—such as managing data storage, providing encryption for internal messages, and configuring user access to resources—do not describe the main functions of the Edge Transport server. Those aspects fall under different components of the Exchange ecosystem, such as mailbox servers, which handle data storage and manage user mailboxes, or specific security roles that deal with encryption and access management.