We are using Symantec Antivirus Program Version 10.1.7.7000, Scan Engine version 81.2.0.25.

We have the Internet Email Auto-Protect enabled, and we have noticed that it causes outgoing SMTP messages to be delayed up to two minutes before transmission.  If we disable it, the message goes out instantly.  Also, it only seems to do it on some systems.  While investigating the difference between the two, we discovered that some of the machines had debug logging in our application set to Trace, while others were set to Error.

On the machines with logging = Trace, the messages went out almost instantly.
On the machines with logging = Error, the messages were delayed.

I could swap the logging setting on two different machines, and the delay followed the logging setting.

My current theory (not knowing the inner workings of the Symantec AV) is that when it received the message, it sat on it until it had something else to do.  In the case of the machines with the high debugging level, it had something to do rather quickly due to the File System Auto-Protect (which is also enabled) kicking in.  In the case of the machines with the low debugging level, it had to wait until something else got changed in the File System for it to process the outgoing message.  The place where my theory breaks down is the fact that while watching the Auto-Protect Scan Stats, I could see it scanning several files on both machines before the message was sent.  Thus I have an addendum that there is some threshold of "work" that must be surpassed before it processes the outgoing message.

So (finally) my question is this:  Is there a way to leave the Internet Email Auto-Protect enabled, but prevent the delay in outgoing SMTP messages?  Our system is a mission critical system, and it is imperative that messages go out immediately.  I would like to have the protection of the Auto-Protect, but without the delay.  Is this possible?

Thanks.