Resources for IT Professionals

Executive Chat: Windows Small Business Server 2003

Published: February 18, 2005

Please note: Portions of this transcript have been edited for clarity

Introduction

Anne_MSFT (Moderator):
Welcome! We will be answering your questions related to Windows Small Business Server 2003. This is an executive chat so we'll be giving priority to the business level questions over the most technical ones.
We are pleased to welcome our experts for today. I will have them introduce themselves now.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Hi I'm Bob Muglia - I'm the Senior VP for Windows Server.

Eugene_MS (Expert):
Hello. I am the Director responsible for the product development of Windows Small Business Server.

Mir_MS (Expert):
I'm Mir Rosenberg, a Program Manager with SBS in Redmond, WA.

Dean_MS (Expert):
I'm Dean, a Program Manager also with SBS.

Alan_MS (Expert):
Hi, I'm Alan, also a program manager on the Windows Small Business Server team.

Wil_MS (Expert):
Hello, I am William Campbell, a Software Development Engineer on the Windows Small Business Server team.

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Hello, I'm Charlie, the Release Manager for SBS.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Hey there. I'm Guy Haycock from the marketing team. I specialize on product planning

Betsy_MS (Expert):
Hi, I'm Betsy, I work on SBS as a lead PM for the SBS Admin, Deployment, System Health, Security and Exchange. Nice to meet ya!

Neil_MS (Expert):
Hi, I'm Neil. I'm the development manager for SBS

Anne_MSFT (Moderator):
We will try to answer as many questions as we can today. Participants should type their questions, click “Submit a question,” and click “Send.” Those posts will go into a private queue, from which our experts will draft answers and repost questions in the upper window with their answers. (To confirm: if you clicked “Submit a question” when you posted, you don’t need to resubmit. We’ll get to them as soon as we can before the end of the chat (2p Pacific).
We will post a transcript of the upper window within a few days at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/chats/trans/default.mspx
Let’s begin the chat!

Start of Chat

Eugene_MS (Expert):
Q: Is it possible for MS that increase 16 Gig limatation of private mailbox on Exchange of SBS? GMAIL offers 2 Gig of mailbox size.
A: The 16GB limit in Exchange is one of the things that we re-evaluate with our future releases, but we have no formal plans to change this limitation at this time.

Alan_MS (Expert):
Q: Is there an inexpensive way to turn an SBS2003 SharePoint Services 2.0 (Not Portal) site toward the Internet for Customer Support, Selling Partner access, exchange of materials for elearning etc.? Issues - 75 User limit and license cost
A: We have a white paper that describes how to set up a Web site available to external users, based upon Windows Sharepoint Services on SBS 2003, available here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sbs/2003/deploy/stssbs03.mspx

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: Will Small Business Server R2 include SQL Server 2005 Standard?
A: We are looking at if we can include SQL 2005 in SBS R2. At this stage the schedules for both products are promising, but we have some way to go.

Eugene_MS (Expert):
Q: Is it possible for MS in the SP1 of SBS that increase 16 Gig limatation of private mailbox on Exchange of SBS?
A: No - we won't be changing the 16GB Exchange limit in SBS 2003 Sp1, but we will continue to evaluate this in future releases.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Roles based deployment is very important these days. What is Microsoft doing to meet the needs of different types of Small Businesses, with Small Business Server 2003 and beyond?
A: Agreed! We are working on building role support much deeper into Windows Server and Small Business Server will benefit from this. In Longhorn, we will have a role management tool that is much more sophisticated than Configure Your Server in 2003. The SBS team has helped to drive the design for this and will build these concepts into SBS. The idea that Windows supports multiple roles is core to everything we're doing moving forward.

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Q: Do you have a list of new features and secuity enhancements on SP1?
A: We don't have a list available right now. SBS SP1 will include Windows Server SP1, Exchange Server SP1, Windows Sharepoint Services SP1, Outlook SP1, and Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2004. We've also focused on the key customer reported problems with SBS 2003 and other enhancements.

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Q: What can you tell us about SBS2003 SP1 in term of features, potential cost, and schedule. Is it possible to sign up for a Beta?
A: You can see my earlier response on the list of included items in SBS SP1. Our plan is to make SBS SP1 available around the same time as Windows Server 2003 SP1. To sign up for our SP1 Beta, you can go to http://beta.microsoft.com, login as a Guest using "SBSGuest" as a password.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Mr. Muglia, in an interview with and Paul Thurrott, you said you have 15 Small Business Servers in your home. What are you doing with so many Small Business Servers?
A: Actually, I don’t have SBS in my home. I do however have 8 Windows Servers. Any rational person would have just installed SBS and called it a day. But I had a chance to see the work that Eugene, Tracy, and their team were doing and it was clear that they'd fixed many of the things that made configuring and installing Windows Server difficult.
I wanted to better understand all of the complexity that we expose to IT administrators, particularly in a medium business. So I set up my house like a medium business - 2 domain controllers, a terminal server, a MOM box, an ISA gateway, and even a DPS server.
I've learned a ton from this. So many things are too hard. We are addressing much of this in Longhorn.

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Q: Are new SBS 2003 trial kits going to be made available for order/request?
A: We will update the SBS 2003 Evaluation Kit to include SP1.

Neil_MS (Expert):
Q: Best practices say you must not have so many mission critical applications running on one server. How would Microsoft answer that since it is a requirement of Small Business Server?
A: Each application is written to be completely independent and the load on the SBS box, even with many users, is still well within the limits of an average machine.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Will there be any changes to the way 802.1x is implemented in SBS R2? Currently it is cumbersome to configure and get working properly.
A: Unfortunately, no. I agree, it is way too hard. We'll look at this for the future.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: At TS2 last week they mentioned that the release of SP1 for SBS 2003 will be about 6 weeks later than Windows Server 2003 sp1. Is this accurate? It does make sense.
A: No, this is not correct. Both releases have quality bars to meet before they release, and today we are still planning on releasing at the same time. SBS SP1 cannot release until WS SP1. The 6 weeks might have been relating to the time delta between RTM or any product and when customers can purchase. In the case of SBS, because we are very OEM oriented it's likely to be less than 6 weeks. In the SBS 2003 timeframe it was closer to 3 weeks.

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Q: I would like an easy to run Wizard to set up Outlook for RPC over HTTP. Going through the checklist is confusing for most non-tech people.
A: We've heard that the RPC/HTTP configuration is still a difficult task, and we're definitely looking at ways to make this easier in future versions of SBS, including automating this configuration.

Alan_MS (Expert):
Q: Is there a way to lengthen the timeout on OWA?
A: You can change the default timeout by changing the following registry setting:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ExchangeWeb\OWA
Registry Value: PublicClientTimeout
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data (possible setting decimal)
and
Registry Value: TrustedClientTimeout
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data (possible setting decimal)
On both registry values the possible settings will vary from 1 – 4320 (minutes). After changing these settings you have to restart your W3SVC service.

Betsy_MS (Expert):
Q: Will SBS 2003 SP1 include Intelligent Message Filter for Exchange 2003?
A: Our plan for IMF in SBS 2003 SP1 is to update our docs to ensure support with SBS. You can also go download it now. We're investigating how we can further integrate this feature in terms of deployment, managment and update in the Windows SBS R2 release.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: Will SQL Server 2005 come with SBS Prem anytime in the '03 offer?
A: We are looking at the schedules between the products, and today it looks good for SBS R2 to include SQL Server 2005.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: I asked this question in an earlier chat? Is the Small Business Server Team working with other product groups, such as Exchange and ISA, to provide 64 bit editions and move 64 bit technology into the Small Business space?
A: Yes. The Longhorn version of SBS will be 64-bit.

Mir_MS (Expert):
Q: What should students learn about SBS?
A: I'd start with the SBS documentation located at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sbs/bb630247.aspx. The SBS newsgroup at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/community/newsgroup.mspx is a great resource for getting your SBS questions answered. I'd complement it with a test server to learn how it works in the real world.

Eugene_MS (Expert):
Q: Are you adding the ability to push out localised OS patches?
A: We are looking at how to integrate Windows Update Services into the SBS R2 release. There is also a whitepaper available today that should help.

Alan_MS (Expert):
Q: Is there a way to lengthen the timeout on OWA?
A: Follow-up: Note that you can also change the timeout settings for the Remote Web Workplace, and that will manage the OWA timeout values.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: What is the deal with SBS SP1 for Premium? Will it come with free upgrade to ISA 2004 or what?
A: We have a great set of FAQs on ISA 2004 today at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/techinfo/overview/generalfaq.mspx. The short answer is SP1 will include ISA 2004.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: It’s true, Mr. Muglia. You learn so much when you bring the technology into your home. My suggestion, if you want to make your Server apps easy, think of your grandmother trying to install them.
A: How 'bout a do it yourselfer? Since my grandma doesn't use computers, I think this is hopeless. I'd love it if somebody who could learn Excel or Powerpoint could install and maintain Windows Server. SBS has helped immensely. We can make it better and we sure have a long way to go for Windows standard.

Betsy_MS (Expert):
Q: Can we get a way to script an install of SBS? I don't mean an OPK EOM but an answer file I can give to the Setup Process. I currently do my own recording and replay but it is a cludge and should not be this hard.
A: We don't have plans to support full scripting of SBS installs outside of the OPK.

Paulfi_MS (Expert):
Q: Is there a website of recommended GP's for SBS and its member servers and xp clients?
A: Nothing SBS specific today. There are a number of generic templates available on Technet.

Eugene_MS (Expert):
Q: Has it been finalized that ISA 2004 with SP1 will be a free upgrade to existing SBS 2003 Premium users?
A: Yes. We will make ISA 2004 available as a 'free' upgrade to existing SBS 2003 Premium customers... Customers will pay for shipping and handling costs.

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Q: Is there a great rpc over http troubleshooting article? I can connect to other accounts but our office server does not seem to like rpc over http requests. Nothing seems to happen. No errors either.
A: The best article I could find was 833401. I believe some more detailed troubleshooting articles are in the works but not yet available.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Speaking of MOM the "Workgroup edition" is still 10 Servers. What about a single server SBS Ver. I lurve MOM and would like to expose the same detail about my SBS Box.
A: We will build MOM support into the Longhorn version of SBS.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Currently when you run defrag on a volume it wipes out the previous version information. Are there plans to change this? On a related question, are there recommendations on how to set up partitions for best performance?
A: When you say it wipes out the previous versions, do you mean the shadow copies?

Dean_MS (Expert):
Q: Does the SBS team regularly read the SBS blogs? Both the MVP blogs and the SBS Documentation Team Blog?
A: The SBS team absolutely reads the SBS blogs. As you mention there are blogs hosted by the MVPs that we read on a regular basis, and there are some that our own team members personally host. Take a look at our community web site for a list of blog links: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/community/default.mspx.

Kevin_MS (Expert):
Q: Part of limiting mission critical apps on single machine is not only resource load, but also reduce the attack surface of the machine. Does MS really recommend that small businesses run a single Domain controller with remote acceess, IIS, SQL, ISA, etc?
A: Agreed. We run extensive threat analysis reviews of the various components and test the unified server approach. One part of these reviews is attack surface reduction. We have made various restrictions during config as part of this effort.

Alan_MS (Expert):
Q: Is there a way to lengthen the timeout on OWA?
A: Further follow-up: To change the Remote Web Workplace timeout settings, you can configure the following items (in minutes) in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SmallBusinessServer\RemoteUserPortal\PublicTimeOut
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SmallBusinessServer\RemoteUserPortal\PrivateTimeOut

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: Speaking of MOM the "Workgroup edition" is still 10 Servers. What about a single server SBS Ver. I lurve MOM and would like to expose the same detail about my SBS Box.
A: We are working with the MOM team to include it in the LH SBS version.

Neil_MS (Expert):
Q: Is it safer to install a wireless 802.11 WAP in the DMZ between the SBS 2003/ISA Server and the broadband router, or can it safely go inside the firewall?
A: It all depends on how you configure the WAP. You can certainly lock down most WAPs to the point (channel encryption, limiting MAC addresses, authentication for network access, etc) where it is safe and reasonable to have it on your internal network.

Mir_MS (Expert):
Q: For a dual processor Xeon 3G with 4G of RAM, is there a list of Microsoft applications that can and cannot be installed on the SBS2003 server itself? I am considering CRM, Great Plains, MOM Workgroup, Project Server.
A: You can find this information in the Windows Catalog, located at http://www.windowsmarketplace.com/.

Dean_MS (Expert):
Q: There is certainly a lot coming for SBS in the Longhorn Server timeframe, but what is Microsoft doing for Small Business Server in the short term? Yes, I know about SP1 and R2, but what else?
A: In the short term, the Small Business Server team posts the latest resources to the Small Business Server Downloads page: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/downloads/default.mspx.

Wil_MS (Expert):
Q: Currently Client Setup pushes out OS Service Packs. Can this check for localised OS version before it pushes the wrong one?
A: In the current version of SBS, the client service pack deployed will match the language of the server. The ability to deploy sevice packs and patches for multiple languages is a feature of Microsoft Update Services (WUS) and will be addressed in a future release integrating WUS.

Betsy_MS (Expert):
Q: Will future release of SBS include a Best Practice Analyzer as created by other MS products?
A: We aim to integrate these types of self healing mechanims into SBS by default. This includes best practices around our security as well as performance and deployment. In general the Best Practice Analyzers are developed for the Enterprise customer who may multiple domains and other configuration issues not regularly seen in SB.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Is it safer to install a wireless 802.11 WAP in the DMZ between the SBS 2003/ISA Server and the broadband router, or can it safely go inside the firewall?
A: It can safely go inside the firewall. You are essentially extending your LAN for wireless access. You need a cert server and a RADIUS server (IAS). You also need a 1x enabled WAP. It is an outrageous pain to set up. I recommend using PEAP authentication and Kerberos security - but even then, the client configuration is also a pain. We need to fix this.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: There is certainly a lot coming for SBS in the Longhorn Server timeframe, but what is Microsoft doing for Small Business Server in the short term? Yes, I know about SP1 and R2, but what else?
A: SP1 adds ISA2004, XP SP2 new security features, and all the latest service packs. R2 is planned to integrate WUS/SUS. I would describe R2 as primarily moving the servicalbility/security of the whole SBS environment forward (server & desktop). R2 also is looking at solving some targetted customer and partner issues (think smaller scope).

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Does SP1 add ISA 2004 to SBS Standard?
A: No, it is still in premium.

Eugene_MS (Expert):
Q: Does Microsoft plan on adding Small Business Editions of other Server apps such as Project, Virtual Server, MOM in future versions of Small Business Server?
A: We constantly are working with the other product teams at Microsoft to determine the best ways to deliver our products to Small Business. There is nothing specific planned for Project, Virtual Server, or MOM yet but we are looking at these.

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Q: Hello, I recently started to be given the error "Security Alert: The Security Certificate was issued by a company you have not chosen to trust. View the Certificate to determine if you want to trust the certifying authority" when entering certain websites
A: I'm assuming you're asking if this is expected behavior in some way. If you ran the Configure E-mail and Internet Connection Wizard and created your own certificate, your secure websites will be encrypted but since the certificate is not signed your IE clients will not trust the cert and pop up this warning. For local clients we trust it for you, but for home/remote IE clients you will need to either click Yes or install the certificate to get rid of this warning. After you do this the site should work normally.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: Does Microsoft plan on adding Small Business Editions of other Server apps such as Project, Virtual Server, MOM in future versions of Small Business Server?
A: We are always looking across the SB optimised applications to see if they make sense in SBS. Right now we are looking very closely at MOM.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: Are there any plans to integrate SQL 2005 before the longhorn edition? Either in SP1 or R2?
A: We answered this a couple of times already. We will take it as soon as we can (they ship, and we ship).

Paulfi_MS (Expert):
Q: Currently when you run defrag on a volume it wipes out the previous version information available to users. Are there plans to change this? On a related question, are there recommendations on how to set up partitions for best performance?
A: Yes this is a problem. I know that it will be fixed in Longhorn. I am not sure if a fix will be available earlier. With regard to partitioning, it is best to split based on I/O. If you can separate the pieces of the product like the pagefile, exchange store and users shares (assuming that you have heavy user traffic) across controllers or disk spindles then I/o will flow more freely. To date I seen very few small businesses that have needed this kind of configuration but that is just my experience.

Eugene_MS (Expert):
Q: Wow, Small Business Server has a very bright future in the Longhorn Wave.
A: Thanks. We seem to think so :)

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Q: Do you have a timeframe when SBS R2 beta will start? Is there a Guest ID available?
A: We don't have a timeframe to start the R2 beta yet.

Neil_MS (Expert):
Q: Is the POP3 Connector still included and/or will it be improved? I ask cause we are vendor of Visendo popConnect.
A: Yes, we will continue to include and support it.

Mir_MS (Expert):
Q: Why would you choose not to make the install unattended via an answer file? Surely that encourages people to build their own method making unsupportable installs for PSS. BTW, there would be no real way for them to tell as the "Custom wrapper" executes setup.
A: We're not planning to release an unattended SBS install script. We recommend you to buy the OEM version for that scenario.

Betsy_MS (Expert):
Q: How can I tell what is a good threshold for the store.exe private bytes Store Alert Notification. Does it depend on the number of mailboxes, RAM installed or what?
A: Unfortunately the threshold for store.exe private bits isn't as straightforward as we'd like for the Store Alert Notification.
In SBS SP1 we actually disabled this alert because Exchange changed how memory is counted In SBS SP1 this alert is mute and would not give us valid feedback unless we were running a box with thousands of end users with mailboxes.
Notes from my guru:
"Prior to Exchange 2003 SP1, the virtual memory dedicated to Jet database cache is all allocated as “mapped bytes.” The change made in Exchange 2003 SP1 is that this database cache is all allocated now as “private bytes.” This causes the memory size reported by Store.Exe to be dramatically larger in terms of “private bytes” (by default 900mb larger) than prior to applying SP1. But overall, the “working set“ and “virtual bytes“ counters should be nearly unchanged. No additional memory is really being taken -- it's just being reported differently."

Alan_MS (Expert):
Q: Is there any whitepapers on the use of Sharepoint Services in a centered SBS2K3 point of view? What I need is moving documents to the companyweb, managing workspaces and maintenance like backup and restore.
A: All of the standard documentation on Windows SharePoint Services applies to SBS. You can find that documentation here: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/sharepoint/default.mspx
I find the WSS administrator's guide to be especially useful. It's here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a637eff6-8224-4b19-a6a4-3e33fa13d230&DisplayLang=en
The only SBS-specific white paper details how to configure an extranet web site on SBS 2003:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sbs/2003/deploy/stssbs03.mspx

Eugene_MS (Expert):
Q: Just wanted you to know that Small Business Server is an extremely nice option for the smaller businesses. Particularly for those newer businesses that don't also have to face long over due hardware upgrading costs.
A: Thank you!

Kevin_MS (Expert):
Q: Do MS schedule to write a whitepaper about wireless 802.11 WAP used on SBS?
A: There is material on microsoft.com on wireless setup and security. Search can help limit the scope of the results. As a start, check out http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/wifisoho.mspx. For small-business tailored information, read over http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/smbiz/sitsol/default.mspx in the section of "Designing the Network" and then "Providing Secure Wireless Services."

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Are there plans to release any commercials featuring Small Business Server 2003 as a good solution for Small Businesses?
A: We've done this in some markets around the world. But they're a bit expensive and not necessarily the best way to reach the decision makers within small businesses or the system integrators that would install SBS. We are somewhat upping our marketing around SBS.

Dean_MS (Expert):
Q: Installed SBS premium a couple of weeks ago for a customer. Now all of a sudden one user can´t connect to companyweb, and on the SBS itself I get the loginpage asking for a password when trying to access it. Any known issues?
A: The most likely scenario here is that the user who is attempting to access companyweb doesn't have a site group membership. When that occurs, SharePoint prompts, asking for a valid user name and password.
If however, once you provide credentials the site loads properly, take a look at the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security settings and ensure that companyweb is in the list of trusted sites.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: Will future versions of SBS include more than Outlook as the only client application? I.e. Word/Excel as well in an integrated deployment fashion?
A: There are no plans to include more of the Office suite. There are some legal constraints that we operate under.

Tracy_MS (Expert):
Q: Will future versions of SBS include more than Outlook as the only client application? I.e. Word/Excel as well in an integrated deployment fashion?
A: We included new end-user value in 2003 in the form of Sharepoint and mobility features. While they were mainly server based, they were very focused on adding value to end-users. We will continually evaluate and look at how we continue to add end-user value, regardless if client or server based.

Wil_MS (Expert):
Q: Why would you choose not to make the install unattended via an answer file? Surely that encourages people to build their own method, making unsupportable installs for PSS. BTW, there would be no real way for them to tell as the "Custom wrapper" executes setup.
A: The OEM preinstall process described in the SBS OPK provides a method to image and deploy a standard SBS image to registered System Builder and OEM customers.

Eugene_MS (Expert):
Q: Many SBS consultants have moved to managing multiple networks under maintenance agreements. Is there any thought at MS to providing tools to help us manage multiple SBS servers from our office? The health reports are great but we also need to manage...
A: We have had increasing demand for tools to help our partners manage more and more SBS customers remotely. This is something that we are looking at. There are third party tools to help this as well. You may want to check out Level Platforms.

Dean_MS (Expert):
Q: During a discussion one of my technical contacts expressed some concern over CompanyWeb getting overwhelmed when too many documents were hosted. Is there a limit to what the database backend of Sharepoint can handle?
A: I've not seen Small Business users run into a limitation with the backend SharePoint database. Internally here at Microsoft we dogfood SharePoint extensively and I personally use many sites with thousands upon thousands of hosted documents.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: For a good install of Office on SBS we need an Open License ver so that the server has an administrative installation. However, end users are easily tempted by the OFFICE SBE because of the price difference. Any chance of bundling Office 2003 at SBE price?
A: I'd love to increase the integration of Office and SBS. It's clearly the best information worker client for SBS. However the way SB customers buy Office doesn't directly line up with the way they purchase a server. You're right that they either use VL or buy with a new PC. That doesn't line up with the way SB customers purchase their first server. We are always thinking about new ways, but right now we have nothing planned.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: How long has Small Business Server been around?
A: We started the project in 1996 and the first version launched in September of 1997. Long time... :)

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Q: Thanks, Guy; I did both of your suggestions, including installing the certificate and clicking yes. They get me to the next web page but I then get an error when connecting with my remote server: SSL error 61 The server certificate recieved is not trusted.
A: If it's just on your one machine, I'd suggest try clearing the old certificate from your root store and re-installing it. You'll want to Run->MMC.exe and then add the snap-in for certificate store (local machine). In your trusted root store, find the certificate for the name of your domain (www.mydomain.com) and delete it. Then browse to the site and re-install the certificate. HTH.

Tracy_MS (Expert):
Q: When was version 1.0 of Small Business Server released?
A: The first version was named SBS 4.0. We did because it was based on NT 4.0. It was released in Sept 97.

Wil_MS (Expert):
Q: OEM has issues with transferring to new hardware. Also, if I use OEM, then support transfers to me. See why I want to script?
A: OEM images can be moved between differing hardware with the limitations defined in the SBS OPK. Unfortunately, there are no plans to support other forms of scripting in the R2 timeframe.

Alan_MS (Expert):
Q: The only SBS-specific white paper details how to configure an extranet web site on SBS 2003: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sbs/2003/deploy/stssbs03.mspx This white paper is over a year old and does not discuss day to day use or admin of WSS.
A: For day to day use and administration of WSS, see the WSS administrator's guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a637eff6-8224-4b19-a6a4-3e33fa13d230&DisplayLang=en
There's also a WSS technical reference on Microsoft Press that was recently published - you should be able to find this at your favorite book retailer.

Mir_MS (Expert):
Q: (OT) Could not the Windows Server div. have something along the lines of the PFC (as is for devdiv). This could also serve as a database for answering the "Why wasn't this already fixed?" type of Q's, now blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing is answering these.
A: With regards to the devdiv blogs answering some of these questions, we also have many blogs on SBS where you can get your questions answered. Feel free to check out our SBS Community page at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/community/default.mspx for a list of SBS employees and SBS MVP blogs. You can also get your questions answered at the SBS newsgroup (http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2003/sbs/community/newsgroups/dgbrowser/en-us/default.mspx?dg=microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs).

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Q: I have received several hotfix type updates for SBS2003 backup and some other issues. Several of these were created many months before I found they existed and when I installed them they solved problems What does it take so long to publish fixes?
A: These fixes have been available for some time. All of our updates are published at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/downloads/default.mspx.

Wil_MS (Expert):
Q: Has anyone ever done a marathon upgrade from Small Business Server 4.0 to version 2003 of SBS?
A: SBS 2003 supports migrating a SBS 4.5 installation to new hardware. Direct upgrade of 4.5 is not currently supported.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: Is there a document that describes how the machine determines when the first 5 CALs of an installation are used and more must be purchased? It is not explained if they are Device or User CALs. The Device and User CALs are very confusing for SBS.
A: For the first 5 CALs that are included with the server, you get to choose and write what you have chosen onto the EULA. I'd suggest, that for simplicty, you choose one type and stick to it. I'd suggest, but you decide.

Paulfi_MS (Expert):
Q: SBS - How do I backup just AD and recover in the future if there is a disaster?
A: You can use ntbackup.exe or a 3rd party backup and choose system state. Note that this will include some other information (e.g. registry) that is necessary to restore the AD.

Betsy_MS (Expert):
Q: There is a general perception in the micro-business world that having a few computers is ok. Are there plans to encourage businesses to lean on their IT Consultants for exceptional remote support? Remote being the key word as it is not built into SBS? Part 2 - With a SERVER as opposed to a few computers that are not networked.
A: In SBS 2003 we made big strides toward improving the remote experience including investments in the Remote Web Workplace, which included desktop and email access. We would LOVE to see more folks take advantage of this and would be interested in your feedback on what would make this more useful for remote workers.

Paulfi_MS (Expert):
Q: OEM has issues with transferring to new hardware. Also, if I use OEM, then support transfers to me. See why I want to script?
A: The current plan is to support Dual Layer discs in Longhorn.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: Clarity on Part1/2 question - What I am looking for is a hint about a marketing initiative to support the IT Consultant's efforts to roll out more SBS 2003 servers. Seems to me in the biz mind the sticking point is peer-to-peer into the world of a Server.
A: In terms of marketing support, the whole 'to-partner' servers for small business GTM campain, that we run world-wide is designed to help here.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: You mention integrating MOM. Are there any plans to integrate any features of SMS? E.g., more than patch management?
A: First step will be to integrate Windows Update Services - this will happen in SBS R2. Long term, I would love to have a "workgroup" verison of SMS - but the current product is much too difficult and we need to do a lot of work to make this happen. When we have such a thing, we'll figure out how to get it into SBS.

Paulfi_MS (Expert):
Q: Will Longhorn SBS have support for Backup to Dual Layer disc?
A: The plan is to support backup to dual layer disc in the Longhorn timeframe.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: What are your thoughts on SBS Swing Migration?
A: We have an MVP that specializes in this scenario. I can't directly endorse one 3rd party over another.

Kevin_MS (Expert):
Q: Any white papers on setting up secure web services using https?
A: You should run ICW which will help install a cert or create a self-signed cert for HTTPS access to your web site.

Tracy_MS (Expert):
Q: Is it correct that for using remote web workplace to connect to you work computer remotely, you would need "user cals"? If using device cals then you would also need a "device cal" for your home computer to connect? Thx.
A: Yes, that is correct.

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Q: The 'SBS2K3 Downloads' http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/downloads/default.mspx is somewhat dated and not date organized. It is difficult to verify. Can someone review this to assist us in making sure our servers are up to date?
A: That's a great point. We'll look at ways to make this page better organized.

Paulfi_MS (Expert):
Q: Because of power failure, my AD is corrupted and I have no backup anywhere. Is there a slight chance I can get this resolved? Is SBS taking care of these accidental failures?
A: We store no additional copy of the AD. A backup is required to restore the AD. It might be possible to fix the AD manually. PSS would be the best people to ask about this.

Neil_MS (Expert):
Q: If I want to migrate say Exchange / ISA to another box than the SBS server, are there tools to help accomplish this?
A: Our license requires that Exchange and ISA run on the SBS box.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: About license, I heard that in SBS and maybe w2k3 in general....all devices on the network including networked printers need a device CAL...is that true?
A: For any authenticated connection you need a CAL.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: What conditions have to be met for SBS to refuse connections if the default 5 CALs are installed?
A: If you have more than 5 users or devices trying to connect, the SBS server is highly likely to start denying connections.

Dean_MS (Expert):
Q: Because of power failure, my AD is corrupted and I have no backup anywhere. Is there a slight chance I can get this resolved? Is SBS taking care of these accidental failures?
A: Unfortunately I suspect you're out of luck. SBS doesn't schedule a backup to occur until the administrator runs through the SBS Backup Configuration Wizard.

Guy_MS (Expert):
Q: By type of CALs do you mean per seat or per server (forgive my ignorance, I'm not very knowlegible on this product)?
A: Device CALs allow a specific device to connect (useful if you have shift workers). User CALs allow a specific user to connect (useful if you have knowledge workers with multiple devices). We have good FAQs on www.microsoft.com/sbs.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Nope... printers do not need CALs.
A: If you are using security, they do - but most people (especially small businesses) don't bother with secure printers. In which case, you're right.

Neil_MS (Expert):
Q: If you poke a hole in ISA at port 123, will that get rid of the Event 537 Kerberos errors, or is more action required? Ebitz & the M&M's mentioned this before, but I'm still unclear.
A: Kerberos is not meant to run outside of your domain. You should not need to open the outbound port to allow time services to run. If this is an internal client, ensure that Windows Time Service is enabled and running on the server and that the client is a member of the domain

Anne_MSFT (Moderator):
Q: A major thank you to all the experts for being available for this hour! Will the chat be saved and available online later?
A: Yes. The transcript of the upper window will be available in a few days at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/chats/trans/default.mspx.

Eugene_MS (Expert):
Q: Are there any changes planned for SBS to support and allow clients to log in as Domain Users (and not give errors on the logon script) instead of having to be a member of Local Administrators?
A: We are looking at resolving this in the Longhorn timeframe.

Betsy_MS (Expert):
Q: Is it true that you can make a one-time switch from User/Device Cals to the other without SA?
A: If you have Software Assurance for your Windows Small Business Server 2003 CALs, you can switch between user CALs and device CALs, or vice versa, when you renew your Software Assurance contract. If you do not have Software Assurance for your Windows Small Business Server 2003 CALs, then you cannot switch.

Eugene_MS (Expert):
Q: Okay ... dumb question.. does either Bob or Eugene PERSONALLY run SBS at home? ;-)
A: I run it at home. My wife uses it extensively. A lot of people in my team run it at home as well, and there are many other people at Microsoft that do the same.

Charlie_MS (Expert):
Q: If you run CEICW and choose anything other than direct connection, Time service is halted. Is this altered in SP1 time frame?
A: Yes, we have changed this behavior in SP1.

Dean_MS (Expert):
Q: Are you all blogging?
A: Take a look at the SBS community website for a list of SBS blogs: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/community/default.mspx

Betsy_MS (Expert):
Q: Can you add some performance counters that allow you to plot the number of user and device CALs installed and currently being used?
A: We are investigating changing our licensing implementation for R2 and LH such that we ensure this type of data is readily available. Our number one goal for licensing is to ensure it's clear, concise and easily communicated moving forward. We don't have plans in the short term to add this type of perf counters in our next release of R2, but we'll be sure to address the counting issue.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Okay ... dumb question.. does either Bob or Eugene PERSONALLY run SBS at home? ;-)
A: I don't run SBS at home because I run a bunch of Windows Servers. I knew that SBS was making life much easier and I wanted to understand the experience that medium business owners went through. So I have AD PDC's, 2 NAS boxes, a terminal server, an ISA gateway, a MOM workgroup box, and a DPS server. It has been a great learning experience for me.

Betsy_MS (Expert):
Q: Is there any plans to give a license monitor page in the console besides highwater mark?
A: Ditto the last answer I gave around monitoring - making this clear and understandable moving forward is our primary goal. I think it would be great if we integrated in our monitoring reports/console moving forward, but those plans aren't closed yet. Good input.

Kevin_MS (Expert):
Q: Will there be changes to the POP3 connector so the messages are not timestamped incorrectly?
A: Good suggestion - we will look into this.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Bob - what internet conneciton do you have at home?
A: DS1. I got tired of having to reboot my cable modem box.

Tracy_MS (Expert):
Q: How small is a small business (what do you consider the market for SBS to be)?
A: Our current definition is a business with <50 pc's. That can very dramatically in employee count. The sweet spot though for SBS is businesses between 5-50 pc's and we particularly love to get customers with peer-to-peer networks to purchase SBS as their first server.

Wil_MS (Expert):
Q: What about R2, I heard a rumour that it will come with support to add even unix clients to AD.....true?
A: We currently support Unix clients on Microsoft networks, and this support will continue to be expanded in R2; Additional client management tools for Unix clients will be included.

Wil_MS (Expert):
Q: Given the restrictions on where SBS is placed in AD, are there any restrictions on running a second domain controller at a second site? And setting up a site to site link for replication? This would help to set up a branch office of only a few users.
A: 2nd Domain controllers are supported in SBS networks.

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Q: Is there a upgrade path from Small Business Server 2003, to Datacenter Server 2003?
A: Yes, but it costs a lot. :)

Mir_MS (Expert):
Q: I would encourage the team to suggest that everyone join an SBS USer group
A: Good point. Check out the SBS Community website (see URL below) for links to SBS Community resources.

Dean_MS (Expert):
Thanks everyone!

Betsy_MS (Expert):
Thanks for coming folks!!

Bob Muglia (Expert):
Thanks so much for coming. Great questions!

Mir_MS (Expert):
Thanks for participating in this chat! See you at the next one! :)

Guy_MS (Expert):
Thanks all

Alan_MS (Expert):
Great chatting with you all... thanks!

Anne_MSFT (Moderator):
Thank you for joining us today on a Microsoft Community Chat to talk about Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003.
If you would like further information on this topic, please visit the following URL(s):
SBS website: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/default.mspx
SBS Community website: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/community/default.mspx
SBS Documentation: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sbs/bb630247.aspx
SBS newsgroup: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/community/newsgroup.mspx
We will post the transcript of the upper window for this chat in a few days at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/chats/trans/default.mspx.
You can also talk to Iain McDonald and Eric Kidd (Directors of Windows Program Management) from 11a-noon (Pacific) on Feb. 3 about Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Code Name “R2.” Windows Server 2003 R2 is the follow on release to Windows Server 2003 and will include enhancements and new functionality—but it will not replace core OS files as in a major release.
Thanks, all!