Upgrade from SBS 2003 to Windows Server 2003 Standard

Is it possible to upgrade SBS 2003 to a Standard environment? We have one SBS
server doing our Active Directory, File Server, Print Server, Exchange, and
Terminal Server. It is a Dell Poweredge 2800, with dual Processors x86
Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 1 GenuineIntel ~2992 Mhz, 2GB RAM. We have about
35 users with 5 terminaling in remotely.
Wondering if i can/should upgrade/add a server. It seems SBS is designed to
work alone. But is it possible to move to Standard Server 2003 and keep
Exchange?

Your not over loaded from a technical standpoint, but I can't tell what else
you are doing or how hard you push the file/print portion.

What symptoms or concerns do you have about the SBS server? We can offer
help for a great deal of things, and peace of mind if your just worried that
it is "all in one".

Don't think you are actually using the SBS as a TS for running applications,
and if I were to add another server that is where I would go first.

But, the answer to your question is the SBS transition pack. Are you SBS
2003 RTM, SP1, SP2? What about Exchange SP2?

You have three choices...

1.) Add a second server, running Windows Server Standard. Put any loads that
aren't absolutely tied to the original server (packaged applications such as
Exchange ARE tied).

2.) Buy a full copy of Standard and replace you're existing SBS. Also buy
full copies of Exchange and any other applications that come with SBS you're
using. Start over from scratch.

3.) Buy the Transition Pack and convert your existing SBS to a Standard,
giving you flexibility to move as you wish, _within the limits of any OEM
license you may have purchased_.

Of the three, #1 is by far the easiest and best solution. If you're really
running SBS 2k3 as a Terminal Server, you must be letting users log in to
the Server as Administrators. That's a _really bad idea_.

I like the options which Charlie outlined. What I can add is this:
1. If your network is growing fast and you think that you will need
the enterprise versions of windows or Exchange than Transition pack is
not for you.
2. The transition pack lifts the SBS limitations – not only the number
of users, no trusts and child domains etc, but also the limitation to
run Exchange on the same server for example. That is important.

Here is what I mean (BTW have you implemented the transition pack in
production network, Charlie, and what are your impressions) – there
are many reasons which might cause the installation of the transition
pack to go wrong. Incase this happens, you loose your Domain
Controller and Exchange server.
There is a safer approach which includes introducing an additional
Windows 2003 server, making it a domain controller, installing
Exchange on it, moving the mailboxes and resources from the first
Exchange on SBS (and preparing it for decommissioning) and finally
uninstalling Exchange from the SBS (if you use companyweb – move the
Sharepoint data to the new server).
At this point if you need the SBS server – run the transition pack
(you don’t risk anything, because if it fails you will simply seize
the FSMO roles). If it’s an old server and you don’t need it, transfer
the FSMO roles (make sure that the other DC is really a GC), demote it
and get rid of it.

Yes, I've run the TP. Many times. With good results. That being said, having
a spare DC on the network certainly won't hurt, and is a good fallback.

One real advantage to the TP approach is that you get to keep the SBS
special features and wizards. Including Remote Web Workplace! They're no
longer "supported", they can no longer be re-installed, etc. But they're
still there and they work.

Hi, from what you say you dont need to move away from SBS. To spread the
load just add another DC and move your file and print services to that.
You can have any number of additional 'standard' Windows servers in the
SBS domain.

[tnai9]

I have the same challenge. I have a new job and my boss wants redundancy on the network. I am running SBS 2003 SP1. It is a PDC, running SQL, ISA and exchange.
Is it psb to have 2 exchange servers in the same domain each with a copy of the mails sent and received? Because my boss wants when one goes down, the other one picks up immediately.
I am good in ADS but still learning exchange and ISA. I am thinking of adding another Win 2k3 std server but research shows win 2k3 SBS doesn't allow multiple servers in a domain.
everything is ok now but if things go wrong i know i will be in sh*t.
Kindly advise.

Faulty research. You can have many member servers in a SBS domain. You
can even have domain controllers with global catalog function. The DCs
cannot have the FSMO roles though.

As many DCs as you want. Knock yourself out! <g>

I'm going to add here that there is no reason for an SBS server on quality
hardware that is well maintained to ever "go down".

The next step is by far a much more costly one, to the point that most
offices that fit the SBS mold look to other solutions, such as redundant
power supplies, a quality UPS, excellent tested backups, and a backup mail
server on the net for the odd times that the server is off line. As soon as
your SBS is back on line the mail is sent from the backup to your server.

Note that there is far more likelihood that your internet connection will be
off, or that some hot shot at your ISP will mess up your DNS records, than a
quality SBS will go belly up. In ten years of maintaining dozens, I have
never had one break, and I still have one that runs on a P3 550 with 768 MB
RAM Intel 440 that must be 8 or so years old.

And, there is no such thing as "instant" change over from one exchange
server to another. You must be connected to something, and it has a name.
Server01 is not the same as Server02, so at best you can change over in the
amount of time it takes to change the router to forward port 25 to Server02,
and then change everyone's default server. Which, of course, will mean that
the mail in Server01 is not available.

There are solutions for this, such as Double Take, and they offer an SBS
solution, but as I said, the become so costly that the usual fix is to keep
stuff in good shape.

One other concept is a duplicate SBS server and frequent images using your
favorite imaging product, which could be restored as you see fit. Two
servers, two copies of SBS.

[tnai9]

There is this tweak i came across effected it but still exchange has issues when it checks the database size. Always, I have to restart MS Exchange info store service at 10.00am everyday otherwise users cannot communicate. How do i solve this.
I am running SBS 2k3 server with MS Exchange sp2 installed.
The Server is an Proliant ML 370

Start a new thread.... few people look at older ones. Add some info about
error messages, event log errors, or anything that might help us help you.
For example, what tweak, and what problem was it meant to solve? What
errors appear when the users cannot communicate?

[jonoharper]

I have an sbs 2003 server and we want to change everything to the new sever we bought which is running standard 2003 r2.

We only use our server as a file and print. So all we need to to be bale to transfer the users etc and have them logon with no issues ie changing profiles etc.

Hi,

Thanks for your post and Larry's input.

I agree with Larry that you can easily join the new server to domain and migrate your SBS server then. As it is a hot topic, you can find many related articles that people discussed from the Internet and
forums, here are some just for your reference:

SBS 2003 to Server 2008/Exchange 2007
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...1-65720c1019f5

Software Update to Support "Join Domain" Migration of Windows Small Business Server 2003 Data and Settings to New Hardware
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Hope this helps.



Best regards,
Robbin Meng(MSFT)
Microsoft Online Newsgroup Support