Migrating From a Peer-to- Peer Workgroup to Small Business Server 2008 By Manjunath Narayanan and Perumal Raja Dell Enterprise Product Group
CONTENTS 1.0. Introduction 3 2.0. What is Small Business Server 2008? 4 2.1. Email Service 4 2.2. SharePoint Services 4 2.3. Remote Access 5 2.4. Backup and Restore 6 2.5. Virtualization 6 2.6 Licensing: 7 3.0. Different network configuration with Small Business 7 3.1. Simple domain-based network with Standard Edition 7 3.2. Simple Domain-based Network with Premium Edition 8 3.3. Advanced Domain based Network 8 4.0. Things to consider while buying Small Business Server 10 4.1. Selecting the Right server 10 4.2. Choosing the correct edition of SBS 08 10 4.3. Virtualization Support 11 5.0 Prerequisites for Setting up the Network 12 5.1. Application Compatibility 12 5.2. Network Settings 12 5.3. Upgrade operating systems on client computers 13 5.4. Read the Windows SBS 2008 Release Documentation 13 6.0. Setting up the SBS 08 network 13 6.1. Server Installation 13 6.2. Joining the Clients to the SBS 08 network 13
1.0. Introduction Many small companies connect their machines on a peer to-peer basis, sharing files with one another by e-mail or using shared folders on individual machines. For many reasons, this arrangement is less than ideal, and installing a server provides better reliability, performance, and data protection easily justifying the modest expense of the server itself. Server-less, or peer-to-peer, business networks suffer from two major limitations: First, as the files aren t stored centrally, it is difficult to find the latest version of a given file or ensure that critical business documents are backed up. Second, peer-to-peer networks do not support the kind of server-based applications that can promote collaboration and increased efficiency. These include shared calendars, collaborative editing of documents and common resource pools, such as company-wide fonts, document templates and so on. Fig.1.0 With today s new server technologies and affordable pricing, companies that never had a need to install servers may discover that they can actually save money and exploit new opportunities by adding a server. Once a server is in place and acts as primary access manager, you can manage the entire work environment from a single location, including: sharing files centralized backup hosting an internal website managing workstation resources Windows Small Business Server 2008 offers many features used by larger companies, such as E-mail, Internet connectivity, SharePoint (document management), Internal Web sites (Intranet/Extranet), remote access, support for mobile devices, file and printer sharing, backup, and restore all at affordable prices designed to help you keep your data secure and your company productive. This document introduces Windows Small Business Server 2008 to the users who are currently running their network in Peer to Peer workgroup model without a server and the benefit they get by migrating to Small 3
Business Server 2008 based network. The document also highlights the different challenges users have to consider before migrating to Small Business Server 2008. 2.0. What is Small Business Server 2008? Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 is the next major release in the Windows Small Business Server product family. It is built on Windows Server 2008 Standard edition, and offers a wave of new features specifically designed for the business with less than 75 users in the network. Some of the key advantages of Small Business Server 2008 are listed below. 2.1. Email Service Microsoft Exchange Server is a messaging and collaborative software product developed by Microsoft. This product is widely used by enterprises in infrastructure solutions. Exchange's major features consist of electronic mail, calendaring, contacts and tasks; support for mobile devices and webbased access to information. Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 is part of Windows Small Business Server 2008 and is integrated into the provided Operating System installation media. This allows you to gain the benefit of a tuned and secured application install, thus avoiding the complexity of having to manually do it. Usually Small Business users rely on ISP (Internet Service Provider) or 3rd party webmail for Email Services and end up paying more to the service provider. Below are few of the advantages users get by having Exchange Server as their Email Server instead of Webmail. Unlimited mailbox and storage (till the hard drive runs out of space) compared to Webmail where users have to pay for each mailbox and storage. Rich outlook-like web access, Mobile Messaging which is not available with webmail or you need to pay more to avail this service. Unified messaging lets users receive voice mail, Email, faxes in mailboxes and access their mailboxes from cell phones and other wireless devices. Protection: Anti-Spam and Anti-Virus enabled on the server provides granular control to ensure spam filters don t block authentic messages, and can be tuned to specific requirements. Does not require internet to get mailbox contents. User can work even if internet is down, and can queue up emails to send later. 2.2. SharePoint Services SharePoint application offers collaboration and centralized document sharing functionality via Web. This also provides browser based management and administration of the server. SharePoint allows creation of document libraries which can be shared for collaborative editing and version control of files. Version control helps track the changes in the document and allows the user or administrator to revert to earlier versions with the click of a button. SharePoint can also be used to create Wiki, Discussion Boards, Dash board for announcements, blogs and so on. 4
Fig.2.0 SharePoint is tightly integrated with the centralized Windows access control which provides the same level of security offered by the Windows operating system. This is far easier to manage than various file shares on different user systems, and offers granular control of write/edit access, and delete permissions. For example, consider a real world scenario for editing a spreadsheet or word document by 50 people. You need to host it on a system which is on the network and forward the location to all the people, who log into the share and edit the file. Another method is to send the file through Email to all the people and then integrate all the feedback/changes sent to you. To eliminate this, Share Point provides workspaces with document storage and retrieval features, including check-in/check-out functionality, version history, custom metadata, and customizable views. New features in Windows SharePoint Services include enhanced recycle bin functionality for easier recovery of content and improved backup and restoration. 2.3. Remote Access Remote Access allows users to access a common network from anywhere around the globe. It allows small business owners to get access to their applications and critical data (e.g. email, calendars, shared files, and folders) from remote locations. For example, on a computer running Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista, clients can use Windows Explorer to make drive connections and to connect to printers. Connections are persistent: Users do not need to reconnect to network resources during their remote sessions. 5
Fig.2.1 Remote Access in Small Business Server provides the following services to access the network resources: a) Remote Web Workplace (RWW) b) Virtual Private Network (VPN) c) Outlook Web Access (OWA) For more information on Remote access, see http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/techinfo/overview/ remoteaccess.mspx 2.4. Backup and Restore Simple data protection and recovery are critical requirements for a small business owner. Windows Small Business Server 2008 contains new and updated features to help you create backups and, if needed, perform a complete recovery of your operating system, applications, and, data. By using these available features appropriately and implementing good operational practices, you can improve your organization's ability to recover damaged or lost data. The design is well-suited for small business users or individuals who are not IT professionals. SBS 08 Backup tool supports backup to optical media like DVD Drives, removable media and to a network location. 2.5. Virtualization Windows Small Business server 2008 ships with Microsoft s virtualization technology, called Hyper-V. Server virtualization enables multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine as virtual machines (VMs). With server virtualization, users can utilize the hardware that might otherwise just idle along. Microsoft provides this feature in the Premium edition of Small Business Server 2008 where it can be enabled on a additional server. By default, you are licensed to create one Virtual Machine in the additional server and you need to buy additional licenses if you plan to create more virtual machines. Formore information on Hyper-V and its support in Small Business Server 2008, see o http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc768521.aspx o http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=124858 6
2.6 Licensing: When you want to install the applications like Exchange server or SQL server on a Windows Server edition operating system, you need to buy individual Client Access License for each of these applications to use it. This would results in customer spending more money in purchasing the Client Access License. With Small Business Server 2008, Users will be able to purchase single Client Access Licenses (CALs) for each user which is extend to other copies of Windows Server, SQL Server, or Exchange Server on a SBS network and, thus increases the money saved on purchasing CALs. For more information on Client Access License, see http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver/essential/sbs/prodinfo/licensingfaq.mspx 3.0. Different network configuration with Small Business Server 2008 There are a few basic network configurations that most users use when setting up their environment. 3.1. Simple domain-based network with Standard Edition Users can use Windows Small Business Server 2008 to setup up internal network with Active Directory, DNS and DHCP configured that isn t connected to the Internet. Exchange server and SharePoint services are configured during the installation of the operating system for internal email and document library and are ready to use. Fig.3.0. This setup does not require much administrative knowledge and enables users to easily track resources on the network using the user-friendly Administrative console provided in the Operating system. Users can use the domain controller to share applications, files, and, printers between employees. 7
3.2. Simple Domain-based Network with Premium Edition Users can use Standard edition to setup the network as explained in section 3.1. Additionally, users can buy the Premium edition if they need a database server running using SQL 2008 or an application that needs its dedicated system to run or the application can run only on x86 architecture operating system. Most applications work on the x64 version of Windows Server, but user has to confirm it with the application vendor. The Premium version comes with the software and license to install the x86 version of Windows Server 2008 Standard on a additional server. Fig.3.1. 3.3. Advanced Domain based Network Windows Small Business Server 2008 provides technologies that customer can leverage from it. The good thing about this server edition is that most of the application installation, application and network settings are done during the installation and customer need not worry about the configuration of the settings or applications. After setting up the server as explained in section 3.1 or 3.2, you can use the services that enable users to log into the server or a client machine on their network from anywhere around the globe as shown in fig.3.2 This requires certain network settings to be configured in the router/firewall to allow access from the remote location. For setting up the router, see http://technet.microsoft.com/enus/library/cc527534.aspx During the installation the server is configured for Outlook Web Access and Remote Web Access. Using Outlook Web Access, users can access their emails from anywhere in the world using a web browser. Likewise, Remote Web Access allows users to connect to the server or their client machine from any remote location using a Web browser from any Internet-enabled computer (such as a home or laptopcomputer or an Internet kiosk). 8
Fig.3.2 Once they are connected to Remote website they can log into to their internal website and through this, users can access their document library. In addition, if you have bought the Small Business Server 2008 Premium Edition, it consists of two physical servers. You can configure the second server to be part of the existing domain and install Windows SQL Server 2008 (included with the Premium Edition). The second server can be either installed with x86 edition or x64 edition. Another advantage is using the additional server to act as a backup account manager (domain controller). When the servers are configured in this manner, the additional server provides redundancy in case the first server becomes unavailable due to hardware failure or maintenance. This allows client systems to still function as part of the shared network and continue to access resources. The additional server does not provide redundancy for the applications on the main server. Fig.3.3 9
4.0. Things to consider while buying Small Business Server 2008 4.1. Selecting the Right server When buying the server, keep in mind which server best suits your needs. Server should be optimal to service requests from the client system. SBS 08 is based on x64 architecture. It requires the system you are buying to be capable of running an x64 operating system. In order to help users find the right server for their business, Dell has developed an advisor tool (SMB Advisor tool), available at the release of Small Business Server 2008 from DELL.com. If you planned to install Hyper-V, the server must include processor(s) that support the following features: a) EM64T compatibility b) Data Execution Prevention (DEP) support (Intel only) c) Hardware-assisted virtualization (Intel VT or AMD-V). To know the benefits provided by the x64 architecture, see the white paper at: http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/8/0/d803e620-2977-4df3-90bd-6d263bb9cb59/understanding%20the%20business%20benefits% 20Associated%20with%20x86%2064-bit%20Windows%20Server.pdf 4.2. Choosing the correct edition of SBS 08 Windows Small Business Server 2008 Standard Edition runs on one physical server with most (all) of the applications like Exchange server 2007, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, and Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) 3.0. Premium Edition runs on two physical servers. The first server runs all the components of Standard edition and second server runs Windows Server 2008 Standard and SQL 2008 Server. If you are using a business critical application that runs only in x86 architecture; then it is the right choice to buy the Premium edition which allows the flexibility of running either x86 or x64 architecture of Windows Server 2008 Standard edition on the second server. Table below provides the list of components that come along with Standard and Premium Edition. Standard Edition Premium Edition Windows Server 2008 Technologies Includes everything from Standard Edition Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Standard Edition Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Windows Server Update Services 3.0 Microsoft ForeFront Security for Exchange Server Microsoft Live OneCare for Server Integration with Office Live Small Business Windows Server 2008 x86 Standard Technologies for Premium Edition Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard Technologies for Premium Edition Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition for Small Business Support Terminal Service in Application mode in the second server Hyper-V virtualization Technology 10
4.3. Virtualization Support Virtualization should be considered while buying Small Business Server 2008 if you wish to take advantage of virtualization technology. Microsoft supports two scenarios in which users can implement this feature. Scenario 1: Two physical servers with Premium edition where SBS 2008 Standard edition runs on the first physical server and WS08 x64 Standard edition on the second server. User can enable the Hyper-V role and create Virtual machines. In this case, Windows Server 2008 running on the second physical server should be used to manage the virtual environment only. Users have to use one of the virtual machine with Windows Server 2008 installed to run SQL 2008. They can use other Virtual Machines to run non-sbs operating system. For more information on enabling the Hyper-V role and Known issues, see: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/ws2k8/en/hyper-v/iig.pdf http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732470.aspx Scenario 2: Fig.4.0 One physical server with both SBS 2008 Standard edition and Windows Server 2008 Standard edition running on the virtual machines. Here customer has to buy a separate Hyper-V server operating system, to run on the physical server. Users can take advantage Hyper-V server to run their premium edition on the single physical server which would be very cost effective. 11
Fig.4.1 5.0 Prerequisites for Setting up the Network 5.1. Application Compatibility a) Check with your software vendors whether your application works in domain model. Some applications require special settings (or even reinstall in some cases) after moving them to Domain-based (centralized account/permissions management) model. b) Small Business Server 2008 is based on x64 architecture. If your application requires an x86 environment, you need to buy a Premium edition of Small Business Server 2008 which provides the option of running x86 operating system on second server. 5.2. Network Settings a) If you need to connect to external network, you need a public IP from your internet service provider. b) If you have a broadband connection a router is required, because the router acts as a gateway to access the Internet. c) The firewall provided by Windows SBS 2008 cannot be used to protect your network, because the SBS 2008 server is not the gate way to the Internet. If your router doesn t provide a firewall service then you must add a firewall device to help protect your network from unauthorized access from the Internet. To know more about Firewall, See http://technet.microsoft.com/enus/library/cc527574.aspx d) A network switch is required for connecting all the client machines and servers in the network. 12
5.3. Upgrade operating systems on client computers a) Upgrade all your client computers to Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 (SP2) (or later) or Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise or Windows Vista Ultimate operating system from any older versions. b) If you intend to have mobile devices connected to your network, in stall Windows Mobile 5.0 (or later) software on the mobile device Note: Before upgrading, ensure to backup the data of your client machines. 5.4. Read the Windows SBS 2008 Release Documentation and Important Information document. The release documents contain the latest information that may be critical to properly installing and configuring Windows SBS 2008. They are located at the Microsoft Website at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=104289. The Important Information document provides the minimum BIOS/Firmware supported on the Dell Server and known issues in running SBS 2008 on it. It is located at http://www.support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/ wsbs2k8/ 6.0. Setting up the SBS 08 network 6.1. Server Installation Before starting the installation keep the following information handy: Server name, Domain (network) name, organization name with address. This information is required to complete the installation, see the installation guide available at http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/wsbs2k8/ 6.2. Joining the Clients to the SBS 08 network DHCP server role is installed and enabled during the Operating system installation but the scope is not created. If you plan to use DHCP server for providing IP to the clients, please create a DHCP scope with proper router and DNS server address. You may face problems in connecting the clients, if proper router and DNS address is not provided in the scope. To know more about DNS and DHCP, see the links below: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc787921.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc781008.aspx To connect the client computers to the SBS 08 network, see http://technet.microsoft.com/enus/library/cc527497.aspx For more information: http://www.microsoft.com/sbs/en/us/default.aspx http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/wsbs2k8/ 13
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