SBS 2003 Overview

According to research firm IDC, small business is currently one of the biggest growth areas for IT. In the small-business market segment, IDC predicts an 11.6 percent annual growth rate in server deployment, with a corresponding 19.3 percent annual increase in broadband usage through 2006. This growth will be fueled by the continued reduction in the price of server hardware and an increase in the availability of affordable broadband services. Microsoft's most recent Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 release targets the needs of this emerging small-business market. Designed for businesses with 75 or fewer workstations or users, SBS 2003 is the fourth generation of Microsoft's SBS product line, and it boasts simpler installation, configuration, and management than any previous SBS version.

SBS 2003 Standard Edition vs. SBS 2003 Premium Edition
Unlike earlier versions of SBS, SBS 2003 comes in two versions: SBS 2003 Standard Edition and SBS 2003 Premium Edition. Web Table 1 (http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc ID 40708) lists the components of each edition.

Both versions of SBS 2003 include Windows Server 2003 (with its integrated Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services feature), Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, and five Client Access Licenses (CALs). To this base of core components, SBS 2003 Premium Edition adds Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3), Microsoft FrontPage 2003, and Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000.

The choice between the two versions essentially boils down to whether you need SQL Server. Although a firewall, such as the one that ISA Server provides, is essential, many broadband routers already incorporate firewall capabilities. SBS 2003 Standard Edition includes a basic firewall, but it isn't as full featured as most commercial firewalls. If you need SQL Server, then the bundled pricing of SQL Server 2000 as a part of SBS 2003 Premium Edition makes the premium edition a good buy. However, if you don't need SQL Server, then SBS 2003 Standard Edition is a better choice. The budget-conscious small-business owner could also choose SBS 2003 Standard Edition and add Microsoft Access, Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE), or a freeware database such as MySQL along with a third-party firewall for functionality comparable to SBS 2003 Premium Edition for less cost. In addition, you can often gain a performance advantage by installing the database on a different server from the server that's running Exchange.

Installation and Initial Setup
I tested SBS 2003 Standard Edition; it came OEM-installed on an HP ProLiant server with a 2.4GHz Intel Xeon processor, 256MB of RAM, and dual 18GB hard disks. Using an OEM installation meant that HP had preinstalled the setup files to a partition on the hard disk, eliminating the need to install the software from CD-ROM or DVD. The setup process began automatically as soon as I booted the server. Microsoft's goal for the OEM-installed version is to get the system running in less than 30 minutes. Although I began my installation without first locating the preinstallation checklist supplied on the installation poster included with the server, I easily managed to get the system running within the 30-minute time frame. The setup prompted me for an IP address, a gateway address, and primary and secondary DNS server addresses. In my case, my network had an existing DHCP server, so the SBS setup automatically recognized that server, which supplied several of the important network settings. Even so, you need to know your network's infrastructure to complete the setup process. All in all, the setup for SBS 2003 resulted in the fastest setup for Active Directory (AD) and Exchange that I've ever performed. I gave the system a name of WinNetMag, set the AD domain name to WinNetMag.local, and named the Exchange 2003 server WinNetMag. I didn't need to perform any extra manual steps, such as running Domainprep or Forestprep, that the typical Exchange installation requires. After setup finished, AD and Exchange were both running and ready to accept new users.

Client system setup was also a snap using the Web-based client computer deployment tool. After the server setup finished and I added some users on the client system, I pointed my Web browser to the SBS server's intranet connection URL, which on my test setup was http://sbs2003/connectcomputer. Connecting to the URL caused an ActiveX control to download to the client. When I clicked the Connect to the network now link from the client's browser, the server downloaded the preselected client components and set up various client configuration settings. The default applications included for installation on the client are Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 6.0, Outlook 2003, and the client OS service packs. You can add other applications to this list as well. The settings that were sent to the client included the ability to prohibit users from modifying the installed applications, as well as the tools needed to set up ActiveSync and configure Remote Desktop and printers.

Administration
After the server setup is complete, the SBS server displays the To Do List, which guides you through the required system configuration tasks, as Figure 1 shows. Using the To Do List, you can connect SBS to the Internet, add user and computer accounts, set up inbound and outbound mail, and configure backup and system monitoring. And, as you might notice in Figure 1, SBS 2003 requires you to activate the server.

I noticed when completing the items on the To Do List that the list doesn't automatically check off completed items. After I'd performed a couple of the items more than once, I realized that I needed to manually check the Done box.