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Small Business Server 2003 - Part 3

We look at some more interesting Small Business Server 2003 features, web sites and some alternatives to SBS that are out there.

Our look at Small Business Server concludes this week with a look at some more interesting features, as well as some useful SBS books and web sites, and some alternatives to SBS that are out there.

The first two parts in this series can be found here:

INTERNET CONNECTION AND SBS

SBS will work with any Internet connection – dial-up, cable, DSL or better. You don’t need a 24/7 net connection though it certainly helps.

One misconception we’ve seen is that you must have a static IP address to go with Small Business Server.

A static IP address is an unchanging Internet number linked to your internet connection (dial-up, cable or DSL). Normally the IP address changes each time you connect to the Internet (dynamic IP) but with a static IP address it’s the same each time A static IP address means that you can connect to the server from anywhere on the Internet using VPN, Remote Desktop Connection, Outlook or Sharepoint – any of which are very useful but not essential.

There are some dynamic IP routing services available such as dynip.com but if you paying all that money for SBS then it is worth paying your ISP for a static IP address unless their charge is outrageously high. In the high charges stakes we have to mention Telstra Australia that wants an astonishing $10 a month for a static IP address on top of their other high-prices. Since a static IP is setup once and requires little or no ongoing maintenance by an ISP, a charge of anything more than a few dollars a month is gouging. Look for an ISP that includes a static IP address in their package.

SHARED FAX

A lot of Office Watch readers wrote to tell us about the Shared Fax feature in SBS. This lets you connect a fax modem to the server then all incoming and outgoing faxes are sent via the server. Instead of printing out a fax, walking to the fax machine and sending it, the fax is sent directly from the desktop. Incoming faxes can be directed to the correct person.

Personally we don’t use the SBS fax service, as we’ve long since switched to a virtual fax service from companies like ClickFax and J2. We’re inclined to ClickFax over J2 simply because the support from J2 has become slower and more arrogant as the company grows (Efax is part of J2 though marketed separately). Though Clickfax doesn’t have voicemail support yet (get a move on guys!).

Virtual fax services let you have a local or 1-800 fax number where you wish. Incoming faxes are converted into image files (though PDF is becoming more common) and emailed to you. Outgoing faxes are sent from your computer using some special software or simply by emailing an attachment to the fax service.

DISTRIBUTED FILE SERVICES

This is a somewhat hidden little gem in Windows Server 2003 and SBS 2003 which has powerful uses for large companies but the basic features can be useful in small businesses.

If you’ve ever managed network shares you know what a pain it can be if the share name changes. It can change because you need to move to a machine with more storage or because a machine has broken. The problem is that all the references to that share have to be changed. For example Acomputershare has to become Anothershare . Plenty of scope for confusion and support calls there.

The basics of Distributed File Services lets you create an alias for a network share. That alias for example ServerDFSshare points the user to the real share on whatever computer or drive it is currently located on. If you have to change the share, you just change the DFS target and your users will never know the physical location changed.

There’s a lot more to DFS than just share aliases but this handy little feature is there in SBS for anyone smart enough to use it.

REMOTE WEB WORKPLACE

Many of the features of SBS 2003 for roaming or external users come together in Remote Web Workplace. This is accessed via a web browser and after the user logs in they can see the options available to them. http:///remote is the starting url.

Outlook Web Access email is there (though you can login for that separately) as is remote access to any SBS connected computer on the local network. This feature is truly cool. Generally you can remotely access a computer across the internet only if it has ports directly routed from your net connection to that machine. SBS 2003 provides a redirection service so you can login to the server then use the web version of Remote Desktop to access any computer.

Of course, the computer has to be on, so any worker who wants to do this has to leave their computer running (though password protected naturally).

The computer you login from needs to permit the installation of the Remote Desktop ActiveX control, this should happen automatically but some public Internet terminals may not allow it. Similarly SBS 2003 requires recent SSL support which is generally available but some poorly managed public terminals may not have it.

Administrators can also access any servers on the local network from wherever they are in the world. Peter, our globe-trotting Editor-in-Chief has applied Windows updates and done other server configuration from places like Easter Island and Iceland, to name a few.

WHICH COMPUTERS?

SBS 2003 can connect with any version of Windows but some features are limited to Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Pro so you need to factor in the cost of any upgrades on client computers as well.

Mac’s, Windows XP Home, earlier versions of Windows and other operating systems can ‘see’ network shares on an SBS 2003 server as long as you have the right name and password to gain access. However you can’t get to advanced features like logging into the server domain, synchronizing a users files and shadow copy – this is why Microsoft says SBS is only compatible with certain versions of Windows, in particular Windows XP Pro but not Home. This is strictly correct but not the whole story.

A Windows XP Home computer can access authorized network shares on an SBS server. Conversely the SBS computer can browse the XP Home machine’s shares, though not as part of the domain but as part of the workgroup specified in the XP Home setup. Macintosh computers can browse network shares on SBS Servers, though in theory the Mac’s public folder should be accessible to other network users but we’ve not be able to get that to work, Grrrr.

SBS BOOKS

As you’d expect from Microsoft there’s virtually nothing in the way of manuals provided with SBS. We’d strongly suggest you get someone qualified in Small Business Server to help you get the installation and setup right the first time.

Once the basics are setup, then there’s plenty to do to get the most out of SBS.

Syngress has a new book called “How to Cheat at Managing Microsoft Small Business Server 2003” by Susan Sneaker, and it’s pitched at people who do not have server maintenance as their primary job.

We also like “Windows Small Business Server 2003 Best Practices” from SMB Nation Press.

SBS COMMUNITY

There’s also a strong community of Small Business Server zealots out there – and I mean that in the nicest way . Many of them are Microsoft Certified in Small Business Server so they have a particular point-of-view but they nonetheless provide a lot of useful information on various web sites like:

IS SBS FOR YOU?

We can’t tell you whether Small Business Server would suit your needs. If you have a few POP accounts and that’s working OK then no-one is saying you have to change, least of all us.

But we did want to give our MS Office using readership a glimpse into the possibilities of Small Business Server 2003. There’s a lot there that can make sharing documents and information easier with a price tag that’s not as bad as you’d expect. While the price of SBS 2003 is enticing, you have to keep in mind the cost of hardware and external support as well.

There is a Premium version of Small Business Server that adds SQL Server database services into the mix plus Internet proxy services.

SBS 2003 is intended as the first and probably only server on a network. It is possible to hang more servers off it later, and we have a separate machine (actually a former workstation) now acting as a terminal server running Windows Server 2003.

It should be possible to migrate an earlier version of Exchange Server to a SBS 2003 setup (which has Exchange Server 2003) however that is something you’d have to do carefully and probably with external help.

SBS QUESTIONS

“I wonder how long it takes before a user can use his workstation if the files and software are downloaded. With many users logging in during the morning you would need some serious bandwidth I would think?” – Brad H.

The amount of time and bandwidth is, of course, dependant on the number of files and programs that need to be transferred and your network capacity. The initial setup of a computer / user may take 5-10 minutes.

However once that’s done the subsequent logins are very quick because the data is cached on the local computer, and only changes are exchanged when the user logs in again and that will generally only take a few seconds. The process is usually so fast as not to be noticed.

“Can you use SBS 2003 as an application server?”

Previous versions of SBS could act as an application server, however SBS 2003 cannot – this was something we misunderstood when writing part 2 of this feature.

But there are alternatives:

  • As we mentioned, have a separate server to run as an application server, however this might be more expense and trouble than you can afford.
  • Use Remote Web Workplace which can access any computer that’s turned on in the local network. This is certainly cheaper than a separate server, especially for occasional use.

SBS ALTERNATIVES

Despite what some readers think, we’re not exclusively a Microsoft place, we think SBS is good value and worth considering. But some readers have mentioned alternatives for interconnecting Microsoft Office.

SME Server

The open source camp has a Linux / Red Hat based project that provides an email server, file sharing and other services, though no application server. Like most open source projects its in development, though reader reports have been generally positive about it.

If you have the time and inclination then SME Server might be worth looking at. Certainly it has the advantage of not being tied so closely to Windows XP Pro or 2000 Pro on the client machines and that could be important if you have a lot of older machines and/or non-Windows computers.

Check it out at contribs.org

Mail Servers Only

There’s plenty of mail server packages out there. Imail and Kerio however they are expensive when compared to Small Business Server. There are some cheaper and powerful alternatives like Vpop that some of the Office Watch team have used for years.

But if you only want mail services and none of the extras, and you have a computer with an operating system in place then one of these products might be worth looking at.

 

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