10 Important Reasons to Use Windows Small Business Server 2008

Windows Small Business Server 2008 is an integrated server solution that helps you protect your business data, increase productivity, and present a more professional image to customers. Windows Small Business Server 2008 delivers enterprise-class technologies for data backup and restore,e-mail, remote access, file and printer sharing, internal Web sites, and support for mobile devices--in one fully integrated solution.

1. Get a comprehensive, all-in-one solution.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 takes the guesswork out of selecting software for your network. It brings together the Microsoft product technologies that businesses need most into a single solution. These technologies are integrated into one product, making it easy for PSS Enterprises to install and manage.

2. Stay connected to your customers, vendors, and suppliers.

With access to contacts, appointments, and files from any Internet-connected PC or mobile device, you can be responsive to customers, vendors, and suppliers even when you're not in the office.

* Access the facts you need, in real time.
* Respond to customer inquiries more quickly and accurately.
* Stay connected while on the road with remote access capabilities from a Windows Mobile phone.

3. Protect your business and prevent data loss.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 helps protect your vital business information from loss by backing up the data on your network, and enabling you to recover accidentally deleted files. SBS 2008 also enables you to recover data on your network in the event of disaster. With easy-to-use interfaces, you or your IT consultant gain better control of your data, PCs, and network.

4. Access business information and resources

From virtually anywhere at any time. Be productive whether you're out of the office, at home, or on the road. Windows Small Business Server 2008 gives you secure access to business contacts, calendars, e-mail, files, your desktop, and even shared resources from any Internet connected PC, from virtually anywhere at any time.

5. Increase your business capacity.

Streamline business processes and improve day-to-day efficiency with Windows Small Business Server 2008. It helps automate daily processes by providing a central repository for storing and sharing information more easily--and helps simplify communications with familiar Microsoft technologies.

6. Stay safe with anti-spam and antivirus protection.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 offers anti-spam and antivirus technologies to help protect your business information and your intellectual property from malicious attacks, viruses, and spam.

7. Keep your network healthy and up-to-date.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 provides you with the latest updates to minimize downtime and help ensure network health by keeping your PCs and servers current. Easy-to-read "green check" reports give you a quick view of Microsoft software updates, PC and server status, antivirus status, and backup progress.

8. Take advantage of powerful technologies designed and priced for small business.

Windows Small Business Server 2008 includes multiple technologies optimized specifically for small businesses at an affordable price. It enables you to share resources and equipment, such as Internet access, printers, and fax machines, so you get the most value from your technology investment.

9. Get the flexibility and scalability you need.

As your business needs change, Windows Small Business Server 2008 enables you to grow. You can easily add users, servers, and applications. It supports your critical line of business applications and is designed to integrate with your existing Microsoft technology.Here you can easily use the windows server 2008 if found any problem then you can use online server support services. In market there are lots of good name who provide online server support services like Microsoft, geek squad, iYogi etc..

10. Create a bigger presence in the market.

Differentiate your business and present a more professional image to prospects and customers. Windows Small Business Server 2008 offers e-mail marketing capabilities, business Web sites, and tools for creating your own Web site.

Source & Inspiration: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1273789

Microsoft's Patch Vital For Windows Server 2000 Users

Microsoft has released an Internet Explorer patch marked 'critical' for download to fix vulnerability issues that is said to have affected around 2 million users.

The browser's flaw allows a Trojan to take over a victim's computer; it then routes it to infected websites.

The Excel vulnerability affects various versions of Microsoft Office, including Microsoft Office for Mac 2004 and 2008. The IE patch could allow information disclosure or remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page.

Of the "critical" patches, Vulnerability in Active Directory Could Allow Remote Code Execution garnering the most attention. Failure to apply the software could allow remote code execution if an attacker gains access to an affected network.

"This vulnerability only affects Microsoft Windows 2000 servers configured to be domain controllers," Microsoft said in its bulletin. "If a Microsoft Windows 2000 server has not been promoted to a domain controller, it will not be listening to Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) or LDAP over SSL (LDAPS) queries, and will not be exposed to this vulnerability."

"It's especially critical for an IT shop that has Windows server 2000 domains and domain controllers," Schultze said. "You might not have them for long as any disgruntled employee can rename the files and take control of those assets without this patch."

Schultze said that Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-063 and MS08-065, while labeled "important," is more than likely critical for a company's security. Both vulnerabilities allow for remote code execution, a favored target of hackers. MS08-063 in particular is dangerous because it impacts the Microsoft Server Message Block (SMB) protocol.

"That's the file- and printer-sharing protocol," Schultze said. "It's the protocol you use to log in and send something to the printer. So, if I go to my S drive and rename those files and give it a specifically long file name, then the moment that I do that, I can own that file server without human interaction. ... It's the first time in a long time we have seen these server-side vulnerabilities."

MS08-065 is a hole in Microsoft's Message Queuing Service (MSMQ) on Windows 2000 systems. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution on Microsoft Windows 2000 systems with the MSMQ service enabled.

Schultze also noted that five of the 11 bulletins posted by Microsoft are addressing vulnerabilities found in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. "This really shows us that these operating systems are impacted by legacy code that goes back to Windows 1998 or earlier," he said.

Customers are also being warned about an e-mail sent out by hackers who are posing as a Microsoft security executive.

Source: .informationweek.com/news/security/app-security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=211200526

Steps to install Small Business Server 2003 in an existing Active Directory domain

To install a SBS 2003 computer in an existing Active Directory domain, follow these steps:

1. On a Windows 2000 domain, you must prepare Active Directory before you install the SBS 2003 computer in the domain. For more information about how to install a Windows Server 2003 domain controller into an existing Windows 2000 forest, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278875/ ) Dcpromo.exe and Winnt32.exe log errors when you create a Windows Server 2003 domain controller in a Windows 2000 domain or forest or when you upgrade a Windows 2000 domain controller that resides in a Windows 2000 forest to Windows Server 2003
2. Start the installation of SBS 2003 by inserting CD 1 into the CD or DVD drive.
3. When the operating system is installed and the computer restarts and continues with the integrated Setup program, click Cancel to stop the integrated Setup program.
   
4. On the SBS 2003 computer, configure a static IP address on the network card and make sure to configure DNS to include the existing server that hosts the Active Directory zone.
   
5. Note Do not create a new forest and do not create a child domain.
   1. Click Start, click Run, type dcpromo, and then click OK.
   2. Click Next two times.
   3. Click Additional Domain Controller for an existing domain, and then click Next.
   4. Enter the credentials for the domain administrator account, and then click Next.
   5. In the Domain name area, type the FQDN for the Active Directory domain namespace that you want to join, and then click Next. For example, type contoso.local. If you are not sure of the FQDN, you can click Browse to select the correct domain.
   6. Click Next to accept the default locations for the Database and Log folders.
   7. Click Next to accept the default locations for the shared system volume.
      
   8. Type the Directory Services Restore Mode administrator password, and then click Next.
      
   9. On the Summary screen, click Next to start the Dcpromo.exe program. This process may take several minutes.
   10. Click Finish to complete the Dcpromo.exe program, and then click Restart Now.
   11. Log on to the computer after it restarts and confirm that the computer has been successfully promoted to a domain controller. To do this, click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
   12. At the command prompt, type gettype, and then press ENTER. The output should read as follows:
       
       

       Host Name: ServerNameName: Windows Server 2003 for Small Business Server
       Version: 5.2 Build 3790
       Role: Domain Controller
       Components: Not Installed

6. Install the DNS server service. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, point to Control Panel, and then click Add/Remove Programs.
   2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
   3. In the Windows Components list, double-click Networking Services.
   4. Click to select the Domain Name System (DNS) check box, and then click OK.
   5. Click Next, and then click Finish.
      
   
   
7. Promote the SBS 2003 computer to a global catalog server. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
   2. Expand Sites, expand Default-First-Site-Name, expand Servers, expand your SBS 2003 computer, right-click NTDS Settings, and then click Properties.
   3. Click the General tab, click to select the Global catalog check box to assign the role of global catalog to this computer, and then click OK.
   4. Open Event Viewer to the Directory Services event log and wait for event 1119 or 1869 with a description that states that this domain controller is now a global catalog.
   5. Restart the computer.
      
      Note Do not restart the computer or remove any other global catalog servers until you receive event 1119 or 1869. If you do this, it will cause adverse effects as there will be no global catalog servers available to process requests.
8. After the new computer is successfully promoted to a global catalog server, remove any other global catalog servers in the domain. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
   2. In the console pane, expand Sites, and then expand Default-First-Site-Name.
   3. Expand Servers, expand any computers other than your SBS 2003 computer, right-click NTDS Settings, and then click Properties.
      
      Note You may have to repeat this step more than one time if more than one computer is listed, other than the SBS 2003 computer.
   4. On the General tab, click to clear the Global catalog check box to assign the role of global catalog to this computer, and then click OK.
      
      Note If the Global catalog check box is not selected, go to step 8.
   5. Restart any computers where you removed the global catalog server role.
      
      Note Wait for the account and the schema information to replicate to the new global catalog server.
9. Transfer the FSMO roles to the SBS 2003 computer. To do this, follow these steps for each FSMO role:
   1. Transfer the Relative ID (RID) Master role. To do this:
      1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
      2. Right-click your organization name, click All Tasks, and then click Operations Masters.
      3. In the Operations Masters dialog box, click the RID tab.
      4. In the Operations Masters dialog box, click Change.
      5. Click Yes to confirm that you want to transfer the role, and then click OK.
   2. Transfer the PDC Emulator role. To do this:
      1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
      2. Right-click your organization name, click All Tasks, and then click Operations Masters.
      3. In the Operations Masters dialog box, click the PDC tab.
      4. In the Operations Masters dialog box, click Change.
      5. Click Yes to confirm that you want to transfer the role, and then click OK.
   3. Transfer the Infrastructure Master role. To do this:
      1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
      2. Right-click your organization name, click All Tasks, and then click Operations Masters.
      3. In the Operations Masters dialog box, click the Infrastructure tab.
      4. In the Operations Masters dialog box, click Change.
      5. Click Yes to confirm that you want to transfer the role, and then click OK.
   4. Transfer the Domain Naming Master role. To do this:
      1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Domains and Trusts.
      2. Right-click Active Directory Domains and Trusts, and then click Operations Master.
      3. In the Change Operations Master dialog box, click Change .
      4. Click Yes to confirm that you want to transfer the role, and then click OK.
      5. Click Close to close the dialog box.
   5. Transfer the Schema Master role. To do this:
      1. You can use the Schema Master tool to transfer the role. However, the Schmmgmt.dll file must be registered to use the Schema Master tool as an MMC snap-in. To register Schmmgmt.dll, click Start, click Run, type regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll, and then click OK.
         
         Note You receive a message that confirms that the registration was successful.
      2. Click Start, click Run, type mmc, and then click OK.
      3. Click File, and then click Add/Remove Snap-in.
      4. In the Description area, click Add.
      5. Click Active Directory Schema, click Add, and then click Close.
      6. Click OK.
      7. Right-click Active Directory Schema, and then click Change Domain Controller.
      8. In the Select DC area, click Specify Name, type the name of the SBS 2003 computer, and then click OK.
      9. Right-click Active Directory Schema, and then click Operations Master.
      10. In the Change Schema Master dialog box, click Change.
      11. Click Yes, click OK, and then click Close.
      For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
      (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324801/ ) How to view and transfer FSMO roles in Windows Server 2003
10. Move the site licensing server to the SBS 2003 computer. To do this:
    1. On the SBS 2003 computer, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
    2. Expand Sites, and then click Default-First-Site-Name.
    3. Right-click Licensing Site Settings, and then click Properties.
    4. Click Change, type the name of the new SBS 2003 computer in the Enter the object name to select area, and then click OK.
    5. Click OK to close the Licensing Site Settings Properties dialog box.
       
       For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/273475/ ) Licensing in Windows 2000 and differences with Windows NT 4.0
    
    
11. Wait for the new Active Directory objects to replicate to the SBS 2003 computer. The time this takes depends on the Active Directory size and on network performance. You can view the Directory Service event log to verify that replication has completed successfully. The SBS 2003 integrated Setup program may not continue if replication has not completed or if replication has failed.
    
    To test replication, you can create a new test user on a domain controller and after several minutes confirm the object has been replicated to the SBS 2003 computer. You can also force replication from a domain controller. To do this:
    1. On the SBS 2003 computer, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
    2. In the left pane, expand Default-First-Site-Name, expand Servers, and then expand the domain controller that you want to replicate from.
    3. Click NTDS Settings. One or more objects are listed in the right pane. One of those objects is a link to the domain controller you want to replicate from. To see the "friendly" name of the object, right-click the object and view the name. Right-click the domain controller object, and then click Replicate Now. The replication is performed immediately.
12. Change the DNS settings on all domain controllers to point to the new SBS 2003 computer as the primary DNS server. To do this, follow these steps.
    
    Note Follow these steps on all domain controllers in the Active Directory, including the SBS 2003 computer.
    1. Click Start, point to Control Panel, point to Network Connections, right-click the internal network connection, and then click Properties.
    2. Click to select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
    3. Change the preferred DNS server. Type the IP address of the SBS 2003 computer as the preferred DNS server. Also, make this change on the SBS 2003 computer.
       
       Note The alternative DNS server can point to the previous preferred DNS server as long as it is a server that hosts the Active Directory zone.
13. On the SBS 2003 computer, insert the SBS 2003 CD 1 into the CD or DVD drive and continue with the integrated Setup of SBS 2003 and its components.
14. If you already have Microsoft Exchange Server installed in the organization, the integrated Setup installs Exchange Server into the existing organization. If you already have an Exchange 2003 Server or an Exchange 2000 Server in your organization, and you plan to retire that Exchange Server, you can move the mailboxes and public folders to the new Exchange 2003 Server before you retire the old Exchange Server. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    822931 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822931/ ) How to remove the first Exchange 2003 Server computer from the administrative group
    
    To move the mailboxes and public folders, follow these steps:
    1. On the existing Exchange Server in the organization, open Exchange System Manager. To do this, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Exchange, and then click System Manager.
    2. At the top of the tree in the left pane, right-click the Organization Name (Exchange) icon, and then click Properties.
    3. Click to select the Display administrative groups check box, click to select the Display routing groups check box, and then click OK.
    4. Expand the Recipients container, and then click Recipient Update Services.
    5. Double-click each entry, and then enter the name of the new Exchange Server that is running on the SBS 2003 computer in the Exchange server area.
    6. Expand Administrative Groups, expand Administrative Group Name, expand Routing Groups, and then expand First Routing Group.
    7. Click Connectors, right-click your SMTP connector if it is present, change the server that is listed in the Local bridgeheads area to the new SBS 2003 computer, and then click OK.
    8. In the left pane, under First Routing Group, click Members.
    9. In the right pane, right-click the new SBS 2003 computer, and then click Set as Master.
    10. In the left pane, expand Administrative Groups, expand Administrative Group Name, expand Servers, and then expand the Exchange Server that existed before you added the new Exchange Server on the SBS 2003 computer.
    11. Expand First Storage Group, expand Mailbox Store, and then click Mailboxes.
    12. Select all the mailboxes, right-click the mailboxes, and then click Exchange Tasks.
    13. In the Exchange Task Wizard, click Move Mailbox, and then click Next.
    14. Click to select the new SBS 2003 computer in the Server list, and then click Next.
    15. Specify how you want the Move Mailbox procedure to handle corrupted messages, and then click Next two times to re-home all the mailboxes to the new SBS 2003 computer.
        
        Note This procedure also re-homes the public folders to the new SBS 2003 computer.
    16. Click Finish.
    17. As soon as replication is successful, remove Exchange Server from the computer that is to be retired. If the computer that is to be retired is also a domain controller, run the Dcpromo.exe program to remove this computer from the domain before you physically retire it.
        
        Note You must instruct all Exchange Server users to point to the new Exchange Server.
15. Run the Dcpromo.exe program on the SBS 2003 computer to join the existing domain.

For More Info: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884453/en-us

Data Recovery Options in Windows 2000 Server

If your Windows 2000 Server crashes, you may not have to take the long way back to data recovery. Jim Boyce explores several options that may be able to solve a server problem in a fraction of the time.

Backup in Windows 2000 Server is the first and the strongest line of defense against data loss.

But server crashes happen anyway, and when they do, you don't want to spend hours restoring your server for an error that could be fixed in five minutes. Here are some tools and methods you can use to restore a crashed server as quickly as possible.

If the computer won't boot, try to start it in Safe Mode. With Safe Mode, the operating system loads only the basic set of drivers and services needed to boot. Once you're in Safe Mode, you can check the logs to get an idea about what's preventing a normal boot.

If Safe Mode isn't working, you can use Last Known Good configuration. When Windows 2000 boots successfully, the operating system creates a copy of the registry keys under HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet, which are involved in that boot process.

If neither of these methods work, take a look at the Recovery Console. Recovery Console is a command prompt mode from where you can copy and replace missing or corrupted files. The Recovery Console mode can also help you fix master boot record problems.

Before you return to the backup method, try the Emergency Repair Disk, which stores a backup copy of the Boot.ini file and some critical registry keys. This may be very useful if administrators have made regular updates.

Source: zdnetasia.com/techguide/windows/0,39044904,39380334,00.htm