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A little help with SBS 2003.

S

SemperFi

Platinum Member
My fathers company just installed a new program that reads the scale, print out invoices etc. For all that we wanted to do a server was necessecary. So to save some money and do a little upgrading 😉 I said that I would supply the computer. I bought SBS 2003 figuring get the latest. The install was quite different than xp. I got through using the defalts. They loaded their software and installed it Thursday. Every thing that they is set up and working properly.

The way they have it setup we connect to the server by remote desktop. The problem I have is they didn't setup the network so that I could use a program locally and print to the printer on the server. I know on my home network that I just had to add the user to the password list and have xp create an account on the computer for the other computer and you are in business. It took a minute but I found the password on the server computer and added the user. It told me to use IE and goto the servers ip which I did. It wanted to download software to my local machine. I declined this because every thing is working and have a lot of work to do on it. I wasn't sure I was even going about this the right way. I did try to connect to the server but no joy.

The second question is how do you power on the server from a client computer using wake on lan? The computer is getting tucked away into a hidden corner and the enviroment is very dirty( Gravel Pit ). That is why I don't want to leave it run 24/7. The guy who did the install said he knew how to do it on 2000 server but not 2003. Mine was the first one that he had ever worked on.

One last question. Can I set up the server to use a dvd burner on a cleint computer? Basicly I want to run nero on the server and see the client burner as an available drive. As I said before I am kind of tucking the server away in the office. Being at a gravel pit the office is off the beaten path. probobly half mile from 2 roads and is gated. We have been broken into over the years. My reasoning is petty theives they can only carry so much. By the time they take the 2 plainly visible and the flat panels would be a handful for 2 guys leaving the server ready to go. Anyhow because of this it will make the backing up akward at least.

Other info. Server is workgroup not a domain. No internet, email. The server is using the onboard lan on an NForce 3 motherboard. Pretty plain jane at the moment. Doesn't even have an office program. The old guys in the office didn't want computers. The manager has had a computer for 5 years and I doubt he ever opened excel or word. He uses it to download payload data from the loaders and prints it out.

I can supply more info if need. Thanks for the help.
 
I'll try to help. You installation is far from a "typical" or recommended SBS 2003 installation. SBS is intended to be the center of a Domain, with most client computers joined to the domain. Daily Server status reports and other alerts are sent via email.

All User Accounts on an SBS Server are Domain based. You create Domain Users and give them permissions, mailboxes, etc. There are no "Local" accounts on the Server. It'd be MUCH easier if you join all of your office PCs to the Domain with the SBS "ConnectComputer" Wizard. Otherwise, you are going to be constantly asked for passwords, and many other SBS features (like Remote Web Workplace) won't work. Only Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 can be joined to the Domain.

You can install a printer on the SBS Server just like on an XP computer. Any installed printers become, by default, available to all Domain Users from anywhere in the Domain. There's a Wizard in SBS for adding a Printer.

I've never done a wake-on-lan for a Server. There was discussion of that topic here on AnandTech a while back. If you search carefully, you can probably find it. That said, SBS is designed to run 24/7 and many of the things it does are scheduled to run in off-hours. I suggest you design an air-filtration system and just keep it running all the time. Keeping the Server locked up is a very good idea, though.

You can back up across your network to external USB hard drives. Or just run a 10-foot USB cable out of your "hiding place" and hook up the USB drives to that. Buy AT LEAST two USB drives for backup and keep one off-site at ALL times. How often you back up and how often you swap drives depends on how much you are willing to lose if someone breaks in or if your Server fails. If someone steals your Server, you'll need offsite backups to restore your data. Use the built-in SBS Backup Wizard.

Be EXTREMELY cautious about installing non-Server programs on your SBS Server. Don't make it a "workstation". Don't run Office on it. If you want to copy data from your Server to DVD, I recommend grabbing the data files across the network and using Nero on a Workstation. You don't want Nero taking your Server down.

You might also consider putting your Server SOMEWHERE ELSE. SBS can work well in somebody's closet at home, via VPN. You'd need a high-speed Internet connection to the office and to the home where it's located. My main SBS Server is located at an employee's house. I use it and manage it remotely.
 
Other info. Server is workgroup not a domain.
Click to expand...
What do you mean by this? Did you cancel the dcpromo wizard during setup? SBS must be a domain controller. If it isn't it will start shutting itself down after a few days because this is a violation of the EULA.
 
I am a little confused, what does SBS 2003 bring to the table that WinXP wont for this application?

btw you have to set it up as a domain controller or it will shut down like the above poster said.
 
Unless it is the typical mixed-up between Wake On LAN and Hibernation.

WOL is an Hardware thing and does Not care about OS.

WOL starts the computer over the Network from Off status, and that is it. Ones started it would load what ever is in the Bootload.

Wake On LAN (WOL) - Start a Network Computer Remotely from your Network or the Internet.

Business server is running on a computer with nf3 using its onboard NIC?

I hope that you have AntiCrash insurance.😉

:sun:
 
Ok, sorry folks I lied. I went and checked it today. It is a domain. 😱 When I set it up I went through the wizards but I don't remember what all they were. I pretty much used the defalt values as I recall. This was a first for me. It is definately going to be a learning experience so please bear with me.

Thanks for replying folks. I really appreciate it.

Rebate monger, I will check out the printer wizard. I know the guy who came out setup the printer said he had to do it manually because he couldn't get it to install and work. I think he might have been trying to use the printer setup routine. Don't quote me on that though. It does work when I am remote desktop to use their software. I just want to get the workstation to use it too.

Be EXTREMELY cautious about installing non-Server programs on your SBS Server.
Click to expand...
The only thing installed on the server is the software for the scales and the printer driver. That makes sense about nero. No problems there once I get access I just have a database to back up. Pretty simple stuff. Don't really have any intention to install any software but. Can I use the software for my raid that came on the cd? Or does 2003 have something built in that will monitor the raid? I have 2 drives mirrored and would like something to alert when/if a drive fails.

There really isn't an option to put it somewhere else. Like I said it is at least a half mile from the road and road runner won't put in a cable. We looked into setting up a 900 Mhz tower from our main office about 2 miles away but it was $10,000 so we decided to pass and move files on usb drive. About the only option we have is satellite or dial up. Since we don't have a real need for internet access I doubt we do anything for a while.

Genx87
I am a little confused, what does SBS 2003 bring to the table that WinXP wont for this application?
Click to expand...

Absolutely nothing. Since we declined to put in the connection with our main office even less now. The software package we have allows 2 users. With our original intention of being able to connect from our main office we would need 3 or 4 copies. That little cd they give you is several thousand dollars. However we need one person using it constantly, the weighmaster. Then our manager and the cfo may want to get in occasionally. The software allows 2 users and by putting it on a server 2 are able to use it with no increase in cost with the exception of the cost of the server and OS. This creates a benifit of security to us also. They said it would require 2000 server or 2003. I can say I didn't look into 2000 server maybe it would have been better suited. I just figure 2003 is the latest and this would be used many years without needing much upgrading.

JackMDS,
Unless it is the typical mixed-up between Wake On LAN and Hibernation.
Click to expand...

I don't really know for sure. What I want is it to shut off at night so it doesn't have to breathe all the dust in all night long. This is definately not a good computer enviroment where we are at. Maybe there is more than one way to do it. I just want it off at 5:30 pm and on at 6:30 am. I can shut it down by remote desktop. I just want some way to fire it up instead of pushing the button on the case. Does 2003 OS have some way of hibernating and waking up on a schedule? If so that would work for me.

Thanks everyone. Jack I am going to go check out your link.


Edit/ Jack that looks like that is just what I need. One question though it says it must be a router. I am assuming a switch won't work. I guess I have something else on my shopping list.

Forgot earlier would it be better to use the card I have installed over the onboard lan? I also forgot the hardy-har-har! 😉


 
You need a Router if you WOL it from the outside through the Internet, and there are few computers on the connection.

If the Internet entry goes Only to the server, or it is done through a LAN computer you only need the MAC number of the Server's NIC.

:sun:

 
Thanks for that link Jack. I used that little proggie today and it fired right up. Very nice. 🙂 Heck it even works without a switch. Seems my brand new switch took a nose dive. I am off to a great start. I can't wait til tomorrow to see what happens next. :beer:

I haven't used the connect computer wizard yet. Between hardware problems and half of the employees sick from either broncitis or pnemonia I haven't been able to get much done.

I would really like some input as far as monitoring my raid array. Does 2003 have something I can use to keep check of the health of the array or would it be alright to install the software that came with the raid controller on the server.


Edit/ I forgot to ask, would it be better to put the server into hibernate or standby than to shut it down? I thought it would boot a little faster if I did something like that. The fans would need to be off though and still utilize the wake on lan.
 
SBS doesn't have any built-in ability to monitor RAID arrays. It'll tell you if a disk isn't responding properly, but you'd want something lower-level than that with a RAID array. You'll have to use the RAID controller's monitoring and notification system.
 
Alright I am a little slow. I finally got my xp machine to use the printer. Now the question is I have a win 98 machine. How do I get it to work?

I don't think I even had a home network when I had win 98 on my box. I have the computer and user setup on the server. I went to the win 98 box and added a user and password. I rebooted it and logged on but when I click on the server in network neighborhood nothing shows. It says I don't have access or permission. I figure the problem is on the win 98 machine not trying to log on.

Thanks for all the help. This is going pretty good. I get this last box using the printer I should be set.
 
Today once I booted up the 98 box and the printer on the server showed in network neighborhood. So I went to add printer and it wouldn't show. I went back to network neighborhood and it was gone. wtf

On the 98 box I have the netork settings with log onto microsoft networks and to automaticly log onto the network. I have the user setup with the same name and password as the the one on the server. On the log on box during bootup I have the domain as the one the server says to use if using an OS before 2000. I have done many reboots and sometimes during log in it would say I don't have permission to log on. Quite a few times it would log in and I could see the win xp machine in the other room and it will show the server but when I click on it it says "server name is not accessable the computer or share name could not be found".

Can someone give me some ideas? I sure would appreciate it. All this to just share a printer. 😕 Thnaks
 
Have you intalled the Windows 98 Active directory client add-on? (DSClient) It might help. Also, be sure that Windows 98 has all the latest updates.

Windows 98 DSClient

I HATE Windows 98. I quit using it several years ago and won't support it on my client's networks. It's insecure and costs a FORTUNE to support. If it was my PC, I'd either update it to XP Professional or buy a new PC. It'll be cheaper than the time you'll lose supporting a Windows 98 PC over the next two years.
 
No I haven't yet. I will do it right now. I assume it has some documentation with it. I will check it out tomorrow.

I would like to get rid of the winders 98. I hate to do it because that machine has a program that works with our loaders. It is built around a .mdb version 2.0. :Q I couldn't believe it. I think office 97 was out when they programed it. I was just afraid it wouldn't run on xp and it is an integeral part of our records.

I really am not worried about security. None of these computers are connected to the internet. None of the few workers have a need to use the computers and just about all of them say they don't even know how to turn on a computer. Really the only security I have to worry about is someone breaking in and stealing the computers. 😉 2003 is really more than we needed I guess but the requirement was it had to be server OS. As I recall the price of 2000 wasn't much different than 2003. I say get the latest and greatest.

I really wouldn't mind putting mind putting xp on that box. I know once I went to 2000 you couln't have given me a case of 98 cd's. That 98 machine just got a new hard drive a couple of weeks ago. Scandisk gave more errors than I could count. The os has been acting really flaky so a reinstall may be necessecary in the near future. I just remember when xp came out there was a lot of talk of old programs not working. I talked to caterpillar a couple of years ago to see if they had updated their software. The disks I have say beta on them. I was upgrading the computer and wanted to put xp on it then. They told me no they hadn't so I decided to go back to 98 as I knew it worked.

Thanks again rebatemonger.
 
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