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Windows Server 2008 R2 Setup Where to Start

P

pollardhimself

Senior member
Just got our new server in this is what I am trying to accomplish.

Setup Domain - Partially done now
Setup L2TP VPN - No clue how to do Ive been reading but haven't found anything great like a step by step. How Does active directory certificate services play in to L2TP?
Setup Active Directory Certificate - Services if need be, no experience with it

We also have a SBS 2003 running that we plan on reformatting and using for all our email (exchange), pop3 server, and website host. I know how to host email and the website but what do I need todo to setup so I can use the exchange server over our domain with the new domain being on the 2008 server?
 
You didnt add this machine to your existing SBS 2003 network? You should be able to add standalone DCs to an SBS network. Then transfer the FSMO roles and retire the SBS server. Which version of Exchange do you plan to run on this server? And are you currently hosting your own exchange on SBS?
 
Genx87 said:
You didnt add this machine to your existing SBS 2003 network? You should be able to add standalone DCs to an SBS network. Then transfer the FSMO roles and retire the SBS server. Which version of Exchange do you plan to run on this server? And are you currently hosting your own exchange on SBS?
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No I didnt add it to the sbs network.

I was planning on leaving the exchange server on the existing sbs 2003 so I can keep all email apps on that server.


Im a little lost... Never setup a server looking for a basis to start off from
 
I'm not understanding something. Are you going to keep running SBS 2003 (with its Exchange Server), or are going to install a new OS and a new Exchange Server on the old server hardware?

If you plan on keeping SBS 2003 Active and don't want to replace it with SBS 2008, I'd normally recommend adding the Server 2008 R2 to the SBS 2003 Domain. It makes things a lot simpler and still allows the use of most of the Server 2008 R2 features.

You can't join SBS 2003 to a different domain and you can't move its Exchange Server to another server. But you can run it like a "standalone" server and manually authenticate to it via Outlook or OWA.

And, yeah, don't try to learn on a production server. It's likely you'll make at least one setup mistake that'll require you to completely rebuild the new server. Install Server 2008 and some test clients onto a virtual host and play with them first.
 
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Ok on our Old server we are going to keep running SBS 2003 and our exchange and im adding a pop3 mail server and a webpage server.

On the new server we just got it has windows server 2008 enterprise r2.

So I can not add SBS 2003 to the new domain on Server 2008?


And, yeah, don't try to learn on a production server. It's likely you'll make at least one setup mistake that'll require you to completely rebuild the new server. Install Server 2008 and some test clients onto a virtual host and play with them first.
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Hopefully I haven't Gone to Far already! I have already installed RRAS on the server but later I read the you need to install Certificate services 1st. What are the correct steps to setup a Pre-Shared Key L2TP VPN? We currently use PPTP which is simple to setup


If you plan on keeping SBS 2003 Active and don't want to replace it with SBS 2008, I'd normally recommend adding the Server 2008 R2 to the SBS 2003 Domain. It makes things a lot simpler and still allows the use of most of the Server 2008 R2 features.
Click to expand...


Our old server is slow so this wont work we need to move the domain over to the new server. The new one has 16gb of ram and two 2.53ghz quad core xeons
 
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RebateMonger said:
Nope. SBS must be the root server of its own domain. You can add other servers to its domain, but not vice-versa. And SBS can't trust other Domains, so you can't enable cross-domain trusts.
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aint that a bitch.. sounds like we are buying exchange 2007, Not unless theres away to run exchange 2003 on windows server 2008 r2
 
I thinking im getting confused

If SBS 2003 is not a domain host then it has no domain so why cant it be joined to the new domain running on windows 2008?

Right now we have 2 servers and windows server 2003 standard is joined to the domain thats hosted on 2003 sbs

We only want 1 domain not 2

So I was planning on dissolving the old domain and reformating and putting just exchange server 2003 on the sbs server and the pop3 mail server
 
If SBS 2003 is not a domain host then it has no domain so why cant it be joined to the new domain running on windows 2008?
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Because it's an artificial restriction placed on SBS by MS. There's no technical reason it can't be done other than MS coded it not to let you.

If you have an SBS server it must be the DC in your domain, that's just how it works.
 
Microsoft sold SBS 2003 for as little as $400 while providing software and licenses that would cost several thousand dollars if purchased on their own. In exchange (no pun intended), MS limited certain features.

Why don't you use your Server 2008 R2 license to install Hyper-V on your new server, buy SBS 2008 Standard Edition, and then install Server 2008 R2 and SBS 2008 on your new server together under Hyper-V? It's cheaper than buying Exchange Server 2007 separately and you get to keep things like Remote Access and other SBS conveniences.

If you want, you can then migrate all your SBS 2003 documents, email, and account settings with the SBS 2008 Migration Wizard. If you do it that way, you should have virtually zero downtime in the transition.
 
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pollardhimself said:
No I didnt add it to the sbs network.

I was planning on leaving the exchange server on the existing sbs 2003 so I can keep all email apps on that server.


Im a little lost... Never setup a server looking for a basis to start off from
Click to expand...

If you insist on using Windows 2008 standalone. I suggest joining it to your current domain. Promoting it to a domain controller. The work on a strategy to install Exchange 2007 into the Active Directory on the new server. Then migrate user mailboxes and public folders off SBS 2003 onto the new Win08\Exchange07 server. Migrate your folders and everything else onto the new server. When you are ready to finally shut down the SBS 2003 server transfer the FSMO roles to the 08 server and demote the SBS 2003 server.

But it may be more economical and easier to buy SBS 2008 and use their wizards.

When you are ready to transfer the FSMO roles use this document.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324801

But do it last because SBS afaik needs to be the holder of these roles in a domain or it will shut down on you.
 
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You would be doing the world a favor by transferring the rolls to the 2008 r2 box and elevating the functionality to r2. And I might suggest picking up the Planning and Implementing AD materials 70-294. It will give you a solid idea as to what you are up against.

PM if you need anything, and my email is in my profile.
 
Microsoft sold SBS 2003 for as little as $400 while providing software and licenses that would cost several thousand dollars if purchased on their own. In exchange (no pun intended), MS limited certain features.
Click to expand...

Or MS could just be a little cheaper and a lot more consistent. Screaming that Exchange shouldn't be installed on a DC and then selling an SBS bundle with that very configuration is a kick in the balls IMO and only emphasizes the "Do as we say, not as we do." mentality. MS obviously knows better than us, so we had better listen!. Right?
 
Nothinman said:
Or MS could just be a little cheaper and a lot more consistent. Screaming that Exchange shouldn't be installed on a DC and then selling an SBS bundle with that very configuration is a kick in the balls IMO and only emphasizes the "Do as we say, not as we do." mentality. MS obviously knows better than us, so we had better listen!. Right?
Click to expand...

SBS is targetted at the under 75 organizations. I wouldnt think of running anything but exchange on a standalone server in a bigger organization. It really isnt that big of a kick in the balls when you think of the targets.
 
Cstefan said:
You would be doing the world a favor by transferring the rolls to the 2008 r2 box and elevating the functionality to r2. And I might suggest picking up the Planning and Implementing AD materials 70-294. It will give you a solid idea as to what you are up against.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't necessarily recommend the 70-294 textbooks, since MS has modified quite a few things in AD from the Server 2003 Active Directory that 70-294 covers. MS has new texts for the Server 2008 version, 70-640.
 
Nothinman said:
Or MS could just be a little cheaper and a lot more consistent. Screaming that Exchange shouldn't be installed on a DC and then selling an SBS bundle with that very configuration is a kick in the balls IMO and only emphasizes the "Do as we say, not as we do." mentality. MS obviously knows better than us, so we had better listen!. Right?
Click to expand...
I've read (and believe) that there are more copies of Exchange Server installed on the single SBS boxes than all the rest of the Exchange Servers in the world. Those seem to work just fine.

Microsoft has lots of security "rules", which the SBS Team sometimes violated. Since small businesses can't usually afford to install or maintain multiple servers (the more servers you have, the higher the maintenance costs), it's "either put them on a single server or don't install Exchange at all". "Security" is always a compromise between cost and benefits. But function-wise and reliability-wise, SBS and its included Exchange have always worked great for small businesses. Uptime is a LOT hgiher than most online hosted mail servers. GMail was down a couple of days last year. My SBS clients' Exchange servers had no downtime at all last year, nor in the past five years (crossing my fingers for continued luck).

Exchange Server pricing itself shouldn't be a big deal for larger companies, especially considering how few they need. The priciest part is Exchange CALs. Those are about $50, I believe, or about ten dollars per employee per year at retail pricing. I assume volume licenses are cheaper when dealing with thousands of Exchange CALs.
 
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Where did essentials server go? that was a great deal. next step up from SBS for those that need more reliability and general power (sql server, clustering).

EBS 2008? 2010?2011?

I would not even consider a complete email solution without redundant paths from T-1/colo to software to storage - 8 hours of downtime could cost you alot of $$ for the small price to pay.


Check out and see if essential business server is still around - exchange 2010 works quite well on R2; i'm not sure how well exchange 2007 runs on 2008 R2.

Most people want to upgrade/install on major change versions (IE 2010 on 2008 R2) then let it rock out for 5-10 years 🙂

it is that time now 🙂
 
I've read (and believe) that there are more copies of Exchange Server installed on the single SBS boxes than all the rest of the Exchange Servers in the world. Those seem to work just fine.
Click to expand...

I believe it too, however MS tells you to put Exchange on a dedicated box and, IIRC, specifically not to put it on a DC. And then they create their own all in one product with Exchange installed on a box that does everything.

Microsoft has lots of security "rules", which the SBS Team sometimes violated.
Click to expand...

Which is a good example of their hypocrisy. Just like how they preach UI consistency and tell developers to use the standard controls for dialogs and then put out Office, VS, WMP, etc which all have a non-standard look and feel.

EBS 2008? 2010?2011?
Click to expand...

No more EBS: http://blogs.technet.com/essentialb...-bring-change-to-mid-market-product-line.aspx
 
I am not familiar with most of the SBS stuff that is being talked about, but I see one suggestion that must be emphasized. Do not learn on your production machines. If you have 1 or two cheap spare PCs, install server2008 on them without activating them. Do not put them on your production network, put them on their own test network that is isolated from your important stuff. (according to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948472 you have 60 days to "evaluate" or in this case test.) It will work best if you can clone your existing SBS into the test environment. But, again, learn in a place that won't lose business data, then once you are confident you know what to do you can work in live.
 
If you insist on using Windows 2008 standalone. I suggest joining it to your current domain. Promoting it to a domain controller. The work on a strategy to install Exchange 2007 into the Active Directory on the new server. Then migrate user mailboxes and public folders off SBS 2003 onto the new Win08\Exchange07 server. Migrate your folders and everything else onto the new server. When you are ready to finally shut down the SBS 2003 server transfer the FSMO roles to the 08 server and demote the SBS 2003 server.
Click to expand...

Well I have already got the new domain installed on the 2008 server. I tired to use the migration tool and It told me the migration tool wouldn't work on sbs 2003. So lets say I just finish setting up the server 2008 and install exchange server 2007. Is it possible to migrate just the users and the mail boxes over from exchange 2003?

Then I would just format our sbs 2003 with 2003 standard and install my web page server and pop3 server software on that.
 
You never did say how many users you have.

Yeah, MS' EBS went bye-bye last week. MS will continue to support it, but development ceases in July, as I recall.
 
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For 25 Users:


Using SBS 2008--
SBS 2008 Standard Edition: $800
Twenty SBS 2008 Std. CALs: $1600
----------------------
Total: $2400

Using Server 2008 Std. Edition (which you already purchased) --
Exchange Server 2007 $1200
Twenty Server 2008 User CALs $600
Twenty Exchange Server 2007 CALs $1000
-----------------------
Total: $2800

If you go with SBS 2008, you save $400 in licensing, get a second server, and can use the built-in SBS 2008 Migration Wizard.
 
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