Written by Daniel Mundy | 06 November 2008

SBS is tightly integrated and has wizards for most common tasks. Forget everything you think you know about Windows Server - if SBS has it's own way of doing something, or a wizard to accomplish something you know how to do manually - use the SBS method! You will get yourself into trouble later on if you don't.

 

Random Hint: Run the SBS Best Practices Analyzer on all of your SBS installs. Run it after everything is set up, and periodically during the life of the server.

Best Practice - SBS 2003 Installation

Sections

• Exchange
• Licensing
• Limitations (75 user limit, etc)
• Logs - where to start troubleshooting
• Migrating to SBS 2003
• Networking
• Remote Access
• Resources - other good websites to read up on SBS
  
• Sharepoint
• User Templates
• How to restore SBS from backups

Random

• Running Third Party Software on SBS
• Service Packs and Updates for SBS 2003 - make sure you install them in the right order!
• Troubleshooting Event Logs
• Organization Name - the name that appears in the RWW (among other places) cannot contain certain "illegal" characters
• How to Reinstall the Fax Services
• Time Synchronization
• What to do if your server gets stuck rebooting - several issues including DNS server port assignment may stop a server from coming back online after a reboot

Unfiled Notes:

• Intro to SBS for Enterprise IT Pros
• SBS Wizards, talk about not running them
• Server Scoping (not just SBS)
• SBS and WSUS configuration document by Microsoft
• Default services that are installed in SBS 2003
• Volume Shadow Copy in SBS 2003 (webcast)
• Moving the ClientApps folder
• SBS 2003 Best Practices Analyzer
• Allocated Memory Alert in SBS for SQL instances (eg. SBSMONITORING)