Jeffrey B. Kane

ZONE ADVISOR - Microsoft Zone, SBS Small Business Server Zone

Why a separate Zone for SBS?  Because it's DIFFERENT!  Check out:  http:Q_21831460.html

For over 20 years, I've owned and managed small businesses.  As with any small business, everyone must wear many hats.  

Because I always wanted my companies to have the latest technical edge, one of the hats I often wore was the 'tech guy'.  
Over the years I have written programs, developed applications, installed networks, recovered data, replaced hardware, put out RFP's for infrastructure software, and even written a letter or two in WordPerfect on a mono-chrome monitor (I resisted Word for years).  

Today, I am a Small Business consultant providing technology based solutions centered on Microsoft's Small Business model (Small Business Server, Windows XP/Vista, Microsoft Office for Small Business, Office Accounting Professional, Business Contact Manager or Microsoft CRM).  I specialize in these products exclusively which allows me to provide greater value to my clients.

I firmly believe that the technology available today is both usable and affordable for any size business... I especially enjoy showing small business owners how much power they already have in their hands!  It's much more exciting than troubleshooting and certainly more beneficial for everyone involved.

In Southern California, I provide full network deployment and managed services for businesses with up to 25 employees. Outside Southern California I am a consultant to consultants -- helping them to deliver SBS to their clients, and business owners who decided to deploy SBS themselves only to find out that its not quite as easy as they first thought.  I focus on deploying it right the first time so you can take full advantage of what SBS has to offer.  If you need help deploying an SBS, or if you've already got one in place that needs a good "tune-up", please contact me at jeff@techsoeasy.com.donotspam

Here on EE, I am happy to discuss any issue regarding SBS and strongly support the "forum" method of tech support so that everyone can learn in a more efficient manner.  If you want me to pay particular attention to your posted question, please email me the link to it TechSoEasy@Experts-Exchange.com.donotspam.  Any other type of request by email will generally be ignored unless you are interested in hiring me for consulting services.

Please also visit my blog at http://techsoeasy.spaces.live.com


If you want to hire me:  jeff@techsoeasy.com.(donotspam)
EE related email address:  techsoeasy@experts-exchange.com.(donotspam)

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                                                           W H Y   I S  S B S   D I F F E R E N T ?
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I can't tell you how many questions begin with ... "The strangest thing..." or "This is really weird..."  But the fact is that these things are neither strange nor weird when it's apparent that the server has been mismanaged.

Unlike many other EE Zones, if there is an SBS anywhere in the realm of the problem, it's generally an SBS issue.  The reason for this is due to SBS's centralized role in its network, and the general misunderstanding of most experts as to the nature of SBS and its unique requirements.  

What I generally find, when I go through the other zones looking for SBS questions, is a string of comments that would not only be wrong for an SBS environment, but could possibly cause damage to one's server or network that may only be correctable by doing a complete reinstallation.  

The nature of SBS is such that it's an integrated platform which contains components that would never be combined in a normal environment.  The fact that it looks like a normal server, feels like a normal server and even acts like a normal server makes it all the more difficult to get the point across to folks that it's NOT a normal server.  Most often, someone with a tremendous amount of Server 2003 experience will offer up advice that would be just fine on a Standard Server.  Such as creating an Organizational Unit in order to link a new Group Policy.  If they are unaware that you cannot create OU's outside of the standard SBS Active Directory structure, then they will end up breaking the server's tools and possibly the entire AD. Most often, these "Wizard", "Sage" or even "Genius" experts have never installed an SBS, or even seen one operate.

So, please post your questions to the SBS Small Business Server Zone, and if you think your issue may require expertise from other areas, then you can add two additional zones for it to be listed in.  At least that will help to get experts in other areas to be aware of SBS and what its all about!

As you can see by my participation in the SBS Small Business Server Zone, I'm very much a fan of Windows SBS 2003!  If you're an experienced IT Professional and aren't familiar with it, you're really missing out on an incredible server system.  

Microsoft MVP - Small Business Server (My first year for this -- THANK YOU to those who nominated me) Profile: https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Kane
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Microsoft Software Advisor - Licensing
Microsoft Business Solutions Partner - Dynamics CRM

Please review this link for information that is geared towards IT PRO's:
http://sbsurl.com/itpro

Take a test drive of SBS if you want a true hands-on experience:
http://sbsurl.com/testdrive

And to see if SBS is right for your situation, take a look at:
http://sbsurl.com/isitright

If you really want to just go for it on your own... then at least check out:
http://sbsurl.com/techguide
and my recommendations for books at http://sbsurl.com/list

Remember though... EE should not be a substitute for PROPER TRAINING!  
Don't expect the EE Experts to give you any help if you haven't at least tried to help yourself first.

Do you need a Small Business Specialist to help you out in your area?  Find one here:  http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/find/partner.mspx

Or contact me and I can help you remotely!