Hi Experts
I am migrating an SBS 2003 server to an SBS 2008 server for a client at his home. I don't have any experience of doing work with servers so need some help...
The setup is a home network with a wireless router (BTHomeHub) running the DHCP server and serving up IP addresses to all the various PCs and wireless devices in his home. The PCs are part of a workgroup (not a domain).
His SBS Server connects directly to the router and runs Exchange and Sharepoint. He uses these to manage his emails and a shared document store respectively.
He connects to the server from his PCs using Terminal Services.
His existing server is on its way out so he has bought a new one and an SBS 2008 license and has asked me to migrate Exchange and Sharepoint to the new server running SBS 2008.
I have read up on migrating SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 and understand that on the SBS 2003 server I need to reduce the network adapters to a single one (there are currently two) and I need to disable the DHCP server at the router. The SBS 2003 has DHCP running but looks like its scope is for internal devices/functions.
My questions are:
Should I go ahead and turn off the DHCP server at the router so that the SBS 2003 server serves up IP addresses to the various home PCS and wireless devices? Will the PCs and devices connect OK or will I need to add them to the SBS 2003 domain? Or is there a better way to do this - e.g. preserve the home network (i.e. the router continues to serve up IP addresses to all devices) and have the SBS 2008 server (once I have migrated to it) connect to the router and sit in its own little domain (as the SBS 2003 server currently does).
Any suggestions gratefully received.
Thanks
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Our SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 Migration Guide:
http://blog.mpecsinc.ca/20
Preparation is critical to a successful migration.
DHCP _must_ be on SBS 2003 for a properly functioning DNS/AD setup.
PCs and workstations should already be members of the SBS domain?!?
What is SBS doing? Is the Remote Web Workplace being used? E-mail and Exchange? SharePoint?
If not, then a Windows Server Foundation server may be a better choice and certainly less $$$.
Philip
Thanks for these comments.
Michael - you said SBS 2003 should be easily able to dish out the correct addresses. So if my cient has a new wireless device or a family member of his turns up with a laptop, will these devices connect to the internet as easily as they currently do or will they have to join the domain?
The problem I think I might have is that his SBS 2003 can sit autonomously 'tacked on' to a home network, whereas once I migrate to SBS 2008, this isn't supported. The 2003 server currently has two NICs, the 'outward facing' one is on the home network subnet, served by the homehub router's DHCP, and the 'inward' one is on the server's own LAN, served by its own DHCP. This setup allows for home network behaviour with an office environment in the same location. And he prefers not having his main desktop on the server domain, one of the reasons being that there are normally multiple concurrent vista logons at any one time.
The client is familiar with SBS and uses Exchange for his, his family's and collaborartors' emails and he uses Sharepoint as a remotely accessible document store. I think he also plans on using SQLServer. So SBS 2008 seems to be the logical move.
However, am I correct in thinking I won't be able to run SBS 2008 in this home network environment?
Yes the sbs 2003 is able to give out dhcp out IP's to the network that is between the router and the computer. You will need to configure a new scope with correct DNS and default gateway settings. It does not matter if the device is connected to the domain or not, it can still get an IP.
The only difference is when you go to 2008 you won't have the two separate networks as it is not supported. Computers that are joined to the domain will have access to the server and the internet. Computers not joined to the domain will just get the default gateway and DNS settings from the DHCP on the server. They can still use the server as there DNS and resolve names to IP's by the servers DNS without being joined to the domain.
In my home I have a similer setup and I have friends come around and use my wireless all the time without having there computers joined to the domain (they obviously just need the wireless key).
Business Accounts
Answer for Membership
by: Michael_Melb_AustPosted on 2009-10-29 at 21:13:03ID: 25700142
Providing you setup the DHCP scope for the local subnet the SBS 2003 should be able to easily dish out the correct address's. However you may as well just turn off DHCP on the router as you are installing 2008, it's not that much of a big deal if you even wait until 2008 is on the network, it just means the DHCP service will not start and give you a red cross if it detects another DHCP server
The other thing you need to be aware of if you are migrating. You need to install 2008SBS in migration mode. It would be worth downloading and printing the migration documentation so you can follow it through as you do it: http://www.microsoft.com/d
Make sure you have backups just incase anything does not go as expected
Good luck!