Some thoughts on Windows Server 1709 and Where to Find It

We were looking for the new Software Assurance benefit based download of Windows Server 1709 in Microsoft's Volume Licensing Service Center.

It took a bit to realize that the download was not tied into "Windows Server 2016" and it's available downloads.

The following two items show up in search for "Windows Server":

When we click through and try to download either one they both point to the same download:

Keep in mind that 1709 is a Server Core only option and receives updates every six months. Plus, the service life of each release is 18 months.

That means that adopting the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) release of Windows Server would require a significant investment in both testing prior to deployment and in deploying the OS on a regular basis.

Keep in mind that Software Assurance is required for access to SAC.

Is it of value? For those businesses that are looking to adopt newer/better features via quicker cadence then yes, there is value in it.

For those that are looking for long-term stability in their deployments then the Long Term Service Branch/Channel (LTSB/C) is the way to go.

For us, we are in a "Wait and see" mode as our focus is currently Storage Spaces and Hyper-V along with Storage Spaces Direct clusters.

As far as SAC being a Server Core option only we don't have a problem with that now do we? ;)

Realistically though, there may be a lot of really neat features and abilities that may only appear in the SAC branch of Windows Server as we go along. That has yet to be seen, but given Microsoft's push to add value to Software Assurance over the last number of years one can comfortably wager that there will be extra value in that branch of the OS.

Philip Elder
Microsoft High Availability MVP
MPECS Inc.
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
Our Cloud Service
Twitter: @MPECSInc

Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack - Crash Dump Analyzer

This is probably one of the best tools, next to Lock Smith, in the Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset:

We are in the process of analyzing a bunch of MiniDump files from a system we just swapped an Asus motherboard in.

After each analysis it has become quite apparent that perhaps there is a bad memory stick in the system. ;)

Since our clients are on Desktop Operating System Software Assurance with the MDOP add-on for their systems we have access to this tool. It is a lot simpler to set up and get going than any other method out there.

Besides the DaRT one also receives some key virtualization rights for desktop operating systems! Software Assurance + MDOP for desktop OS is worth checking out.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

Troubleshooting System Instability– The MDOP Crash Analyzer Wizard

It is our preference to have Software Assurance and MDOP on all desktop operating systems in a client site. The SA benefits have been growing leaps and bounds over the last few years with MDOP being the cream of the crop.

• Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack
• Bing: MDOP Results

We need to test a Toshiba Tecra R950 for some lockup issues.

The machine that we have the Crash Analyzer Wizard (a feature of DaRT via MDOP) has been around a few years.

After a couple of Next clicks we ended up with this:

That was one too many clicks since the files we need to analyze are MiniDump files pulled from the affected machine’s MiniDump folder. However, it’s nice to see that the machine we examined has not had a problem for about three years now! :)

The above check mark is the one we so blithely past by without unchecking. ;)

After unchecking that option and clicking next we get to choose our file:

And click Next . . .

Note that there are a couple of prerequisites for the tool to work:

• Download: 64-bit Debugging Tools for Windows
• Download: Windows Symbol Packages

Now, there are most certainly freebie tools out there that can run this task. But, none of them have been as simple and straightforward to get going as the Crash Analyzer Wizard.

In our first DMP we see:

And, in our second dump we see:

Both of our crashes were on the same driver. So, we have the most current ATI/AMD driver on its way down from Toshiba’s support site.

To cap it all off, the driver version indicated in Device Manager versus the individual file’s versions can be quite confusing since the files themselves have all sorts of version numbers.

Hopefully we see the problem fixed after this. Otherwise we may need to RMA this unit for a failed video subsystem. As a point of reference the Toshiba Tecra unit is an R950-00N (Canadian model).

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

Important: Open Value Agreement Grace Period For Renewals Is Being Removed

We do a lot of Open Value Agreement using the Spread Payment option (first payment plus 2 anniversary payments).

It seems that Microsoft is removing the grace period for any existing Agreements after March 1, 2013.

That means that it is _very_ important to be on top of which agreements are coming for renewal.

Given that in our experience Agreements that were on SBS Standard plus Premium Add-on came through with great make-good SKUs (thanks to everyone for pulling for the extra Server STD SKU) we have been very happy with the cost versus the benefit as has our clients.

Microsoft is constantly augmenting the various SA benefits especially with the desktop SA + MDOP SKUs.

Take note, make sure those POs are dated at least the Thursday before the end of the month to the supplier and follow-up with the supplier to verify that they have the Agreement renewal processed!

Don’t wait until the last day of the month. That will lead to pain for everyone.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Windows Live Writer

Windows Server 2012 RTM Bits On The Way Down

We have Open Value Agreements that cover most of our server setups as the Action Pack tends to be behind on product release timing.

So, it was mentioned by fellow MVP Tim Barrett that we should see the bits available in the Microsoft Volume Licensing portal and sure enough the download is there:

Neat!

We have a few projects that were pending RTM bits that can now move forward.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Software Assurance for SBS And PAO Ending and Some Stack Configurations And How SBS 2011 Standard Can Continue To Teach Us

[EDIT] Please note that Server STD in this case is Windows Server 2012 Standard that comes with 1+2 virtualization rights.

[2012-07-14: EDIT] We updated the two cluster solution sets with the appropriate license structure for Windows Server 2012 Standard. My apologies for the initial error.

So, we now know that Microsoft will be officially releasing Windows Server 2012 next month.

Software Assurance

As a result, Software Assurance for SBS and the Premium Add-On will no longer be offered after the end of this month.

So, we have been encouraging clients that are looking for an on-premises solution that SBS 2011 Standard fits to start their Open Value Agreements by the end of the month.

The SA make-good should be about even or in their favour to some degree.

Going forward we will still have access to SBS 2011 Standard through the OEM channel and Open License for outright license purchase but no more Software Assurance.

Third Tier had a Webinar/Discussion last night about the Future of Small Business IT. Unfortunately I was not able to attend but a recording should be available sometime soon. The Webinar would be a good way to spend some time catching up on how things may be moving forward.

Our Guides and Solution Set

For now, we will be looking to build out our guides for the new solution set. We will include licensing structures as well as our usual in-depth setup guides for each component we need to deliver an on-premises solution.

Here are some solution sets we have on our plate at the moment:

1. Simple Solution (1x Server STD, 1x Exchange, Server/Exchange CALs):
   1. VM1: DC, File Services, Folder Redirection, Fax
      1. GPOs defined for Microsoft Update (MU) via Internet
   2. VM2: Exchange/OWA/ActiveSync
2. Simple Solution - Advanced (2x Server STD, 1x Exchange, Server/Exchange/RDS CALs)
   1. VM1: DC, File Services, Folder Redirection, Fax, Reverse Proxy
   2. VM2: Exchange/OWA/ActiveSync
      1. Reverse Proxy provides for 1 public IP for OWA/ActiveSync/WSS
   3. VM3: WSUS and SharePoint Foundation
      1. GPOs defined for all systems to pull updates from WSUS.
      2. SQL Express for WSF here.
   4. VM4: Remote Desktop Services/RemoteApp
3. Advanced Solution - Basic 2 Node Cluster (2x Server STD/Node, 1x Exchange, Server/Exchange/RDS CALs)
   1. VM1: DC, File Services, Folder Redirection, Fax, Reverse Proxy
   2. VM2: Exchange/OWA/ActiveSync
      1. Reverse Proxy provides for 1 public IP for OWA/ActiveSync/WSS
   3. VM3: WSUS and SharePoint Foundation
      1. GPOs defined for all systems to pull updates from WSUS.
      2. SQL Express for WSF/WSUS here.
   4. VM4: Remote Desktop Services/RemoteApp
      1. RDWeb can replace RWW/RWA with some tweaking.
4. Advanced Solution - Advanced 2 Node Cluster (4x 3x Server STD/Node, 1x Exchange, 1x SQL STD, Server/Exchange/RDS/SQL CALs)
   1. VM1: DC, File Services, Folder Redirection, Fax, Reverse Proxy
   2. VM2: Exchange/OWA/ActiveSync
      1. Reverse Proxy provides for 1 public IP for OWA/ActiveSync/WSS
   3. VM3: WSUS and SharePoint Foundation
      1. GPOs defined for all systems to pull updates from WSUS.
   4. VM4: Remote Desktop Services/RemoteApp
      1. RDWeb can replace RWW/RWA with some tweaking.
   5. VM5: SQL and SQL Services
      • NOTE: For full VM portability, that is the ability to move guests between nodes or onto 1 node for things like maintenance that node must have the correct number of either STD licenses or a Datacenter license.

The above four options are not far off from what we have been deploying all along. The catch is that we now need to delve into the bits and pieces.

SBS Can Teach Us

But, we have been doing that already haven't we? We have been ripping apart the SBS wizards for over 10 years now to see what they do and how they do it.

The SBS Development Team has given us an awesome model/template in SBS 2011 Standard for all of our networks going forward.

• Active Directory
  • Organizational Unit Structures
  • Group Policy Configuration
  • WMI Filtering
• Exchange
  • Receive and Send Connector Structures
  • Private and Public Mailbox Setup
  • Mailbox Migration Techniques
    • Jeff at SBSMigration has an awesome set of tools for this.
• File Services
  • Folder Redirection
  • Folder Sharing
• SharePoint
  • Site configuration for URL sets
  • Alternate port mapping
  • E-mail in and out

Obviously this list is really brief, however, we have a goldmine of knowledge in the SBS product line that should not be left untapped.

We _highly_ suggest that digging into SBS 2011 Standard and working out what the wizards do and how they do it (logs) will be a significant part of moving forward in today's ever changing IT World!

Conclusion

We are feeling pretty positive about where things are going with the changes here. We have yet to see what the prices for our solution stacks will be going forward relative to the current stacks but we are confident that the price increases to SMB will be reasonable.

Remember, take that upfront sticker price (if not doing Open Value) and divide by 36 (life of the solution in months) then divide the result by the number of users to get the total cost _per user_ per month to put everything into perspective.

UPDATE: 2012-07-14: We have changed the solution sets for the cluster setups since the total number of VMs running on a 2 node cluster must be _fully_ licensed on each node. So, 4 VMs means we need two Windows Server 2012 Standard licenses per node.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

The _Right_ Way to Reset A Local Administrator’s Password

We have always been big on the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack.

Here is one big reason why:

• TechNet: Resetting Passwords with the DaRT page
• TechNet Video: Resetting Passwords with the DaRT (WMV)

This short video walks through the Locksmith utility that allows us to reset a password for a lost local admin account.

It has come in very handy for many of our client’s systems as well as our own. All of our clients are licensed for desktop OS Software Assurance + MDOP and so are we.

This one tool can pay for the cost of the yearly SA + MDOP subscription fee which is not very high many many times over.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Installing DaRT 7.0: Finding Debugging Tools for Windows?

Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset:

We are installing the Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset on our back shop system to run a password recovery. We will be dropping the DaRT ISO onto a bootable flash drive but prior to doing so DaRT wants the Debugging Tools for Windows:

So, off we go to search for the correct download:

• Microsoft Download Center: Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 4

Unfortunately the link is to a bootstrapper that then goes on to download what we need by selecting Windows Debugging Tools under Windows Utilities:

Once we have completed the install process the Debugging Tools directory goes live and we can then move on to downloading definition updates for the Standalone System Sweeper:

We can then install any needed drivers into the bootable ISO image and choose a directory to drop the newly created ISO into.

Once complete we mount the ISO using Virtual CloneDrive and copy the files onto the bootable USB flash drive we will use to boot the server with.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Windows Thin PC Release Notes

The following is a copy and paste of the Windows Thin PC (Microsoft Micro Site) “Release Notes.htm” content found on the OS’s ISO. The hyperlinks have been removed from the first section since they point to the ISO’s virtual drive letter as the root:

Windows Thin PC Release Notes

5/20/2011

This document contains important information about known issues in Windows Thin PC.

Known Issues

Recommended hardware configuration

Missing Search functionality in Start menu

Adding and removing Windows features in Thin PC

Keyboard Filter may block accessibility

Cannot install .NET Framework 3.5

No support for certain Windows products and features

Write Filters: System goes into safe mode on reboot

Enhanced Write Filter cannot be disabled without commit

Recommended hardware configuration

• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86)
• 1 GB RAM
• 4 GB available hard disk space
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or a later version driver

Missing Search functionality in Start menu

To reduce the Thin PC image size, Search functionality is not included in Thin PC. As a result, the Search bar does not exist on the Start menu. In addition, the File Open, Save, Save As, and Browse dialogs do not provide support for wildcard searches.

Adding and removing Windows features in Thin PC

Due to the locked-down mode of the Thin PC image, adding and removing Windows features is not supported in Thin PC.

Keyboard Filter may block accessibility

By design, Keyboard Filter may enable you to block certain features that may be important for accessibility. If your application scenarios require specific accessibility functionality, make sure that you verify those scenarios after enabling Keyboard Filter.

Cannot install .NET Framework 3.5

.NET Framework 3.5 is not a supported environment. The alternative is to download .NET Framework 4.x, then recompile and test your managed applications. Only .NET Framework 2.0 is shipped as part of Windows Thin PC.

No support for certain Windows products and features

Windows Thin PC does not support the following products and features:

• .NET Framework 3.5
• Premium codecs: Microsoft AC3 Encoder (Dolby), Microsoft DTV-DVD Audio Decoder (MPEG-2, AAC), Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder (MPEG-2, H.264), MPEG-2 Audio and Video Encoder, MPEG Layer-3 Audio Codec (MP3), MPEG-4 Decoders, Windows Media Video Codecs (VC-1)
• Microsoft Security Essentials
• Windows Live Essentials

Write Filters: System goes into safe mode on reboot

When you use the Enhanced Write Filter Manager (ewfmgr.exe) or File Base Write Filter Manager (fbwfmgr.exe) with the /enable command and then reboot, your device goes to a screen with options to Start Windows Normally or in Safe Mode. This can be fixed by setting the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store to ignore all boot errors, which is a default setting for write filter in the Thin PC image.

Type the following command to set the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) BootStatusPolicy to ignore faults:

bcdedit.exe /set {current} bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures

Enhanced Write Filter cannot be disabled without commit

When in EWF RAM Reg mode, you cannot disable the write filter without committing changes. RAM Reg mode requires you to commit the overlay to disable the write filter. The settings are stored in the registry and the /disable command will not persist without a /commit command. This is a limitation of RAM Reg mode. The workaround is to restart the device before disabling write filter.

© 2011 Microsoft. All rights reserved.

With some of the noted restrictions it becomes quite clear that this OS is truly intended to be a thin client for an already existing or soon to be set up VDI/VDA infrastructure or virtualized application delivery.

We will be installing the OS onto an Asus EeeBox PC barebones unit (EB1012P-B0320) that we just received to get a better idea of what the OS is about, its usefulness, how we can further lock it down via Group Policy, and more.

Philip Elder

MPECS Inc.


Microsoft Small Business Specialists


Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Windows Thin PC On Its Way

We have been so busy lately that we have not had a chance to log onto the Microsoft Licensing portal and download the most current version of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) and other products.

Today, we are downloading MDOP 2011 and Windows Thin PC both of which are a Windows Desktop Software Assurance Benefit:

We will drop Windows Thin PC into a VM to check out its base install size and its features. We are looking to deploy the OS on a bunch of Asus Eee PCs configured with 1GB of RAM and Compact Flash storage for a VDI setup in the near future.

MDOP has been an excellent SA benefit for us since Microsoft acquired the SysInternals toolset and turned that into an SA benefit. It is worth the look. We have SA + MDOP on all of our desktops and VMs based on retail packaged Windows 7 Pro, Vista Business and XP Pro.

Machines change so much around here that OEM does not make sense. Microsoft Action Pack desktop OS licenses could be used to add SA onto if there was a need for it but we are careful around the licensing language for the desktop OS.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Windows Desktop Software Assurance – Microsoft Windows Thin PC (WinTPC) Beta

Microsoft continues to build product equity into the Windows Desktop Software Assurance platform.

Most of us have clients that utilize Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in some way.

For example, most of our accounting firms have at least two or more virtualized desktops to provide their users the ability to work at a client’s site while keeping the data secure in-house.

Most clients shuffle old PCs either into employee’s hands or into the recycling pile after wiping or drilling out the hard disk.

Enter the Microsoft Windows Thin PC (WinTPC).

Note that this program is currently in beta.

• Microsoft Connect Site
• 

However, we can see the benefits of building out our client’s VDI in some cases to where all users are working on thin clients in-house or while out on the road.

The greatest benefit that we can see is that the user then has a seamless desktop experience in that they are always using their virtualized Desktop OS VM for their work besides the ability to extend the use of older desktop PCs or laptops.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

MDOP – DaRT Crash Analysis Tools

We have a crashing laptop.

We downloaded and installed the latest MDOP so that we can access the Crash Analyzer Tool.

The Crash Analyzer Wizard requires the Windows Debugger Tools for whatever architecture the tools will be running on (x64 or x86):

Click the link in the above screen and we are taken here:

• WDK and Developer tools

Once we have the SDK web install downloaded and running we need only install the needed tools:

Note that we are also going to download the Redistributable package so that we do not need to go through this process again for the 64-bit platform.

We also need both the 32-bit and 64-bit debugging symbols:

• Microsoft Downloads: Windows Symbol Packages

Once downloaded and installed we were able to go ahead and analyze the problematic laptop’s MiniDump files.

There is a native way to do this with the Windows Debugging Tools, but having the Crash Analyzer Wizard handy makes things a lot simpler for us when it comes to analyzing multiple systems throughout the day.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Microsoft Office 2010 Home Use Program Site

The Microsoft Licensing console has an old URL that still indicates Office 2007 for HUP.

The correct site is:

• HUP Program Web site

This site will give eligible users the ability to obtain their Home Use Program version of Office.

• HUP Information Site

Essentially, any company that has Software Assurance on their Microsoft Office products gives that company the ability to have their users obtain a copy of Office for their home computer for a small shipping fee.

A two for one deal if you will.

With users working with Office 2010 at home, their familiarity with the product grows a lot faster than if they were only using it at work.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Open Value Windows Desktop OS Software Assurance Benefit – Order That Media?

As part of our Open Value Agreement we get access to most product’s media that we are licensed to whether via download or physical media mailed to us.

We have been so busy that we have not been into our licensing portal for a while:

Under Software Assurance benefits we have the ability to request the physical media which we do for archival purposes.

With the advent of OS loading via USB flash drive though, it is becoming less and less a necessity to order the media . . . other than having it in the software archive for the day we may need it and the ISO would be no longer available for download or on any of our storage systems.

SBS 2003 RTM comes to mind as a product that we no longer have access to via TechNet download or elsewhere, but we run into the need to load up every once in a while for client migration testing or recovery testing.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

HP TouchSmart iQ800 Series Desktop PC – Wall Mounting

We are outfitting one of our client business owner’s home with equipment that will tie into the home automation equipment supplied by 360 Theatre Systems based out of Edmonton.

One of the products that we are supplying is the HP TouchSmart iQ800 series desktop PC.

One of the PCs will be wall mounted at a desk near the laundry room that has limited desktop space.

HP has an excellent instruction set that includes a video for getting the custom VESA bracket mounted to the PC:

• HP TouchSmart IQ800 Series Desktop PC  -  Installing a Wall Mount Adapter for a VESA Wall Mount

The process is actually quite in-depth requiring us to remove the back panel, third leg, and the front two peg legs before mounting the base bracket under the back cover.

The install on-site for the units will not be until early next month. So, we will be testing one of them with Windows 7 Ultimate RTM to see how the new OS integrates with the PC’s features as well as how the OS will interact with HP’s drivers .

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer

SBS 2008 Software Assurance Fulfillment for Open Business

One of our non-profit clients is in the process of having their SBS 2003 Premium network migrated to SBS 2008. We needed the media for SBS 2008 OS as the install keys are not available on the eOpen Web site. Their original agreement was purchased through TechSoup at pennies on the dollar compared to our standard corporate client pricing.

The same is not true for our Open Value based clients and their SBS 2008 OS Software Assurance fulfillment as the Open Value program automatically ships any new OS versions of the product to our client while their agreement is in effect.

We put an inquiry into the eOpen folks to find out how we get the SBS 2008 media, and this is their response:

Hello Philip,

This is in response to your email regarding Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium.

Thank you for your inquiry. Please be advised, due to the Key type, Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium is not available as a Product Download. To ensure you receive the highest quality of service, it will be necessary for us to redirect you to our Fulfillment Department at (800) 336-0098 option 4 then 1, as they will send the Physical Media free of charge.

For news and information about our Software Assurance and Volume Licensing program, please visit our website at: http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/

If we may be of further assistance, please feel free to contact our customer service center at (866) 230-0560. Our office hours are Monday-Friday from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.

A call into the first 800 number and five minutes later the order has been placed and we will receive a confirmation e-mail once it ships.

This process was probably one of the smoothest Microsoft Licensing Software Assurance fulfillment we have had to date!

If a non-profit qualifies, check out TechSoup for their licensing needs. The prices there are significantly less than Microsoft Charity licensing. But, the qualifications are quite stringent, so be prepared to test the waters with TechSoup before proposing them as an option. It can be a big letdown to a non-profit client if they get their hopes up for ordering through TechSoup.org only to find out that their particular business focus disqualifies them.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*All Mac on SBS posts will not be written on a Mac until we replace our now missing iMac! (previous blog post)

Windows Live Writer

SBS 2008 Software Assurance Fulfillment - Answered and CAL Downgrades

An e-mail had been forwarded to Satish Kanwar, our SBSC contact here in Canada, a while back about our Software Assurance fulfillment difficulties.

He forwarded on some links:

• SBS Licensing FAQ

Right near the bottom is the question about Software Assurance entitlement. That answer contains a link: Campaign Contact Information.

Campaign Contact Information

Note that there are international numbers listed too.

The above contact information has a phone number for us to call to obtain the necessary Software Assurance fulfillment!

There is also a phone number for obtaining CAL keys for SBS 2003 if SBS 2008 CALs were purchased and needed to be downgraded.

So, the next step tomorrow will be to phone and find out what's next! :)

Thanks Satish!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

SBS 2008 Software Assurance Media Parts List

A little FYI for you:

• SBS 2008 Premium DVD T75-02424, X14-81619. Sleeve: Media Set: X14-81550.
• SBS 2K8 Server Repair DVD T75-02424, X14-81621. Sleeve: Media Set: X14-81551.
• SBS 2K8 Win2K8 Std x64 DVD T75-02424, X14-81166. Sleeve: Media Set: X14-81165.
• SBS 2K8 Win2K8 Std x86 DVD T75-02424, X14-81140. Sleeve: Media Set: X14-81139.
• SBS 2K8 SQL 2K8 Std x86 & x64 DVD T75-02424, X14-81050. Sleeve: Media Set: X14-81049.
• SBS 2K8 SQL 2K5 Std x86 D1 T75-02424, X14-83227. Sleeve: Media Set: X14-83226.
• SBS 2K8 SQL 2K5 Std x86 D2 T75-02424, X14-83284. Sleeve: Media Set: X14-83283.
• SBS 2K8 SQL 2K5 Std x64 D1 T75-02424, X14-82646. Sleeve: Media Set: X14-82632.
• SBS 2K8 SQL 2K5 Std x64 D2 T75-02424, X14-82679. Sleeve: Media Set: X14-82665.

The above are the specific part numbers to be found on the media itself along with the sleeve that the media came in.

We are still waiting for a clear answer on how we will obtain ISA, Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard, Outlook 2007, and SharePoint Designer 2007 along with their install keys.

Some previous posts on the subject of trying to get our Software Assurance fulfillment:

• SBS 2008 Software Assurance Package Contents
• SBS 2008 SA Media is here ... or is it?!?
• SBS 2008 Premium Open License part number missing on Nov Price List

As soon as we know the answer, we will post it.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

SBS 2008 Software Assurance Package Contents

Exercising our Software Assurance rights for SBS 2008 Premium via our own SBS 2003 R2 Premium Open Value license agreement has been quite the adventure so far:

• SBS 2008 SA Media is here ... or is it?!?
• SBS 2008 Premium Open License part number missing on Nov Price List

Now that we have our media package in hand, this is what it contained:

• SBS 2K8 OS DVD (Physical and Virtual Key on back)
• SBS 2K8 Repair DVD
• Win2K8 Std x64 (Physical and Virtual Key on back)
• Win2K8 Std x86 (Physical and Virtual Key on back)
• SQL 2008 Std x86 and x64
• SBS 08 - SQL 2005 Std x86 Disks 1 & 2
• SBS 08 – SQL 2005 Std x64 Disks 1 & 2
• SBS 2003 R2 Premium 10x CDs (Also includes SQL 2005 x86 media)

We now have our software keys for all of our sites covered by our SBS 2008 Premium Open Value Agreement.

Now, we need to find out what the next steps are to obtain the balance of our Software Assurance benefits:

• ISA 2006 + Windows Server 2003 Std.
• SharePoint Designer (replaces Front Page)
• Outlook 2007
• Entourage 2008

More than likely, we will be calling into Microsoft Licensing to obtain a Microsoft Applications key for SharePoint Designer and Outlook, a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard key, and to have the download links made active in our MVLS portal.

We have an e-mail out to our trusty licensing expert Bill C. at Synnex Canada and hopefully he will be able to help clarify for us.

The bonus in purchasing SBS 2003 R2 Premium besides the above?

Two extra server licenses. We get the SBS 2008 Premium second server, and the Server 2003 R2 Standard to run ISA 2006. That is worth a good chunk on Open Value per server, or to purchase outright.

And the adventure still continues as the replacement for ISA 2006 will be the next and final step in our Software Assurance benefits for SBS 2003 R2 Premium!

Pretty neat eh? :)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

SBS 2008 SA Media is here ... or is it?!?

As was mentioned: SBS 2008 Premium Open License part number missing on Nov Price List and our supplier had a hard time getting the order fulfilled.

Well, supposedly our media arrived on Monday and we received it!?!

But, it is not here.

After staring at the name on the courier's tracking report, it took a few minutes to realize that the first initial last name may belong to a person working at one of our clients.

A phone call down there and sure enough, somehow the order ended up at their location instead of ours.

A phone call back to the supplier to let them know about the mix up and they indicated that the order was manually fulfilled down South. The person doing the work probably remembered our business name but saw it on all of our client's licensing agreements as Reseller and took a risk on one.

When in doubt, ask!

So, off to get the kit.

It does indeed contain our SBS 2008 Premium media as we asked to have the package opened. Curiosity killed the cat you know! :)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.