SBS - Server 2008 mysbs/connectcomputer errors out

When one attempts to use the mysbs/connectcomputer wizard to connect a Windows Server 2008 based computer to the domain, one will get the following error:

Small Business Server Network Configuration Wizard

Client Setup for Windows SBS does not configure client computers that are running this version of Windows. For more information, see the Desktop Technology Compatibility Chart for Windows Small Business Server 2003 at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=75019.

We head over to the site and there is not even a mention for Server 2008.

A quick search turned up the following:

• SBS Down Under: Adding Windows Server 2008 into an SBS 2003 network.
• Sean Daniel Blog: Adding Windows Server 2008 to your existing SBS 2003 Network
• Which lead to: TechNet: Adding a Server Running Windows Server 2008 to a Windows Small Business Server 2003 Network

Note that we will need to add the server manually to the SBS domain.

And, just as we needed to do when adding a true Windows Server 2003 R2 Edition Domain Controller to the SBS domain, we will need to run the following commands on the SBS box via the Server 2008 DVD to prepare Active Directory:

• ADPREP /forestprep
• ADPREP /domainprep
• For Active Directory Read-Only DC addition to the SBS domain
• ADPREP /rodcprep

Note the new ADPREP command for the Read-Only DC member. We are looking forward to deploying Server 2008 Core in Active Directory Read-Only mode. This will be one way to deploy a light weight and inexpensive solution for new installs and a way to recycle some of the older hardware for existing installs.

WSUS V3 SP1 will be needed to see the new Server 2008 box listed properly in the WSUS console. The Windows Server 2008 box may show up in WSUS listed as having the Windows Vista OS installed instead.

There are a couple of other very minor usage type caveats listed in the TechNet article.

UPDATE 2008-04-10: Here is a screen shot of the newly installed Web Server in the SBS Servers console:

Windows Web Server 2008 in SBS console

Note that the new OS already indicates that it is at the Service Pack 1 level!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

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