Essential Business Server – Is Discontinued

Perhaps not a lot of folks have really delved into the product, or perhaps there was not a large adoption of the product out of the box. Whatever the root reason, Essential Business Server is no longer.

• Microsoft: EBS Offers (has the announcement)
• EBS Blog: New IT Trends Bring Change to Mid-Market Product Line

We realize that this was a _huge_ decision on their part and probably a very painful one within the product groups and the company overall.

Being an SBSer since way back when, it is actually quite disappointing to see that Microsoft has decided to cut their losses and stop development on EBS.

The disappointment stems from our belief that the EBS product was _good_ for businesses that fell in the required seat range of ~75-300. There are just so many “killer app” type features, found in SBS and then EBS, that the Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) will no longer have access to.

The number one killer application for SBS and EBS is the Remote Web Workplace. Bar none, having a one stop Web based portal for users to gain access to their network resources including their own workstation makes the administrator’s and the user’s life so much simpler.

A screenshot of the SBS 2003 RWW:

In SBS 2003, we had immediate access to OWA, our desktop via RDP, and our Companyweb SharePoint site. All with the click of a link in the portal.

The same is true of the SBS and EBS 2008 RWW but with critical additional features.

The SBS 2008 version:

RWW in SBS/EBS 2008 also has the ability to utilize the TS Gateway service to publish Terminal Services RemoteApps via a link posted on the RWW page among other new features.

These features, along with the integration of the various server components into the products are what make SBS and EBS great.

So, perhaps the death of the EBS product will bring about the rise of another?

Since RWW was introduced in SBS 2003, we have had many conversations with SME/ENT level support folks about the need for an RWW like solution for them.

It is our hope that somewhere in the midst of all of the shuffling about that is going to happen, that the Remote Web Workplace development team gets the opportunity to put the RWW product into a box so that it can be installed on a SME/ENT network.

It may be too complicated to be accomplished, but we can only hope!

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 IT Environment Health Scanner Released

The EBS tools have been substantially updated and restructured.

The new tool set is called the Microsoft IT Environment Health Scanner and is available for download here:

• Microsoft IT Environment Health Scanner

The EBS tools are used as part of our server and network health checks on the source SBS 2003 server that will be eventually be migrated to SBS 2008.

Our SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 migration guide post:

• MPECS Inc SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 Migration Guide

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 2003 Source Server Health is Critical

For a successful SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 migration, the health of the source server is absolutely critical to the success of the migration.

A number of things can be done to ensure we are starting off with a healthy SBS 2003 box:

• Verify that Windows Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 have the current service packs installed.
• Run the SBS 2003 Best Practices Analyzer.
• Run the EBS Preparation and Planning Wizards.

The EBS wizards will look a lot deeper into the current SBS 2003 health and let us know whether there are any issues that may cause our migration to fail.

Always make sure to have a backup of the SBS 2003 source server prior to running any of the wizards or running any updates just in case.

Once into the process, make sure to have backups of both the source SBS 2003 and the destination SBS 2008 servers made before beginning each phase of the migration.

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 - Group Policy All Settings Filtering - The cat's meow!

One of the neatest new features we inherit from Windows Server 2008 Group Policy is the ability to set up filters for the settings:

Group Policy - All Settings Filtered on "Disconnect"

While the Excel spreadsheets we had of the various policy settings were searchable, they were still very painful to synchronize with the actual ongoing Group Policy editing.

That time, while not completely gone, has definitely taken a huge step forwards.

While filtering will not work for the Windows Settings node, it will work for any setting in the Administrative Templates node.

In this case, we were looking for the Remove "Disconnect" option from Shut Down dialog GP setting to enable in our default SBS 2008 Client Policy Object. We always enable this setting on our SBS networks so that users do not inadvertently disconnect from a workstation while working on it via the Remote Web Workplace. Inevitably, we would receive a support call to have that workstation freed up.

Right click on the All Settings node and click on Filter Options. From there, we can define any type of filter we may need to drill down to the GP setting we are looking for.

Check it out:

Group Policy - Filter Options

The options are almost limitless.

Now, after having a close look at the Filter Options screenshot, go back up to the Settings Filtered screenshot and click on it to bring it up full size.

Have a look at what happens when the + was clicked to the left of Administrative Templates. The little filter symbol appears on the folder and we can only click on folders that contain the GP settings we found via the filter as they are the only ones we can see.

How kewl is that!?! :D

This Group Policy feature was mentioned at Tech Days. This one learned feature alone more than paid for the two days of training and information. It will be such a huge time saver for us ... and for you! And, we also took the time to delve into the feature in Jeremy Moskowitz's book on Group Policy Fundamentals. Between the two, we are now better equiped to manage our SBS 2008, EBS 2008, and Windows Server 2008 Group Policy settings.

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 Remote Web Workplace Password Reminder

Now, how about this little message after logging onto the SBS 2008 Remote Web Workplace:

RWW Password Expiry Reminder

Is that kewl or what?!? :)

This is especially true for those of us that are hosting SBS environments for our clients via our SPLA agreements.

Once the user has logged onto the RWW, they can click the Change Password link found near the top right corner in the portal:

RWW Change Password

For many of our clients that do spend most of their time on their laptops outside the office and connected via RWW, this message saves them from trying to figure out why their Outlook Mobile Access or Outlook Anywhere has stopped working ... at least until they tried to log onto the SBS 2003 RWW and received the change password prompt.

A very nice touch on the SBS 2008 development team's part. Not only that, the user can initiate a password change from within the RWW portal. Well done folks. :)

This little password warning will save a good chunk of time, both our clients and our own, not having to answer those "things have stopped working" support calls when the user was off-site.

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.

Essential Business Server 2008 RTM is on TechNet Downloads

Just a little behind on this one:

EBS 2008 TechNet Download Available

Just another reason that a TechNet Plus subscription is pretty kewl ... access to RTM bits before access to RTM bits is in the public sphere!

Take note that the core servers for EBS are 64bit only just as it is for SBS 2008.

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.

Evaluate SBS 2008 for 240 Days starting Nov. 12!

The official release day for the trial version of SBS is November 12, 2008.

The site you will be able to download or order the trial pack from is here: SBS 2008 Trial. Note that the Essential Business Server 2008 trial will be available

Looking for other Microsoft product trial versions? Then the Microsoft TechNet Evaluation Center is for you.

If the above SBS 2008 Trial link does not work, then the Evaluation Centre one will take you to the correct page.

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 and EBS OEM Part Numbers

Essential Business Server OEM part numbers for you:

• EBS Prem CAL OEM
• 7AA-00078: Win Esntl Bus Prem CALSte 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 20 Clt Device CAL
• 7AA-00056: Win Esntl Bus Prem CALSte 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 20 Clt User CAL
• 7AA-00067: Win Esntl Bus Prem CALSte 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 5 Clt Device CAL
• 7AA-00045: Win Esntl Bus Prem CALSte 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 5 Clt User CAL
• EBS Prem OEM
• 6ZA-00032: Win Essntl Bus Svr Prem 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI CD/DVD 1-4CPU 5 Clt
• EBS Std CAL OEM
• 6YA-00078: Win Essntl Bus CAL Ste 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 20 Clt Device CAL
• 6YA-00056: Win Essntl Bus CAL Ste 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 20 Clt User CAL
• EBS Std OEM
• 6XA-00068: Win Essntl Bus Svr Std 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI CD/DVD 1-4CPU 5 Clt

SBS 2008 OEM part numbers:

• Windows Small Business Server 2008 Standard and CALs
• T72-02453: Windows Small Bus Svr Std 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI DVD 1-4CPU 5 Clt
• 6UA-00601: Windows Small Bus CAL Ste 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 1 Clt Device CAL
• 6UA-00582: Windows Small Bus CAL Ste 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 1 Clt User CAL
• 6UA-00563: Windows Small Bus CAL Ste 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 5 Clt Device CAL
• 6UA-00544: Windows Small Bus CAL Ste 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 5 Clt User CAL
• Windows Small Business Server 2008 Premium and CALs
• T75-02475: Win Small Bus Svr Prem 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI DVD 1-4CPU 5 Clt
• 6VA-00601: Win SBS Prem CAL Ste 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 1 Clt Device CAL
• 6VA-00582: Win SBS Prem CAL Ste 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 1 Clt User CAL
• 6VA-00563: Win SBS Prem CAL Ste 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 5 Clt Device CAL
• 6VA-00544: Win SBS Prem CAL Ste 2008 English 1pk DSP OEI 5 Clt User CAL

For now, we are still working with the Open Value Agreement setup for our new and existing clients. Open Value Licensing still presents the best value for our clients over OEM especially for the ones that refresh their server setups every two years.

OEM does not make sense when we take the two year old SBS server that was licensed OEM and now need to license a Windows Server 2008 Standard OS which cannot be "relicensed" with an OEM license. It ends up costing our clients a lot more in the long run.

Both OEM and Open Value Licensing offer downgrade rights, but only the Open Value Licensing gives us the ability to transfer that license to another server.

The other benefit to Open Value is the ability to spread the costs over 3 payments. OEM is all upfront.

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 Canuck Launch - Input needed

Constanza Zalba, our Canadian SBS/EBS product manager has requested some input from us Canucks as far as what we want to see in the SBS/EBS launch plans for Canada.

You can drop her a line at: CZalba@Microsoft.com or call her at +1-905-363-8683.

Original post: SBS 2008 Launch - Your Input Is Requested.

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.