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| As it's been more than three years since we reviewed the original release of Small Business Server, there should be lots of exciting new things in this release, right? Wrong. The software's title tells the whole story: this is Release 2 of an existin ...
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| -- Itreviews Expert, Itreviews 1 out of 2 found this reivew helpful |
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| Windows Small Business Server 2003 is a much improved product. It's easier to setup and manage than previous versions and incorporates new information sharing, collaboration and remote access features. Companies on a budget will also find the new, slimmed-down Standard Edition attractive, but the package still has its drawbacks compared to some other small business products. At just over £500 including VAT, the new Standard Edition of Small Business Server 2003 is clearly priced to compete against Linux alternatives. Moreover, despite the low price tag it includes a full implementation of Windows Server 2003 , the fastest and most secure version of Windows yet. Plus you get a full copy of Exchange Server 2003 for e-mail and the latest SharePoint Services which are now bundled to make it easier for end users to collaborate and share information. The SQL Server database software isn't included in the Standard Edition, but then a lot of small companies either don't need it or are happy making other arrangements. For those who do require it, it's included in the Premium Edition (from £1,070 plus VAT for 5 users), along with Microsoft's ISA Server (firewall, caching proxy server and enhanced VPN) and FrontPage 2003 for Web publishing. Hardware requirements depend on the number of users involved but everything in the package has to be installed on one server which, by default, is configured as an Active Directory domain controller. In most cases that calls for a fast Pentium 4 or Xeon processor, with a dual processor server and at least 512MB of memory for the Premium Edition. It's worth noting, too, that you can't deploy multiple small business servers together in one domain and there's a limit of just 75 workstations. Add even one more and you have to upgrade to the full set of server packages, which can be a costly and time-consuming business. Initial setup has been re-vamped to make it quicker and easier than before. However it still takes a couple of hours and if you're looking to buy a new hardware we'd recommend having the software pre-installed. You'll then be left to complete an on-screen 'To Do' list, from where it's possible to launch wizards to handle the final configuration steps. The wizards make light work of most of the options, including client setup, where customisable templates make it possible not just to generate Active Directory accounts, but to set disk quotas, create Exchange mailboxes and SharePoint workplaces all in one go. It's even possible to make sure the latest service packs have been applied and to either install or update client software, such as Internet Explorer and the Outlook e-mail client, automatically. Floppies are no longer needed - users can simply browse to an intranet Web site and setup their PCs themselves. Once everything has been configured, administrators will find a lot of new tools available to make their lives easier, such as an enhanced management console and improved backup option with a built-in scheduler. However, it's not just administrators who benefit, with a lot of new facilities for users too. One such is provided by SharePoint Services, with a pre-configured Web portal to enable users to share documents, pictures and calendars and to collaborate using discussion boards. The look and feel of the portal can be customised and users allowed to participate in its setup and day-to-day management. Plus, of course, they can launch applications from here and access all the usual file and printer shares, and other resources, provided by Windows Server 2003. There's enhanced support too for remote and mobile users, starting with simpler VPN (Virtual Private Network) setup and a custom Web site, called the Web workplace, to provide a single point of entry for users outside the firewall. Reached via a browser, this enables users to access resources and applications on the network remotely, including Outlook Web Access which is another standard component in the small business package. Users can even be given remote access to their LAN desktops via Web workplace, while administrators can use it for remote server management and troubleshooting. Small Business Server 2003 is a big improvement over earlier versions and you certainly get a lot for your money. But that's also one of the main drawbacks; behind the slick new interfaces and wizards, you're still running a full implementation of Windows Server 2003 , the complex Exchange software and, in the Premium Edition, SQL and ISA Servers too. You also have Active Directory to contend with and anything other than basic user setup calls for a fair amount of time and expertise. Bear in mind, too, that licences are required for every client/device on the network which, in larger companies, can make the Microsoft solution expensive compared to some of the alternatives. Microsoft - Windows Small Business Server 2003 features - Verdict Microsoft has made its server software a deal more small business-friendly, with simpler setup and slick new management tools. An integrated Web portal and enhanced remote access are additional bonuses, along with the latest Exchange server software with mobile facilities. It's re-packaged and cheaper, too, but the underlying complexity could be an issue for companies lacking expertise. Microsoft - Windows Small Business Server 2003 price Buy Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 securely online at a bargain price From £440 + VAT (Server plus 5 client licences) Microsoft: 0870 601 0100 www.microsoft.co.uk Read more reviews of Operating Systems (including Linux) Read our Buyers Guide to Operating Systems (including Linux) ...
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| -- Maxpc Expert, Maxpc 1 out of 2 found this reivew helpful |
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| Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 With the release of Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003, it was inevitable that Small Business Server 2003 wouldn’t be far behind For several years now, Microsoft’s Small Business Server (SBS) product has been incredibly popular in small to medium-sized businesses because it includes a wealth of powerful software that comes as one perfectly integrated bundle. Previously, SBS had just one version which included a large majority of Microsoft’s key server software. However, to give customers more choice, that’s going to be changing. The latest release, using the same 2003 moniker as seen elsewhere in the MS server product line, will be split into two versions: Standard and Premium. At the time of writing, Premium is still not available, presumably because the code isn’t yet finished. However, the Standard pack includes Windows Server 2003, Exchange Server 2003, and SharePoint Services. Once finished, the Premium version will add to the list; ISA Server, SQL Server 2000, and FrontPage 2003. Both versions include the now-ubiquitous Internet Information Services 6 web and application server. The Standard version is likely to be sufficient for many companies as it provides basic services such as file and print sharing and email handling. The Premium version is where the real interest will lie though, as the addition of ISA server will allow companies to secure their network from external (and internal) abuse, and SQL Server will give companies an enterprise- level database solution upon which they can base their own storage. We reviewed the release candidate of the Standard edition. Getting started The key to Small Business Server (SBS) has always been ease of administration. With Microsoft’s most powerful technologies backing the software inside SBS, it would be easy for small businesses to get lost trying to figure out how things work. To counter this, SBS has been made as fool-proof as possible - everything that can be automatically detected during installation is handled for you, with SBS occasionally popping up dialogs to confirm its findings. What’s quite clear is that SBS contains technologies from Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003, but adds a great deal more on top to streamline things as much as possible. A lot of the helpful wizards here aren’t available in the main packages, and the various parts of the system are integrated so tightly that SBS becomes a full product by itself, as opposed to a suite. Particularly impressive was the Active Directory configuration. The SBS set-up tool located my router, detected that it supported UPnP, and offered to automatically configure the router as the primary DHCP provider for the new Active Directory forest. In all, installation took a little over two hours to complete, at which point SBS had finished copying its files and configuring itself, and I was left to set things up as I wanted using the SBS To Do list. One very welcome choice by Microsoft was to structure the To Do list in the best way, as opposed to the way people would most like it sorted - these two goals are rarely the same. In this case, it means that even before you connect to the Internet, you’re prompted to read SBS’s 'Security best practices’ documentation, which lists various internal and external threats and how to handle them. The components With Windows Server 2003 at its core, SBS already comes endowed with a variety of industrial-strength tools and capabilities, many of which are perhaps overkill for small businesses, but available nonetheless. This kind of mix is demonstrative of one of SBS’s catchlines, "Server power made easy for small business”, and works remarkably well - the server options are broken down into very simple tasks that chain together easily under the To Do list. Each of the various options launched from the To Do list starts up a wizard, prompting you to fill in a few fields. Just click 'next’ a couple of times, and you’re done. Through these very simplistic set-up routines, you can configure a surprising amount - changing settings on your web server, adding a printer, and changing user permissions are tasks that are just a wizard away. Perhaps the most impressive part of the system is the deep integration of SharePoint. If you’ve used SharePoint before, you’ll know it’s a great way to help a team to smooth their workflow. This has been streamlined even further with SBS 2003, because now the admin tools for SharePoint are integrated with the Server Management tool for SBS, thus bringing everything together under one roof. SBS in action This is the first version of SBS where we really felt like we were using one integrated product as opposed to several individual products tied together under a brand. To give a good example, when you use the Add New User wizard, it automatically creates a new user, adds them into the Active Directory, creates an email account for them on Exchange, and configures their access to SharePoint. Once that completes, you have the option to take control of software on the client machine, and can automatically roll out OS patches, IE6, and Outlook 2003, for example, through a wizard. For users who need more than just wizards, all the usual Windows Server admin tools are available also, with the Server Management tool containing all the so-called 'Advanced Management’ sections in the configuration tree. Of course, SBS can never be quite as powerful as its constituent parts would be if purchased separately, simply because SBS is hard-coded to accept a maximum of 50 clients at a time. One further downside here is that the combination of all of Windows Server’s tools and SBS’s tools means that the 'Administrative Tools’ section of the control panel is a little unwieldy - our install had 32 items on there, and we didn’t even have the Premium SBS suite! Having said that, the documentation is indeed excellent, combining the various help files of the products that make up SBS, adding a few extra SBS-specific help files in there, and wrapping it up in a Windows XP-style Help and Support Center. The combination of high-end tools, comprehensive documentation, and a price that’s sure to impress even the most stingy of accountants, means that SBS 2003 is likely to be a huge success. While at first glance it may just appear to be the latest revision of the same software seen in SBS 2000, the reality is quite different. The majority of the changes behind SBS 2003 are cosmetic, and designed to make the new features available in Windows Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 easier to find and easier to configure. While this might be bad for first-time admins who just love to tweak options, it’s a big advantage for everyone else. Paul Hudson This article first appeared in PC Plus Issue 209 - December 2003 Related Links Compare Prices Click Here to Shop Format page for printing Email article to a friend ...
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| -- Maxpc Expert, Maxpc 1 out of 2 found this reivew helpful |
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| The latest release, using the same 2003 moniker as seen elsewhere in the MS server product line, will be split into two versions: Standard and Premium. At the time of writing, Premium is still not available, presumably because the code isnÂ?t yet finished. However, the Standard pack includes Windows Server 2003, Exchange Server 2003, and SharePoint Services. Once finished, the Premium version will add to the list; ISA Server, SQL Server 2000, and FrontPage 2003. Both versions include the now-ubiquitous Internet Information Services 6 web and application server. The Standard version is likely to be sufficient for many companies as it provides basic services such as file and print sharing and email handling. The Premium version is where the real interest will lie though, as the addition of ISA server will allow companies to secure their network from external (and internal) abuse, and SQL Server will give companies an enterprise- level database solution upon which they can base their own storage. We reviewed the release candidate of the Standard edition. Getting started The key to Small Business Server (SBS) has always been ease of administration. With MicrosoftÂ?s most powerful technologies backing the software inside SBS, it would be easy for small businesses to get lost trying to figure out how things work. To counter this, SBS has been made as fool-proof as possible - everything that can be automatically detected during installation is handled for you, with SBS occasionally popping up dialogs to confirm its findings. WhatÂ?s quite clear is that SBS contains technologies from Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003, but adds a great deal more on top to streamline things as much as possible. A lot of the helpful wizards here arenÂ?t available in the main packages, and the various parts of the system are integrated so tightly that SBS becomes a full product by itself, as opposed to a suite. Particularly impressive was the Active Directory configuration. The SBS set-up tool located my router, detected that it supported UPnP, and offered to automatically configure the router as the primary DHCP provider for the new Active Directory forest. In all, installation took a little over two hours to complete, at which point SBS had finished copying its files and configuring itself, and I was left to set things up as I wanted using the SBS To Do list. One very welcome choice by Microsoft was to structure the To Do list in the best way, as opposed to the way people would most like it sorted - these two goals are rarely the same. In this case, it means that even before you connect to the Internet, youÂ?re prompted to read SBSÂ?s 'Security best practicesÂ? documentation, which lists various internal and external threats and how to handle them. The components With Windows Server 2003 at its core, SBS already comes endowed with a variety of industrial-strength tools and capabilities, many of which are perhaps overkill for small businesses, but available nonetheless. This kind of mix is demonstrative of one of SBSÂ?s catchlines, "Server power made easy for small businessÂ?, and works remarkably well - the server options are broken down into very simple tasks that chain together easily under the To Do list. Each of the various options launched from the To Do list starts up a wizard, prompting you to fill in a few fields. Just click 'nextÂ? a couple of times, and youÂ?re done. Through these very simplistic set-up routines, you can configure a surprising amount - changing settings on your web server, adding a printer, and changing user permissions are tasks that are just a wizard away. Perhaps the most impressive part of the system is the deep integration of SharePoint. If youÂ?ve used SharePoint before, youÂ?ll know itÂ?s a great way to help a team to smooth their workflow. This has been streamlined even further with SBS 2003, because now the admin tools for SharePoint are integrated with the Server Management tool for SBS, thus bringing everything together under one roof. SBS in action This is the first version of SBS where we really felt like we were using one integrated product as opposed to several individual products tied together under a brand. To give a good example, when you use the Add New User wizard, it automatically creates a new user, adds them into the Active Directory, creates an email account for them on Exchange, and configures their access to SharePoint. Once that completes, you have the option to take control of software on the client machine, and can automatically roll out OS patches, IE6, and Outlook 2003, for example, through a wizard. For users who need more than just wizards, all the usual Windows Server admin tools are available also, with the Server Management tool containing all the so-called 'Advanced ManagementÂ? sections in the configuration tree. Of course, SBS can never be quite as powerful as its constituent parts would be if purchased separately, simply because SBS is hard-coded to accept a maximum of 50 clients at a time. One further downside here is that the combination of all of Windows ServerÂ?s tools and SBSÂ?s tools means that the 'Administrative ToolsÂ? section of the control panel is a little unwieldy - our install had 32 items on there, and we didnÂ?t even have the Premium SBS suite! Having said that, the documentation is indeed excellent, combining the various help files of the products that make up SBS, adding a few extra SBS-specific help files in there, and wrapping it up in a Windows XP-style Help and Support Center. The combination of high-end tools, comprehensive documentation, and a price thatÂ?s sure to impress even the most stingy of accountants, means that SBS 2003 is likely to be a huge success. While at first glance it may just appear to be the latest revision of the same software seen in SBS 2000, the reality is quite different. The majority of the changes behind SBS 2003 are cosmetic, and designed to make the new features available in Windows Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 easier to find and easier to configure. While this might be bad for first-time admins who just love to tweak options, itÂ?s a big advantage for everyone else. Paul Hudson ...
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| -- Itreviews Expert, Itreviews 1 out of 2 found this reivew helpful |
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| Released on April 24th, Windows Server 2003 is a major update to the Microsoft network operating system with numerous new features together with enhancements in terms of both performance and reliability. Among the improvements there's support for Intel's 64-bit Itanium processors, up to 16-way clustering and a long awaited overhaul of Active Directory, designed to make it faster, more scalable and easier to use. Management has also been simplified including support for drag-and-drop and multiple item selection when managing Active Directory, a new Group Policy management console and lots of new command line utilities. Plus there's a built-in command line console interface which will be particularly useful in high-density rack and blade server environments. Microsoft's Web server (IIS 6.0) comes in for a total re-write in this release, with a new architecture under which every Web site and application gets its own dedicated server process. This improves both reliability and security by preventing applications and sites interfering with each other, while at the same time providing a much needed performance boost. There's also a special Web Edition of the software, tuned to run Web applications, and priced at £275 (ex. VAT) to compete with alternative Linux/Apache products. Given the recent spate of high-profile Windows server attacks, it comes as no surprise to find security really tightened up in this new version. For example, as well as an integrated firewall and new software restriction policies, you now have to expressly install options like the Web server, Active Directory and even file sharing services, rather than have them included in the basic setup. Moreover, even when installed, IIS 6.0 is only able to serve static pages until specific extensions to handle, for example, Active Server Pages are enabled. Other security changes include running IIS processes with very low access privileges, to lessen the impact of any potential security vulnerabilities. Plus it's no longer possible to run command line tools via the Web server or for anonymous users to make any content changes. Of course file and print sharing remain important features of any network operating system and there are significant changes in this area too. These include a new Virtual Disk Service (VDS) to provide a common interface for Storage Area Network (SAN) and other storage hardware vendors, and a new SAN boot feature. The Distributed File System (DFS) has also been enhanced and support added for browser-based document sharing using Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV). Elsewhere, system availability is addressed with a new Automated System Recovery (ASR) facility, plus there's a new Volume Shadow Copy service to take point-in-time snapshots of important data. This allows databases and other open files to be protected without the need for special backup agents, and for users themselves to find previous versions of files by browsing the snapshot copies. Among the may other enhancements the Windows Terminal Service is significantly improved plus there's support for IPv6 and other networking improvements. Added to which the new operating system provides the necessary tools required to develop and deploy Web services applications as part of the Microsoft .NET initiative. And key among these is the .NET Framework which includes a new Enterprise UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration) service - a kind of yellow pages for finding and using distributed services on the Web. In terms of performance, Windows Server 2003 proves to be significantly quicker than previous version, both when performing simple file sharing tasks and running applications. So much so that beta users have, allegedly, been tweaking the registry to enable them to use it as a desktop operating system in preference to Windows XP. It is, though, still an expensive operating system to deploy compared to Linux alternatives, despite concessions to allow client licences to be applied to users as well as hardware devices. Such consideration aside, Windows Server 2003 is a significant step forward with benefits for both small and large companies, whether installing from scratch or upgrading from previous versions of Windows. Microsoft - Windows Server 2003 features - Verdict Windows Server 2003 is the best Windows server operating system yet, with better performance, better security and greater reliability plus an Active Directory service that finally delivers on the promises. A total re-write of the IIS Web server and a new Web Edition are among many other plus points and, although client licensing remains an issue, the package as a whole is a very welcome new release. Microsoft - Windows Server 2003 price Buy Microsoft Windows Server 2003 securely online at a bargain price From around £680 + VAT for Standard Edition with 5 client licences Microsoft: 0345 00 2000 www.microsoft.com/uk/ Read more reviews of Operating Systems (including Linux) Read our Buyers Guide to Operating Systems (including Linux) ...
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| Microsoft MS Windows Small Business Server 2003 Additive license |
| $741.99 - $1,928.95 |
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