In case you missed it, the old Microsoft newsgroups are being replaced by the new Microsoft Web Forums. For Small Business Server (SBS), we have a single Small Business Server forum that will be used for SBS2003 and SBS2008 issues. So come on over and check it out!
Microsoft’s Small Business Server (SBS) has been a mainstay of my business for 8 years, and it is what I propose and install for my clients. If you are interested in using SBS for your small business, be sure to read the following blog post entitled: Why Small Businesses Use Windows Small Business Server?
For more than a year I have been promoting the use of Windows Home Server as a local backup solution in a Small Business Server (SBS2003/SBS2008) environment (per these two blogs: blog1 , blog2). I already have WHS installed at most of my SBS customer sites. It now seems as if Microsoft is now willing to say “Yes” — that using WHS to backup your workstations and servers is a viable and supported scenario! Read more on Microsoft’s Technet site.
I hear it all the time … my customer wants an SBS server, but they don’t want to use Exchange. I don’t know about you, but the only reason I can think of why either the customer or the IT consultant would suggest not using Exchange is because they’ve never used it themselves, and therefore are scared that it’s too difficult to install or manage. I have installed SBS servers for almost 9 years. I barely know how to spell Exchange, yet I find Exchange very easy to manage. But, if you still need convincing, here is a short list of … Continue reading SBS without Exchange?
Are you planning to go to SMB Nation in Las Vegas this year? If so, and you’ve attended a past SMB Nation conference, the special “Alumni” registration fee of $499 ends on July 31, 2009. That’s a 50% discount off the regular $999 registration fee. Conference dates are Oct 2-4, 2009. See you in Vegas!
I’ve blogged previously about Exchange 2003 IMF (Intelligent Message Filter). One of the somewhat hidden features of Exchange 2003 and IMF is the ability to implement a custom weighting feature via an XML file. This feature first came out in IMF v2. MsExchange.org has a good article on how to implement the custom weighting feature of IMF. However, there has always been a small issue with using the custom weighting feature — the custom XML file that you create has to be put inside a specific subfolder. The problem is that when Microsoft releases an update to IMF, the installation process creates a new sub folder automatically. However, … Continue reading Free Utility for Exchange Custom Filter
One of my mottos has always been: “You cannot have enough backup!”. So, I am always investigating and testing backup software. When Microsoft first releasd Windows Home Server (WHS), I knew that this was a product I would be testing. Well, tonight, it saved my bacon! My own SBS 2003 server that has been running for years experienced a serious hard drive failure. Fortunately I do use Raid-5 disk configuration. So I shut down the server, replaced the drive, fired up the server to rebuild the Raid, and then rebooted. But apparently something else was amiss, as Windows would not boot up properly, reporting … Continue reading SBS, WHS and Backup Software
I can’t believe it’s 2009 and we still have issues with DST and calendar items! Several of us just discovered (here on Feb-10-2009) that an event we are entering for August 2009 in Outlook 2007 is showing up an hour earlier on our WM6.1 phones. I’ve downloaded the latest WM/DST patch and installed it on my WM6.1 phone, but appointments are still showing up an hour earlier. I tried rebooting the phone, but no change. AFAIK, Outlook and my Exchange/SBS 2003 box are up to snuff with patches. Very frustrating …
I’ve been install Calyptix AccessEnforcer units recently in several SBS shops, both SBS 2003 and SBS 2008. The AE is a fully featured network security appliance, and comes in various models to fit different size organizations. What I like about Calyptix is its single price — no extra costs for end user licenses or to enable various features. It interfaces nicely with Active Directory for user level filtering and email quarantine. I plan to do more posts in the future on implementing SBS and Calyptix together.
Two great friends and fellow MVP’s – Amy Babinchak and Eriq Neale – have combined forces to start ThirdTier, a new business venture providing support to the IT professionals in the SMB marketplace. Here is their press release: Eriq Neale and I have launched a new company today. It’s called Third Tier. The company formalizes the remote support services that we have both been offering from some time. We will be adding subject matter experts to cover a wide variety of software in use today at the SMB. Support Services for IT Professionals Press Release Contact: Amy Babinchak Phone: (248) … Continue reading ThirdTier Press Release
