Server line-up for small businesses (and home) is increasing in options (or complexity for some) - SBS 2008, Home, Foundation, Windows Standard Server or BPOS - how do you choose?

re: Server line-up for small businesses (and home) is increasing in options (or complexity for some) - SBS 2008, Home, Foundation, Windows Standard Server or BPOS - how do you choose?

Salat — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:31:56 GMT

Great info Dave. Very informative. The one I would like to know and have not been able to get answer yet is the User Limit. On SBS, it is listed as 75. However, as I understand it on SBS, the system adds a few users of its own to the user list. Does these users that the system created/added count towards the User Limit? Or is 75 means the number of users connecting concurrently to the server?

Thanks,

Salat

re: Server line-up for small businesses (and home) is increasing in options (or complexity for some) - SBS 2008, Home, Foundation, Windows Standard Server or BPOS - how do you choose?

nike jordan — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 09:02:00 GMT

The use of the MS tools in this way can be very good. As for transfering, it is a very manual process. The ACLs on shared files would need to be set by hand - use robocopy to copy files without permissions (the default setting) onto a USB disk or over the network and then place in the shares for each user (or the public shares).

re: Server line-up for small businesses (and home) is increasing in options (or complexity for some) - SBS 2008, Home, Foundation, Windows Standard Server or BPOS - how do you choose?

David Overton — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:15:08 GMT

Hi Simon,

The credentials would need to be re-created and the PC's would need some work. This is probably best done by exporting the current user settings using the Easy Transfer Wizard, disconnecting from the domain, creating a non-domain account (as the domain credentials would expire over time withour SBS there) and then importing from the easy transfer wizard again.

Finally, BPOS has some import tools which would enable you to transfer the e-mail.

Good luck!!

David

re: Server line-up for small businesses (and home) is increasing in options (or complexity for some) - SBS 2008, Home, Foundation, Windows Standard Server or BPOS - how do you choose?

Simon Orebi Gann — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:23:15 GMT

As a long term SBS user (2003 then 2008), I am now moving to a platform of windows 7 PCs linked though the home network feature, WHS for backup and shared storage (6TB) and email from BPOS.

It seems to offer everything except logon to multiple PCs with the same credentials, and for a small business of up to 15 people I can cope with that.

Planning the migration from SBS 2008 is an interesting challenge. There is a notable lack of instructions from any who has done it before so I'll keep notes!

re: Server line-up for small businesses (and home) is increasing in options (or complexity for some) - SBS 2008, Home, Foundation, Windows Standard Server or BPOS - how do you choose?

Robert Crane — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 04:40:10 GMT

Dave,

I do understand what you were trying to say here, however I don't think that people simply look at the abilities of products individually any more. Typically it is a case of what finger will fill this hole!

Anyway, your article was though provoking and I look forward to your upcoming article on Clud vs on-premise.

Thanks

Robert

re: Server line-up for small businesses (and home) is increasing in options (or complexity for some) - SBS 2008, Home, Foundation, Windows Standard Server or BPOS - how do you choose?

David Overton — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:22:36 GMT

Robert,

as I posted on your site, the purpose of this post was to position the various Microsoft server products, not to discuss Cloud vs on-premise.

I agree that many businesses with move to a mixed future which is why for things like e-mail I put None/BPOS meaning none provided, but could work with BPOS.

thanks for your comment. I will write about the Cloud vs on-premise over the holiday period.

ttfn

David

re: Server line-up for small businesses (and home) is increasing in options (or complexity for some) - SBS 2008, Home, Foundation, Windows Standard Server or BPOS - how do you choose?

Robert Crane — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:51:34 GMT

Dave,

Excellent article, however I reckon you have overlooked 2 important points. I've covered the issues in my blog article:

supportweb.ciaops.net.au/.../two-more-points.aspx

let me know what u think.

Thanks

Robert