In-Depth

Vol 1-8: Small Business Best Practices

Here Comes IBM Big Time in SMB!

• By Harry Brelsford
• June 18, 2002

Welcome to the June 2002 issue. This is a third-party small business newsletter dedicated to reporting information on Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 client-server networking, Windows XP Professional peer-to-peer networking and bCentral.

If you like what you are reading herein, be sure to tell your friends to subscribe! Subscribing all begins at www.nethealthmon.com with the Newsletters button.

June 2002 Table of Contents

Here Comes IBM Big Time in SMB!
READ ALL ABOUT IT! Other Media Tracking SMB Topics
 *CRN
 *Ramon's newsletter
 *Win2000Talk
 *Josh's newsletter
 *MicrosoftWatch
 *Directions on Microsoft
 *Small Business Computing
 *CDW NETCOMM Solutions
 *Mark Minasi: Windows 2000/NT Newsletter
 *Publications that no longer track Small Business Server: BackOffice Update, Windows 2000 Advantage
 *Publications to watch in the future for SMB topics.

Security Follow-up: Small Business Server Super Disk contents

Small Business Server Watch
*Conference in NYC: PCExpo
*MCP Magazine Small Business Server Forum
*MCP Magazine Small Business Server Chat 6-20-02
*Microsoft TechNet Small Business Server Chat

NetHealthMon.com Ships Digital Version of Small Business Server Book!

KBASE Articles

Newbie Tip: Remove PRINT messages from System event log

Guru Tip: DNS entry to see your own Web page from inside the network…..

Windows XP: KBASE article to add Windows XP Professional to network.

Small Business Server Stumper of the Month: Small Business Server CAL Diskette Order

Editorial: The case for rapid deployment.

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Here Comes IBM Big Time in SMB!

IBM has made two major SMB moves in the past month. First, as you read this, a Small Business Server special offer is being presented to over 850,000 people in North America via a post card mailing. This offer relates to pre-installing Small Business Server on the IBM server. IBM has also announced a new SMB certification program focused on security, infrastructure migration and wireless niches. People who participate in this certification program can partner with IBM Global Services on consulting gigs.

BEST PRACTICE: For more information on the IBM Small Business Server pre-install offer, go to: http://commerce.www.ibm.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/
ExecMacro/generic.d2w/report?pmrfnbr=636222&cntrfnbr=197329&
shoprfnbr=34784&cntry=840&lang=en_US&scrfnbr=143

For more information on the new SMB certification path, visit: http://www.wuliweb.com/itiger/itview-connectedwindow.asp?
barcodeid=1218641

READ ALL A BOUT IT! Other Media Tracking SMB Topics There

There are many great media outlets tracking the SMB area and Small Business Server. This includes the following list:

*CRN (Computer Reseller News) Starting June 10, CRN will launch a new monthly section titled Selling Small Business and at first blush, it is a compelling must read. I had the chance to visit with Lisa MacKenzie and Kathleen Connolly, two CRN publishers, about this offering at N+I in Las Vegas in early May. I came away convinced the publication will lead the charge in giving us the mainstream SMB coverage we deserve. See the BEST PRACTICE below for contact information.

*Ramon Ray: Smallbiztechnology.com. Ramon offers periodic reviews of small business software and hardware along with timely SMB news items. Visit www.smallbiztechnology.com for more information or meet Ramon at PC Expo (see the SBSWatch item below) in Booth 4710.

*Win2000Talk. the honorable Laura DiDio, former SMB analyst and director with Giga Information Group in Boston, has a weekly Web-based radio show. Laura covered Small Business Server integration issues in early May 2002. Visit www.Win2000talk.com and click the link for Windows 2000 Interoperability to hear the Small Business Server segment.

*Long-time and well-established, if not well-respected writer Josh Fienberg has an SMB newsletter that is flat out excellent! Josh is a huge fan of Small Business Server having written a book on Small Business Server 4.5 for Microsoft Press (and rumors are he has another SMB-related book in the works). Subscribe to Josh's newsletter titled "Small Biz Tech Talk" at www.smallbiztechtalk.com.

*MicrosoftWatch. Long-time Microsoft hawk Mary Jo Foley has a new subscription newsletter ($399.00 annually, visit https://ziffdavis.omeda.com/
zm/msw/msw.cgi?intro&p=5UZWA00012). MicrosoftWatch covered Small Business Server in the May 17, 2002 issue.

*Directions on Microsoft. This long-time Microsoft newsletter, used by many vendors who do Microsoft with business to monitor organizational changes in Redmond, has a section devoted to Small Business Server. Information: www.directionsonmicrosoft.com ($795 annually includes quarterly Microsoft organizational chart).

*Small Business Computing. When Home Office Magazine folded many months ago, it was acquired by the group that maintains the Small Business Computing Web site. Visit http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/.

*CDW NETCOMM Solutions. The online hardware and software reseller actually produces a decent monthly print magazine titled NETCOMM Solutions. The March/April issue featured a cover story on Cisco's SMB commitment. The May/June issue featured a cover story on Sun stepping up to the SMB market.

*Mark Minasi's Windows 2000/NT. The godfather of Windows 2000 Server has a periodic e-mail newsletter (http://www.minasi.com/nwsreg.htm). While I could only one find one specific reference to Small Business Server in Issue 7, September 2000, many of his Windows 2000 Server topics relate well to what Small Business Server practioneers encounter.

*Publications that no longer track Small Business Server: BackOffice Update from Windows NT/2000/.NET Magazine (folder late 2000), Windows 2000 Advantage was a joint-venture newsletter between Compaq and Microsoft that frequently mentioned Small Business Server (folded in early 2002 but it's been replaced by Win2TV at www.win2tv.com)

*Rumor has it that Fortune Small Business (FSB) will increasingly track SMB technology matters including Small Business Server 2000. Visit http://www.fortune.com/smallbusiness/ for details.

*And Reseller Advocate Magazine (RAM), focused primarily on AMD resellers, has made references to Small Business Server and can be reached at [email protected].

BEST PRACTICE: See the CRN "Selling Small Business" media kit for SMB demographics and an impressive SMB PowerPoint presentation. It's a Pocket MBA on SMB marketing. Click: http://www.crn.com/CRN_Media_Kit_2002/sellingsmallbiz.html for more information.

Note that Directions on Microsoft offers a seminar on "Partnering With Microsoft" that is your first step in learning how to do business with Microsoft, enter into joint-ventures, etc (www.directionsonmicrosoft.com).

Security Follow-up: Small Business Server Super Disk contents

My recent discussion on security (Volume 1-7 cover story) hit a vein with the SMB readership of this journal. So I thought I'd follow-up and share what service packs I'm carrying on my SuperDisc (I burn a Disc once a month or more with the latest Small Business Server-related patches to apply at my customer sites). Contents for my June 2002 Small Business Server SuperDisc include:

*Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 2
*Exchange 2000 Server 5-2902 Patch
*IIS Cumulative Patch May 15, 2002
*ISA Server Service Pack 1
*Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 2
*Windows 2000 Server Security Rollup 1
*SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 1
*Latest IE security fixes

BEST PRACTICE: Am I on target with the Small Business Server SuperDisc contents? Or should I take a long walk off a short pier? Shoot me an e-mail with what else I should add to my Small Business Server Super Disc and I'll publish your contribution in a future newsletter: [email protected].

Small Business Server Watch

*PC Expo, June 25 - 27, NY City, Javits Center, 11th Ave, Between 34th & 39th Streets, http://www.techxny.com/intro.cfm . Be sure to stop by and visit member of Microsoft's Small Business Server marketing and development teams in the Microsoft booth.

*MCP Magazine Small Business Server Forum. Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine (MCP) has just launched an Small Business Server discussion forum/newsgroup at http://www.mcpmag.com/forums/display_forum_topics.asp?ForumID=67

*MCP Magazine Small Business Server Chat 6-20-02. Don't forget to attend the monthly real-time Small Business Server Chat at 4:00pm Pacific (PST). Go to www.mcpmag.com/chats to join. Last month's lively chat had a packed room and some great debates. A Small Business Server development team member, Dean Paron, even stopped by last month for fun.

*Charlie Anthe, Small Business Server product manger, hosted the Microsoft TechNet chat on May 28, 2002. Other chats that are planned for the future will be announced in this newsletter.

BEST PRACTICE: If you're a Small Business Server Guru and join the MCP Small Business Server Chat, please identify yourself as such so you can receive moderator status to help answer the tough questions being tossed about.

NetHealthMon Ships Digital Version of Small Business Server Book!

NetHealthMon is now shipping a PDF version of Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices. According to Bob Doherty, president of Boston-based Elicense.com, the digitizing and encrypting of the book *Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices* for instant purchase and downloading as a PDF-based e-book is a first for his firm. "We've served software developers forever in the electronic purchasing and secure downloading of applications. That grew into other media offerings such as download music. But Harry's Small Business Server 2000 book is a first for our firm." said Doherty. "But it really makes sense as much of the Small Business Server community is located internationally where it is difficult to get a niche book right off the bookstore shelf. Plus the electronic version is completely searchable using the FIND command on Adobe Acrobat Reader." Visit www.elicense.com for more information on this technology.

BEST PRACTICE: For more information on the digitally encrypted PDF version of Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices, on sale for $54.95 US, visit www.nethealthmon.com. This 20MB PDF book is available for instant purchase and use.

KBASE Articles: New This Month For Small Business Server:

*Problems Sending Faxes from Word in Small Business Server Environment [Q191753].

This relates to older Small Business Server environments such as Small Business Server 4.0.

Newbie Tip: Want to free your System event log from pesky print information entries? At the Small Business Server server machine, click Start, Settings, Printers, File, Server Properties, Advanced and de-select the Log spooler information events check box. That'll keep your System event log lean and mean with more meaningful event entries (and not make an entry every time someone prints).

BEST PRACTICE: Do not de-select the other print-related logging events on the Advanced tab. You’ll want to have notification of warning and error events.

Guru Tip: When you name the internal domain the same as your external Internet domain during the Small Business Server setup, you may have trouble browsing to your own Web page, whether it's hosted internally or at the ISP. Follow the steps I learned from a Microsoft Small Business Server product support technician and create a Host record (A) in DNS for "www" that points to the external IP address where your Web page is located. Works like a charm.

Windows XP Professional: Windows XP Professional is a great Small Business Server client. Follow the steps in the KBase article Q316418 found at www.microsoft.com/technet.

BEST PRACTICE: One step not mentioned in the above KBase article is that you must add users of the Windows XP Professional machine to the local administrators group so software can be installed. Accomplish this from Start, Control Panel, Add Users.

Small Business Server Stumper of the Month: CAL Diskette Order

Logon to www.nethealthmon.com and play the "Small Business Server Stumper of the Month" contest. First correct answer wins an E-book copy of Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices.

Editorial: The case for rapid deployment.

You'll recall from Economic 101 (okay maybe the 400-level) that a change in technology results in a shift in the supply curve, typically downward (and lowering prices). That is exactly what is occurring with the Small Business Server pre-installation option being embraced by numerous OEM hardware vendors such as Dell, IBM and Gateway. Their business interest is to sell server machines with Small Business Server pre-installed (it's really a partial pre-install). So the question is whether that strategy is in alignment with Small Business Server consultants who deploy the machines? I suggest it is. First of all, it's highly unlikely you'll reverse the trend even if you disagree with the pre-installation approach for technology by its very nature is progressive. Second, I suggest you embrace OEM pre-installs as a Small Business Server rapid deployment approach. I've found the OEM Small Business Server pre-install saves about an hour during setup. Good if you are bidding Small Business Server build work on a fixed bid basis; bad if you bill by the hour. So clearly the BEST PRACTICE here is to consider bidding your Small Business Server deployment work on a fixed bid basis. And by the way, not only is the OEM Small Business Server pre-install method bringing rapid deployment to the Small Business Server community, but it is going a long way towards helping enforce the scared Small Business Server deployment methodology.

Agree or Disagree? Send me mail!

Harry Brelsford
Publisher, Small Business Best Practices
Author, Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices
[email protected]

Next Month and Beyond
* New Small Business Server white papers
* More Small Business Server events
* FUSION primer
* Tons of fun!

NetHealthMon
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Phone: 206-842-1127
Web site: http://www.nethealthmon.com
E-mail: [email protected]