In-Depth

Vol 1-9: Small Business Best Practices

Microsoft Releases 8-hour Small Business Server E-learning course

• By Harry Brelsford
• July 19, 2002

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cheers....harrybbbbbb
Harry Brelsford, Bainbridge Island, WA
Publisher, Small Business Best Practices
Author, Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices

July 2002 Table of Contents

* FUSION TIME!
* Microsoft Release 8-hour Small Business Server E-learning Course
* Small Business Server 2000 White Papers
* Microsoft seeking participants in SMB network management study
* Online SBS Resources
* Dell Server Assistant installs Small Business Server 2000
* Microsoft Licensing
* Small Business Server 2000 SuperDisc
* SBS Watch
* KBase Articles
* Small Business Server 2000 Stumper of the Month

FUSION TIME!
Microsoft's annual partner conference called Fusion is just hours away! Held for the second year in a row in the Los Angles, CA area, Fusion will feature the following SMB-related speeches:

* SE-301: Focused on secure connected infrastructures in the SMB environment. Speaker: Larry Zaykowski
* IT-302: "Business Opportunities from Microsoft Server Products for Small & Midsize Businesses: Focused on business value opportunities, BIG new SMB-focused marketing initiatives, and future product releases. Speaker: Jerome Stewart
* Keynote: Bill Veghte, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, Windows .NET Server Group, Saturday July 13th, 8:45am

BEST PRACTICE: Fusion is about relationships as much as technical knowledge transfer. Those relationships are cultivated at entertainment events such as the partner celebration to be held Sunday evening, July 14, 2002 where Fusion attendees will be treated to an evening at Universal Studios. Fusion information at: http://www.microsoft.com/partner/events/fusion/

Note: A special edition of this newsletter will be posted at the end of Fusion.

Microsoft Release 8-hour Small Business Server E-learning Course
The Small Business Server 2000 E-learning course (discussed in Vol1-1 and Vol-2 of this newsletter at www.nethealthmon.com) is now available for purchase for a nominal fee $15 US. Developed in conjunction with SmartForce, this online E-learning course offers advanced topics that go beyond other Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 Course offerings. Officially known as: Implementing & Supporting Microsoft Small Business Server 2000: Advanced Topics, the student will learn to effectively manage many Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 components through this 8-hour interactive advanced training course. This courseware begins where other Small Business Server 2000 training resources end. Focus areas include networking planning, security, communications, and other advanced topics (Part 098-93226). Click on http://www.microsoft.com/partner/trainingevents/
technicaltrainingevents/sbselearning.asp for more information.

BEST PRACTICE: This courseware is highly recommended and hasn't previously been available to the public. You will need to register on the Microsoft Partner site to complete the purchase (takes approximately 10-minutes).

Small Business Server 2000 White Papers
The SMB product management team is on the verge of releasing a slew of new SMB white papers primarily focused on Small Business Server 2000. Topics covered by the new white papers include:

1. Adding servers to the Small Business Server 2000 (SBS 2000) environment
2. Connecting a remote office to an SBS 2000 network
3. Top ten questions concerning SBS 2000
4. SBS 2000 Internet connectivity
5. Back up
6. Deploying Office XP with SBS 2000
7. SBS 2000 deployment scenarios
8. SBS 2000 + Terminal Services in Application Share Mode
9. Remote administration

These new white papers supplement an impressive bevy of existing Small Business Server 2000 white papers at the Microsoft Partner's page. These include white papers such as:

*Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 Capacity Planning
*Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 - Reviewers Guide
*Understanding and Configuring Internet Security
*Customizing Consoles
*Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 Deployment Guide
*Microsoft Small Business Server 2000: Disaster Recovery
*Remotely Managing Small Business Server 2000
*Remotely Managing Small Business Server 2000 (Training Staff)
*Remotely Managing Small Business Server 2000 (Project Manager)
*Remotely Managing Small Business Server 2000 (S & M Staff)
*Remotely Managing Small Business Server 2000 (Tech Staff)
*Appendix B: Upgrading to Small Business Server 2000
*Small Business Server 2000 Reviewers Guide
*Maintenance and Support Services with Small Business Server 2000
*Small Business Server 2000 Deployment Guide
*SBS 2000: Understanding and Configuring Internet Security

BEST PRACTICE: Be sure to visit http://www.microsoft.com/partner/products/
serverproducts/smallbusinessserver2000/default.asp to review the existing and forthcoming Small Business Server 2000 white papers.

Microsoft seeking participants in SMB network management study
The Microsoft Network Management Team is very interested in your opinion on monitoring servers, applications and networks. They are currently conducting a survey about monitoring servers. If you currently manage one or more Microsoft servers and would like to participate in this study, please reply to this email address: [email protected] - Attention: Network Management Team.

Online SBS Resources
Yahoo! Listserv - A third-party listserv with over 700 active members is the Yahoo! Small Business Server group. Founded by Grey Lancaster, an early Small Business Server advocate, this group is friendly, affirming and outspoken (including about third-party products related to Small Business Server). Sign up at http://login.yahoo.com/config/login?.intl=us&.src=ygrp&.done=
http://groups.yahoo.com%2Fgroup%2Fsbs2k%2Fjoin

Microsoft Small Business Server Newsgroups - The official newsgroups for Small Business Server, capably manned by Most Valuable Players (MVPs) that donate their time to answering tough support questions, can be joined at http://www.microsoft.com/sbserver/community/newsgroups/default.asp

Dell Server Assistant installs Small Business Server 2000
Dell Computer is shipping a Small Business Server 2000-specific installation routine on its Server Assistant Disc that accompanies PowerEdge servers. Testing this installation routine resulted in several positive experiences including the ability to provide basic setup information up front (such as product identification codes) and then have this meta data implemented seamlessly in the background during the Windows 2000 Server setup routine. The core Windows 2000 Server operating system was much faster than normal. The only drawback detected was that the Dell setup routine for Small Business Server 2000 automatically installs Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 2. This is at odds with the native Small Business Server Setup Routine that is expecting Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 1, so you occasionally have to manually point the setup routine to the Windows directory containing the Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 2 files (that is because such files can't be found on the native Small Business Server 2000 setup Disc media). Specifically, during the Baseline Scenario portion of the setup, you will need to point (when requested by error dialog boxes) to c:\Winnt\servicepackfiles\i386\ in order for the Small Business Server 2000 setup routine to find the Win2K SP2 files it needs.

BEST PRACTICE: The Dell setup method is consistent with the rapid deployment thinking addressed in Volume 1-8 of this newsletter (last month).

Microsoft Licensing
Warning: Do not forget that Microsoft is dramatically altering its licensing program come July 31, 2002. There isn't enough space here to go into the details of the new licensing terms and conditions, but you can read all about it at: http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/sa/saprepare.asp

BEST PRACTICE: Near the end of July, we'll print a special edition of this newsletter focused entirely on the new Microsoft licensing program to remind you of the impending, month-end deadline.

Small Business Server 2000 SuperDisc
Several readers added items for the July 2002 Small Business Server 2000 SuperDisc. You may recall that this is the Disc that I burn and carry to my client sites (and implement the fixes) to keep them shipshape with Small Business Server 2000. The July 2000 Disc contents are:

*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
* Reader Susan Bradley adds: I would include at a bare minimum 02-028, 02-015, 02-007, but really all of the relevant patches on http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/current.asp need to be installed. The holes in the Office suite are just as dangerous.
*Reader Shane Freshwater from the UK suggested adding and using hfnetchk.exe.

BEST PRACTICE: Keep sending in those SuperDisc suggestions so we can all enjoy safe and secure Small Business Server 2000 sites.

SBS Watch
Andy Goodman. Long-time Small Business Server consultant Andy Goodman continues his excellent series on installing Small Business Server at Swynk.com. In May, Andy's third Small Business Server 2000 article installment spoke towards implementing Windows XP Professional clients. Andy also addressed fixing a vexing Windows Update problem with Windows XP Professional clients. In Andy's fourth installment of his Small Business Server 2000 series, he details how to properly migrate data from an older version of Small Business Server to Small Business Server 2000. Read all about it at http://www.swynk.com/friends/goodman/

Win2000Talk
A recent edition of Laura DiDio's Windows 2000 Talk Radio featured Small Business Server 2000 during the Ask-A-Techie section. Click on http://win2000talk.techtarget.com/?stream=2315 and select the Linux: Pretender or Real Threat and Viable Alternative to Windows 2000? Show (specifically the Ask-A-Techie segment).

BEST PRACTICE: Consider issuing a Small Business Server 2000 press release about your consulting wins to your local media. We're all in this together to convert the world to Small Business Server 2000. Be sure to copy us on your press releases: [email protected].

KBase Articles

Here is a list of Small Business Server KBase articles recently released or not previously mentioned in this newsletter.

* Partitions Created w/Non-MS Utilities Cause "NTDETECT Failed" [Q225309] (This is Small Business Server 4.5 related)
* Err Msg: Unable to Start or Register Saminfo1 Control Pack [Q319498] (This is Small Business Server 4.5 related)
* Remove and Reinstall NT OP, Proxy Server 2, and SBS 4.5 Console [Q279132] (This is Small Business Server 4.5 related)
* Setup Information for BackOffice Server 2000 and SBS 2000 [Q279910]
* SBS 4.0 Client Add Pack Does Not Add Licenses After 4.5 Upgrade [Q233509] (This is Small Business Server 4.5 related)
* How to Determine the Number of Licenses Available on SBS 2000 [Q296052]
* Upgrade Paths to Small Business Server 2000 [Q282869] Small Business Server 2000

Stumper of the Month
Last month's Stumper answer: You will recall that last month’s Stumper asked you to identify which Small Business Server Client Access License (CAL) diskette was used last when (1) you have more than one CAL diskette and (2) all CAL diskettes are unmarked. The solution set was:

1. Insert the client add pack into Drive A:.
2. Type the following at a command line a:\setup -v
3. Note the value of "Current Limit" (this is a HEX value)
4. Click OK.
5. Repeat these steps with the other diskette.
6. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, Calculator.
7. Click View, Scientific.
8. Select the Hex radio button
9. Input the HEX value from Step 3 above (repeat for each HEX value).
10. Click the Dec radio button to convert to decimal.
11. The CAL diskette with largest decimal value was the last CAL diskette used by the former consultant. Translation: the CAL diskette with the higher "current limit" is the last CAL diskette used and has the cumulative number of licenses.

There are two winners. Buddy Greenshield, (MCP Greenshield Computer Services, Bend, OR) was the first to submit the most detailed answer based on the above solution set.

Then there was Chuck Isreal who took an entirely different approach: "The SBS server's total license count is written back to sector CF6 byte 8. Use a disk explorer tool to look at each diskette and pick the diskette with the largest number. I determined this by using winimage to capture the image from my client disks and use fc to compare the differences. fc lead me to search for the first difference which was string WSEW. I used winbrowse to search for the occurrences of WSEW in the image and found the byte offset. which was at sector CF6 byte 0. I used Runtime's Diskexplorer to go to the byte offset count and it provided the sector number."

Chuck's answer proves that there was more than one solution set and more importantly, that file date modification information isn't easily visible as many readers suggested.

Both Buddy and Chuck have won an E-book version of Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices.

BEST PRACTICE: See Microsoft KBase article Q247944 for more details on solving this stumper.

See the July Small Business Server 2000 Stumper at www.nethealthmon.com.

_____________________________________

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]