In-Depth

Vol 1-10: Small Business Best Practices newsletter

Small Business Server 2000 Service Pack 1 Ships; Channel Rebate Update; more...

Howdy Small Business Best Practices subscriber,
Welcome back folks to another edition of Small Business Best Practices, the subscription-based, third party newsletter featuring Small Business Server 2000 and beyond. I'm delighted to report that this issue for August 2002 is the largest yet (eight pages) as much news has occurred recently. Enjoy and if you like what you're reading, please forward to a friend.

All the best...harrybbbb
Harry Brelsford, Publisher
Author, Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices

Table of Contents

  • Small Business Server 2000 Service Pack 1 Ships
  • Channel Services REBATE Promotion Update
  • FREE Small Business Server Training NOW!
  • RIO Study Released
  • Small Business Server Case Studies
  • Client Access License Diskettes Fixed After Manufacturing Error
  • OEMs Happy!
  • Small Business Server WebCasts Link
  • Small Business Server Watch
  • TechNet
  • UK 5-day Small Business Server 2000 Cooking School SOLD OUT
  • Guru Tip
  • Newbie Tip
  • Small Business Server 2000 SuperDisc
  • Small Business Server Stumper of the Month

Small Business Server 2000 Service Pack 1 Ships
The greatly anticipated Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Small Business Server 2000 can now be downloaded at http://www.microsoft.com/sbserver. SP1 can either be downloaded or ordered on Disc; but note below the Disc version contains many more SP1 components). Contained in SP1 are the following components:

  • Small Business Server 2000 specific updates (including but not limited to VPN browsing fix, Network browsing fix for Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP Professional, the ASPEnableParentPaths setting for Internet Information Services (IIS) is turned off, the RestrictAnonymous registry key value is now set to "1", the chance of POP3 data loss when there are more than 14 mailboxes has been eliminated.)
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 (this applies to both Server and Professional)
  • Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server Service Pack 3
  • Microsoft ISA Server 2000 Service Pack 1 (Disc Version but can also be downloaded from Microsoft: see BEST PRACTICE below)
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 2 (Disc Version but can also be downloaded from Microsoft: see BEST PRACTICE below)
  • Microsoft Outlook XP (2002) (Disc Version but can also be downloaded from Microsoft: see BEST PRACTICE below)
  • New and improved OEM Preinstalltion Kit (only included in new Small Business Server 2000 SKU to be released soon and discussed below. Also see OEMs Happy article later in this newsletter).
  • 10 new technical white papers (this is only available on the SP1 Disc version, but see last month's newsletter on this white papers being available at the Microsoft Partners site)

When the SP1 setup process is launched, it will first verify the existence of a Small Business Server 2000. Wayne Small, a leading contributor to the Yahoo! Small Business Server list serv, reports that if Windows 2000 Server SP3 has been previously applied to your Small Business Server 2000, it will not be re-applied again as part of the Small Business Server 2000 SP1 installation. Erin Bourke-Dunphy, a product manager on the Microsoft Small Business Server development team adds the same is true for Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server SP3: if it already exists, it will not be reapplied.

Note that Small Business Server 2000 Service Pack 1 will also be incorporated into an updated stock keeping unit (SKU) version of the existing Small Business Server 2000 product. That is, in the near future, if you purchase Small Business Server 2000 for a fresh installation at a customer site, it will include Small Business Server 2000 Service Pack 1. This newsletter will announce the release of the updated SKU.

BEST PRACTICE: Order the CD version of SP1 in order to receive Outlook 2002 and the above mentioned service packs for SQL Server 2000 and ISA Server 2000. Note that fulfillment on the Disc-based SP1 is between four to six weeks, so if time is of the essence, you'll need to download SP1 from the Web site and then gather the remaining components (Outlook XP (2002), SQL Server 2000 SP1 and ISA Server 2000 SP1) manually. I've posted the README file that accompanies SP1 at www.nethealthmon.com (click on the SP1 link) so you can further educated yourself on SP1 contents and what the process will be to download and apply the additional services packs not explicitly contained in the Web-based SP1 version.

Channel Services REBATE Promotion Update
Launched August 1, 2002 the Small Business Server 2000 Channel Services Rebate Promotion (http://members.microsoft.com/partner/campaign/SBS2000.aspx) is proving popular, according to Jerome Stewart, Microsoft Windows Server Product Manager. As previously announced in July by this newsletter, the program is a rebate of up to $500 for services (planning, installation, and training) provided on new installations of Small Business Server 2000 between August 1, 2002 and January 31, 2003. Quite frankly, most Small Business Server VAPs/VARs/consultants/system builders will easily reach the $500 threshold and be rewarded with the full rebate.

There are two ways to participate in the rebate program. First, you can attend a free five-hour Small Business Server 2000 training course covering sales, technical and pre-installation topics. By attending the course, you not only qualify for the rebate promotion, but you also receive a free NFR copy of Small Business Server 2000 (See Best Practices Below).

The second way to qualify for the rebate promotion is to pass the Small Business Server 2000 Skills Assessment exam. Early indications are that most folks with Small Business Server 2000 experience are successfully completing the examination. After taking the course or passing the exam, you will register on the Small Business Server 2000 Partner Locator Tool (over 120 partners were listed as of mid-August 2002). Finally, you will complete the online rebate form and submit your business receipts. Then just wait for your rebate check!

BEST PRACTICE: Microsoft is offering free Small Business Server 2000 training worldwide during the rebate program to improve your skill set and help you prepare for the skills assessment examination (see next story below). You are encouraged to combine this training with the free 8.5 hour online Small Business Server 2000 e-course mentioned in last month's newsletter (download 8.5 hour e-course from http://microsoftpartners.click2learn.com/live/main.asp?Nav=
TrainingCatalog&Task=1&Body=trnsrcadv%2Easp%3Fnavloc%3DSearch&
CurrentLink=Search or http://members.microsoft.com/partner/training/elearningcenter/
default.aspx where you would select the Implementing and Supporting Small Business Server 2000-Advanced Topics link about halfway down the page). Note that readers report from last month's training article that NO FEE was assessed to access the e-learning course!

FREE Small Business Server Training NOW!
As part of the Small Business Server 2000 Channel Services Rebate Promotion, there is a coordinated effort worldwide to deliver a FREE 5-hour Hands On Training (HOT Lab) course. In North America, visit the following Web links:

In preparing this article, I visited Microsoft's North America training vendor, Asentus Consulting Group, in Vancouver BC and can heartily report this group is well-prepared and ready to go! As of this writing, detailed information on International training venues was not available but will be reported in a future edition of this newsletter.

BEST PRACTICE: Training is limited to 100 seats per venue, so run and sign up IMMEDAITELY! Also note the great giveaways to attendees including a not-for-resale edition of Small Business Server 2000 and a Small Business Server 2000 Partner Guide, plus a drawing for a copy of my Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices book.

Also note that some Certified Technical Education Centers (CTECs) are offering Small Business Server training this fall to dovetail with the FREE training described above. One CTEC doing this is Paladin Data in Poulsbo, Washington (visit www.paladindata.com).

RIO Study Released
As the Texas kiddo said to his Pa', "...I knew that thar MBA would be usefully some day!" The Small/Medium Business Marketing team at Microsoft has released a detailed return on investment (ROI) study relating to Small Business Server 2000. Written in conjunction with Forbes.com, the report titled "ROI That's Off the Charts: The Business Value of Microsoft Windows 2000 Servers for Small and Mid-Size Businesses" can be obtained from http://members.microsoft.com/partner/products/Servers/
SmallBusinessServer/ROI.aspx for free. It's very well done and reports the results of surveying 25 SMB customers.

BEST PRACTICE: Consider printing this, the case studies below and the white papers mentioned last month in this newsletter and starting a Small Business Server notebook. The resources this month will be your pocket MBA in the Small Business Server community.

Small Business Server Case Studies
You might not have known that there are many great Small Business Server case studies in print that are thought provoking and provide business context on the Small Business Server community.

  • Interglobe Services India. Suresh Ramani of TechGyan (www.techgyan.com) in Bombay India graciously provided a copy of a Small Business Server case study. The customer, Interglobe Services India, is a Government of India recognized Export House that migrated its 12+ users from NetWare 3.12 to Small Business Server in part to take advantage of application development under SQL Server.
  • New Zealand. Warwick Grey, Marketing Manager SME at Microsoft New Zealand provided "Business Solutions Guide" that profiles the New Zealand law firm Propels Oamaru Law Firm use of Small Business Server 2000.
  • SMB Case Study in IT Contractor Magazine. See http://www.itcmagazine.com/issues/jul02/exp_brelsford.cfm

BEST PRACTICE: Visit www.nethealthmon.com and click on the Case Studies link to download the above case studies. And be sure to send your case studies and press releases to [email protected] for inclusion in future newsletter editions.

Client Access License Diskettes Fixed After Manufacturing Error
Reader Doug Peltonen [[email protected]] reported an odd experience relating to the Small Business Server 2000 Client Access License (CAL) diskettes. In early July 2002, Doug went to install additional CALs on a Small Business Server 2000 server machine. He received an error reporting that a:\setup.exe is not a valid Win32 application. Doug reported this to the support group at Microsoft and received a reply from a manufacturing manager that reported a defective set of CAL diskettes had been pressed and distributed. Doug later reported (on July 23) the problem had been fixed and he received fully functional CAL diskettes.

BEST PRACTICES: If you had a similar CAL diskette experience in the late June/early July time frame, report the incident to [email protected] so you can be cured.

OEMs Happy!
A Microsoft product manager on the Small Business Server team reports that the updated Small Business Server 2000 OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) is winning rave reviews from OEMs and system builders alike. In fact, he reported receiving a small gift as a measure of appreciation from a very large PC builder in central Texas! For more information on the Small Business Server 2000 OPK, complete the e-learning courseware at http://members.microsoft.com/partner/training/elearningcenter/
default.aspx and click the link for the Small Business Server 2000 OPK (second link down as of this writing).

BEST PRACTICE: See Volume 1-8 of this newsletter at http://www.nethealthmon.com/Issue1-8.htm for more OEM preinstallation information and using the OEM preinstallation approach as a rapid deployment method for Small Business Server 2000.

Small Business Server WebCasts Link
There exists a little known white paper at http://members.microsoft.com/partner/products/
Servers/SmallBusinessServer/Webcasts.aspx that lists and completely describes all Small Business Server Web Casts. These include:

  • Microsoft Small Business Server 2000: Planning and Deployment
  • Installing and Upgrading to Small Business Server 2000
  • How to Use the Internet Connection Wizard in Small Business Server 2000.
  • Using the Microsoft Security Tool Kit to Get and Stay Secure.
  • Small Business Server 2000 Network Troubleshooting.
  • Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 - Implementing Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server.
  • Maintaining Server Health in Microsoft Small Business Server.
  • Dynamic DNS in a Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 Environment.
  • POP3 Mail Flow in Microsoft Small Business Server 2000.
  • Hosting Web Sites on Microsoft Small Business Server 2000. (By the way: this was a hot topic in the July 2002 Small Business Server chat at MCP Magazine. See chat information in the next section)
  • What's New in Small Business Server 2000.
  • SupportLive Chat: Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 Installation and Upgrade.

BEST PRACTICE: This is your Pocket MCSE for Small Business Server 2000 as far as I'm concerned. Review each of these WebCasts and take advantage of other Small Business Server resource listed in this and past newsletter editions (white papers, KBase articles, case studies, books) and you'll be well on your way to being a world-class Small Business Server 2000 expert.

ALSO on August 28, 2002 be sure to attend the next Small Business Server WebCast: Big Business Opportunities with Windows Servers for Small Businesses. Learn more about Microsoft Windows servers for small businesses, including all the new resources that Microsoft is providing for you to be more successful and more profitable selling Windows servers to your small business customers. Presented by Jerome Stewart, product manager in the Windows Product Marketing Group, and Benoit Vialle, product manager on the U.S. Windows Server team. August 28, 2002 - 9:00 A.M. to 10:30 A.M. Pacific time/12:00 P.M. eastern time. Visit http://members.microsoft.com/partner/events/webcasts/default.aspx

Small Business Server Watch

What's significant about Livingston's coverage as it represents the first know coverage of Small Business Server 2000 in the weekly InfoWorld publication (based on my research of past issues).

  • Paul Thurrott at Windows .NET/2000 Magazine recently reported on Small Business Server 2000 SP1 at http://www.winnetmag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=26035 in an interesting article that marks his return to reporting on our beloved product.
  • Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) Magazine reported on the Channel Services Rebate Promotion at http://www.mcpmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=509
  • Win2000Talk show. Laura DiDio's well-received Web radio program at http://win2000talk.techtarget.com will feature Small Business Server in the late August edition in the Ask-A-Techie segment.
  • MCP Magazine CHAT. Lest you forget, be sure to attend the FREE monthly Small Business Server chat hosted by MCP Magazine (typically in the third week of the month). Hosted by yours truly and Andy Goodman, surprise guests have included Microsoft product managers from the Small Business Server 2000 team. Visit http://www.mcpmag.com/chats/ to join the fun.
  • FUSION Feedback. The conference for Microsoft Certified Partners, held in mid-July in Los Angeles California, was a rousing success for Small Business Server 2000 (where several major product announcements were made). It was exciting to see some partners such as IngramMicro take a renewed interest in Small Business Server 2000!
  • MCP Magazine discussion board. Andy Goodman has again stepped up to the table to keep the Small Business Server newsgroup active and very much alive. Andy is driving great debate that is sincere and more than honest at http://www.mcpmag.com/forums/display_forum_topics.asp?ForumID=67
  • Conference Cancelled. With regrets, the NaSTEC conference (for technology support professionals) in early October (Orlando, FL) has been cancelled due to economic conditions. Two sessions on Small Business Server 2000 were scheduled.
  • Conference Rumor: Keep your ears open for possible announcements about an SMB conference in 2003 sponsored by a Boston-based research firm.
  • SBSFAQ.COM Being Updated. Wayne Small reports that his Small Business Server frequently asked questions Web site at www.sbsfaq.com is being updated with a new look and feel plus additional content.

BEST PRACTICE: There's nothing like live conversation. Be sure to attend the MCP Magazine chats mentioned above as your busy schedule allows.

TechNet
Small Business Server Most Valuable Player (MVP) Susan Bradley has kindly provided these KBase articles of interest to read and implement (thanks a billion Susan!).

BEST PRACTICE: Remember to add these KBase articles to others mentioned in past newsletter editions.

UK 5-day Small Business Server 2000 Cooking School SOLD OUT
The five-day Small Business Server 2000 cooking school in London starting October 14th has been sold out. A second course in the London area is being formed for October 20th. Also: a five-day course is being planned for Sydney Australia starting December 2nd. Visit www.nethealthmon.com and click the SBS Cooking School link for more details.

BEST PRACTICE: Note the five-day course has been updated for Small Business Server SP1.

Guru Tip
I recently had lunch with a senior Microsoft product manager responsible for the faxing component in Small Business Server 2000. He educated me on a better way to manage incoming faxes in a small business. When the fax arrives in the Outlook Inbox, it typically has a meaningless subject line. It is in fact difficult to tell who the fax sender was and where the fax should be forwarded to, etc. To improve the subject line for incoming faxes, simple open the e-mail containing the fax, look at the fax file and click on the grayed-out Subject: field (yes: this grayed out field can be edited). After appending the subject line to reflect sender name or something meaningful, click the diskette icon to save. This enhances the fax experience by better organizing your incoming faxes in Small Business Server 2000.

Newbie Tip
Until you better understand the inner workings of Small Business Server 2000 (and that will come with experience), be sure to use the Small Business Server Add Shared Folder Wizard to create shared network folders. Access this by clicking the Favorites tab in the Small Business Server Administrator console, followed by expanding Small Business Server Tips, Active Directory and clicking the Add Shared Folder icon.

Small Business Server 2000 SuperDisc
Not surprisingly, the Small Business Server 2000 SuperDisc has been refreshed this month with the release of SP1. So the SuperDisc this month is really the Disc from SP1 plus the following from http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/
security/default.asp

  • MS02-043: SQL Server cumulative patch
  • MS02-042: Flaw in Network Connection Manager

BEST PRACTICE: As always, be sure to send your suggestions for the SuperDisc to [email protected].

Small Business Server Stumper of the Month
The new Stumper of the Month has been posted. Visit www.nethealthmon.com and click on the Stumper button. Last month's stumper answer was to add the /UM switch to the native NT backup program. The winner of the free E-book version of Small Business Server 2000 Best Practices was Steven Honkoop.

_____

NetHealthMon
Bainbridge Island, WA
Phone: 206-915-3072

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