Own Microsoft CRM and EBS?  Looking for a way to manage multiple CRM orgs, or handle day to day tasks from the EBS administration console? Last week I came across this EBS addin developed by a local (Seattle) ISV and had a chance to put it’s trial version into our lab.  Very cool stuff, and...

Here’s some demos on Demo Showcase that you should check out.  There setup, post setup config and configuring management.  Links below. TechNet Video: Setting Up Windows Essential Business Server TechNet Video: Setting Up Windows Essential Business Server In this demonstration, we will start...

Microsoft Learning today announced on their born to learn blog the SBS 2008 and EBS 2008 official courseware.  This is long awaited news with these directly enabling trainees to get certified following these courses! http://borntolearn.mslearn.net/2009/05/msl-news-sbs-and-ebs-2008-courses-now-available...

You might recall a few weeks ago I talked about how EBS leverages the Core Infrastructure Optimization model.   This week I want to highlight where you can go to get all of the details and training and meet Core IO University , your one stop shop for learning how to use Core Infrastructure Optimization...

Eric, and Chuck were in LA this week talking about Windows Essential Business Server 2008. Check out their video interview here http://www.msteched.com/online/view.aspx?tid=5e6fb399-fdaa-4ef1-ba30-77df2e1b2ded Microsoft has just released a new product suite for midsized companies (under 300 PCs). Essential...

Many of you received these through the partner program or MVP program, but as we clean house for this financial year we noticed that we hadn’t posted the updated reviewers guides for SBS and EBS . So here you go! SBS RTM Reviewers Guide EBS RTM Reviewers Guide These are awesome docs, not only if you...

Many of you may be familiar with the concept of a capability and maturity model.  EBS is designed to deliver a platform for Core Infrastructure with a level of capability and maturity that many midsized would need to pay significantly more should they have deployed that in a traditional sense. ...

The EBS engineering team are going to be at TechED USA this year.  They just blogged about their involvement.  Unfortunately I won’t be there this year, so have a beer for me. :) http://blogs.technet.com/essentialbusinessserver/archive/2009/04/28/teched-cutting-costs-with-essential-business...

Chris Rue, Essential Business Server MVP, says he’ll be joining the MS Learning crew as they travel on a coast-to-coast tour across the United States starting May 1 st . The Career Express Tour, as it’s called, will be making a ton of stops here and there at different training centers and related events...

Check out our SBS and EBS snack. A short introduction to SBS and EBS. http://www.microsoft.com/learning/_silverlight/learningsnacks/EBS/snack01/Default.html This Learning Snack describes how the Windows Essential Server Solutions products—Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2008 and Windows...

Wanting to customize your SharePoint sites?  Office SharePoint Designer is now free to download.  So what can you use this for?  Customizing SharePoint of course – logos, workflows, and a ton more. You can read the Q&A here Download directly from here

This week we announced the release of the course Collection 6955AE: What’s New in Microsoft ® Windows ® Small Business Server 2008 and Microsoft ® Windows ® Essential Business Server 2008 This two-hour collection provides you with an overview of the key features of Windows SBS 2008 and Windows EBS...

Some of you may have noticed a recent announcement from Microsoft Learning about the release of the Windows Essential Business Server 2008 – Administrators companion .  Very very exciting – and a big thanks to JC Mackin and Charlie Russell for putting this together! You can see the MSL announcement...

Tonight Chris Rue will be delivering a webcast to the EBSUserGroup titled “Using System Center Essentials With Windows Essential Business Server.” Chris has made the bold statement that, in his opinion, SCE is THE make-or-break feature of EBS for anyone who wants to use, support, or otherwise make EBS...

Yesterday we released a report that investigated what are the trends in SMB IT.  The crux of the research pointed out some interesting factors – especially when considered in today’s more complex economy. Spend your IT money wisely <snip> http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/mar09...

Two fresh courses came out yesterday, both focusing around Windows Mobile and SBS and EBS. They should take about 20 minutes to complete and at the end you’ll be able to deploy Windows Mobile (and iPhone) devices with SBS and EBS. Title PLC Registration URL Deploying Windows Small Business Server 2008...

This week Canada added a series on both SBS and EBS covering deep dive technical training. These are a great series and include click through HOL online. Labcast: Implementing and Administering Windows® Small Business Server 2008 This Labcast series provides you with the necessary knowledge to...

Check out this article from InfoWorld talking about EBS and where it fits in amongst the Microsoft and broader server line up. My favorite quote that hits the nail on the head “One of the biggest dilemmas in a midsize business is not the quality of your administrators (typically, they are some of the...

Check out the EBS SQL Server add-in now available for download on Microsoft.com http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2f7bf5a4-ef2a-4acc-9238-77530da8dc3b&displaylang=en You can use the SQL Server Add-in to do the following: • Centralize basic administrative tasks for Microsoft...

You may have noticed I’ve been a little slack blogging lately.  Over the last two weeks I’ve been touring Australia and New Zealand – talking to SBSers and EBSers all over  the countries, listening, answering questions, and taking notes on what we can do to improve things downunder.  Being...

Recently Sun announced a virtualized EBS SKU that resides on a single server.  What’s even more interesting is that they’ve provided three options to enable you to get the right level of HW to support the scale in your organization. Check out the Sun EBS product website here

Last week there was an important change in licensing for Windows Server 2008 related to CALs and Virtualization.   The announcement is below; <snip> A number of trends, including consolidation and high availability, are driving more deployments and evaluations of Hyper-V. Based on feedback...

Now for the last piece of setup unique to vitualizing EBS.  Adding the Planning Data.  Remember the .iso file we created here , well next you need to attach this iso to your VM.  You wont need to reconnect the Management Server installation disk, as the files have all been copied locally...

Now we can finally start running the VMs.  You have two options to attaching the media.  Either by DVD and changing the DVD each machine or by using .iso’s.  I prefer iso for a couple reasons.  It allows you to take the only shortcut there is when virtualizing, and it saves on having...