[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Justin Crosby]
Please make sure that you have applied the DST patches to your SBS server before Sunday October 28, 2007. This Sunday is the date than an unpatched machine will "fall back" one hour. A patched machine will "fall back" on November 4, 2007. By fall back I mean the time will change to one hour earlier.
There are several methods to check for the patches:
1. Use the official Microsoft Daylight Savings Time Help Center at http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cp_dst2. Run the SBS 2003 Best Practices Analyzer from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3874527A-DE19-49BB-800F-352F3B6F2922&displaylang=en3. To check the OS only (client or server) run the "w32tm /tz" command.
If you have any further questions on DST and the DST changes please see: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cp_dst
How to check the timezone setting using "w32tm /tz":
The output will look like this for the Central timezone on a patched machine:Time zone: Current:TIME_ZONE_ID_DAYLIGHT Bias: 360min (UTC=LocalTime+Bias)[Standard Name:"Central Standard Time" Bias:0min Date:(M:11 D:1 DoW:0)][Daylight Name:"Central Daylight Time" Bias:-60min Date:(M:3 D:2 DoW:0)]
What you want to look for is M:11, this translates to “Month 11: November” for start of Standard Time. (M:3 which is “Month 3: March” for start of Daylight Standard Time.)
An unpatched machine will show the following:Time zone: Current:TIME_ZONE_ID_STANDARD Bias: 360min (UTC=LocalTime+Bias)[Standard Name:"Central Standard Time" Bias:0min Date:(M:10 D:5 DoW:0)][Daylight Name:"Central Daylight Time" Bias:-60min Date:(M:4 D:1 DoW:0)]
A patched machine that does not have "Automatically adjust clock for daylight saving changes" set will show:Time zone: Current:TIME_ZONE_ID_DAYLIGHT Bias: 360min (UTC=LocalTime+Bias)[Standard Name:"Central Standard Time" Bias:0min Date:(M:11 D:1 DoW:0)][Daylight Name:"Central Standard Time" Bias:0min Date:(M:11 D:1 DoW:0)]
Today’s blog post is going to cover running the Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 Best Practices Analyzer.
The first step in using the BPA is to download and install it. The download is available here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3874527A-DE19-49BB-800F-352F3B6F2922&displaylang=en. The BPA is designed to run on SBS 2003 only. There is not an SBS 2000 version. Furthermore the current version of the BPA only supports the English language version of SBS 2003. You are not blocked from running on a foreign language version but you can expect localization errors.
Installing the BPA is very straight-forward, so I will not run you through the details. Once installed you can launch the BPA from Start > All Programs > SBS Best Practices Analyzer Tool. The BPA installs the following files and registry entries:
Once the BPA is installed you must run it. When you launch the BPA for the first time you will be asked to update the BPA. Each time thereafter, you will get the welcome screen. The current plan is to release BPA updates quarterly with the first update by the end of this year (2007). This schedule is subject to change without notice.
This is the Updates screen, it allows you to update the business rules the BPA uses to analyze your server. You will get the screen the first time you run the BPA. After that to access this screen click the “Updates and Customer Feedback” link.
Once you are at this screen you can configure whether or not the BPA will automatically check for updates on startup. Checking for updates on startup is the recommended setting. Additionally you can click the “Check for Updates now” button to launch a manual update.
This screen shows the BPA scanning for updates. You can cancel this by clicking “Cancel this check”.
Once the BPA finishes checking for updates it will show you what updates are available.
Once you have updated the BPA rules it is time to begin a scan. The do this you can either click on “Select options for a new scan” from the welcome page or you can click “Start a scan” on the options bar.
This is the welcome page. From here you can begin a new scan or examine a previous scan.
After initiating a scan you must name your scan. I recommend using meaningful names that include the date. This way you can track changes over time. Once you have named your scan click the “Start scanning” button to begin.
You will see a progress bar appear as the scan processes. The scan runs in read-only mode. It will not make any changes.
Once the scan completes you will click on the “View a report of this Best Practice scan” to see the results.
This is the default view for a BPA scan. This view will show you warnings (yellow) and errors (red). In this example I have four warnings. Now it is time to analyze these warnings and decide what to do. At this point it is important to remember that there are many ways to configure a Small Business Server. If your server is configured in a non-standard way you may get a warning that you should ignore. The BPA may detect an issue that is perfectly normal for your installation of SBS. That is why it is very important to analyze the results and compare them against your particular environment. In other words don’t make a change just because the BPA recommended it.
This window shows you the details of one of the issues. Please note the “Do not show me this item again for all instances” button. This allows you to hide issues once you have determined you can safely ignore that issue in your environment.
If you have hidden an issue and wish to display it again please do the following:
1. Select the “Other Reports” report type
2. Select the “hidden Items” tab
3. Select the hidden issue
4. Click the “Show me this item again for all instances” button
In addition to the warnings and errors we discussed previously we also have informational items. These are items that we check for but do not constitute a possible problem. These are more for your information.
Finally we have the tree report view. This is a very detailed view that goes down to the individual setting(s) that we check for.
1) You get a warning
Windows Server Update Services 2.0 installed
This server is running Windows Server Update Services 2.0. You should upgrade Windows Server Update Services 2.0 to Windows Server Update Services 3.0. For information about upgrading Windows Server Update Services 2.0 to Windows Server Update Services 3.0, see ”Installing Windows Server Update Services 3.0 on Windows SBS 2003” at the Microsoft Web site (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=77404).
This should refer to the link http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=89081 instead of http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=77404. This will be addressed in the first update to the BPA.
2) You get one or both of the following warnings
Windows SBS 2003 R2 Technologies installed
Windows SBS 2003 has the Windows SBS 2003 R2 Technologies installed but Service Pack 2 for Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 is not installed.
or
Daylight Savings Time not updated
Windows SharePoint Services has not been updated for Daylight Savings Time. For more information see the Knowledge Base articles "Description of the update for Windows SharePoint Services: January 9 2007" at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=95936 and "Description of the Windows SharePoint Services post-Service Pack 2 hotfix package: March 9 2007" at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=95163.
Please click on the Tree Reports radio button and then go under Windows Small Business Server Baseline/Technologies/Windows SharePoint Services 2.0/HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\6.0 and see if the value for the Version = 6.0.2.8165 or greater. If so, then it appears that you have WSS SP3 (or later) installed and you should be able to ignore the above warnings.
If the Version is less than 6.0.2.6568 then it would appear the WSS SP2 has not been installed. This will be addressed in the first update to the BPA.
3) You get a warning
Small Business registry key exists
The Small Business registry key exists and should be removed. You should either back up or export this registry key and then delete the Small Business registry key located at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Small Business.
We will include a link to http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/914990 in order for you to get more information about this registry key. This will be addressed in the first update to the BPA.
4) You get a warning even though you have Windows Server 2003 SP1 or SP2 installed
Windows SBS 2003 Service Pack 1 not installed
Windows SBS 2003 SP1 is available. For download information, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=50694. To order the Windows SBS 2003 cd set (required for Windows SBS 2003 Premium Edition customers), go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=50685.
This is by design. Windows SBS 2003 SP1 is an SBS specific service pack. It is made up of 5 parts including the operating system service pack, Exchange Server service pack, Windows SharePoint Services service pack, XP SP2 update, and Windows SBS 2003 SP1 itself. The Exchange Server service packs, XP SP2 update for SBS, and Windows SBS 2003 SP1 itself are not distributed via Microsoft Update. You must download these components from the Microsoft Download Center. Please note that the ability to order the Windows SBS 2003 SP1 cd set (required for Premium customers in order to get ISA 2004) ends at the end of this year. Additional information can also be found at http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2007/07/03/sbs-2003-sp-0-support-retirement.aspx
5) You get a warning of
DNS Client not configured
The DNS client is not configured to point only to the internal IP address of the server. For detailed instructions about configuring the DNS client, see the "Configurations" section of the Knowledge Base article "How to configure Internet access in Windows Small Business Server 2003" at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=95289.
Internal Network Adapter is not configured to register IP address in DNS
Verify that the internal network card is configured to register in DNS. For detailed instructions about verifying internal adapter configuration, see the procedure for "Internal or single network adapter configuration" in the "Configurations" section of the Knowledge Base article "How to configure Internet access in Windows Small Business Server 2003" at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=95289.
Ensure that the LANNIC registry value has the proper network card GUID. Check using Method 3 in the KB article http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/875422.
6) Get a warning of
Outlook Mobile Access is not using .Net Framework version 1.1.4322
Microsoft Outlook Mobile Access should be using .Net Framework version 1.1.4322. To do so, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. In the IIS Manager snap-in, double-click Web Sites, double-click Default Web Site, right-click oma, and then click Properties. Click the ASP.NET tab, and then for ASP.Net version, select 1.1.4322
And/or
Remote Web Workplace not using .Net Framework 1.1.4322
Remote Web Workplace should be using .Net Framework version 1.1.4322. To do so, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. In the IIS Manager snap-in, double-click Web Sites, double-click Default Web Site, right-click Remote, and then click Properties. Click the ASP.NET tab, and then for ASP.Net version, select 1.1.4322.
The Windows SBS Backup site is not using .Net Framework 1.1.4322
The Windows SBS Backup site should be using .Net Framework version 1.1.4322. To do so, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. In the IIS Manager snap-in, double-click Web Sites, double-click Default Web Site, right-click Backup, and then click Properties. Click the ASP.NET tab, and then for ASP.Net version, select 1.1.4322.
Windows SBS Monitoring is not using .Net Framework 1.1.4322
Windows SBS Monitoring should be using .Net Framework version 1.1.4322. To do so, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. In the IIS Manager snap-in, double-click Web Sites, double-click Default Web Site, right-click Monitoring, and then click Properties. Click the ASP.NET tab, and then for ASP.Net version, select 1.1.4322.
This is by design. These features were designed and tested against the ASP.Net Framework v1.1.4322. Note that Remote Web Workplace, Backup, Monitoring and Companyweb all need to be using the same version of ASP.Net Framework due to the fact that they are all in the same application pool. If you change them from v2.0 back to the v1.1.4322 then you may also need to follow the steps in the More Information section of http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894903 in order to change Companyweb back to ASP.Net v1.1.4322.
7) Is there a way to silently install and/or schedule the SBS BPA to run?
Currently, there is not a way to silently install and/or run it as a scheduled task.
8) When will the first update of the BPA be available?
Currently the first update for the BPA is planned to occur by the end of this year.
[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Karan Rustagi]
Confirm your Small Business Server webinar attendance todayWe've arranged three Small Business Server webinars to cover topics that we think you may be interested in. You can watch these webinars from the comfort of your own PC and there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions at the end. Please note that the times for these webinars are listed as GMT.
But hurry! Spaces are limited so ensure you register as soon as possible.
The Small Business Server OEM pre-installation kitJoin us for the first of our three-part webinar series, focusing on Microsoft Small Business Server. We'll be looking at how to:
We'll also touch on creating images to help you save time on future installations and finish with a question and answer session.Tuesday 30th October, 9am-10am - RegisterTuesday 6th November, 9am-10am - Register
Common configurations with Small Business ServerIn part two of our series on Small Business Server we'll be investigating common configurations. This session will include:
Tuesday 30th October, 4pm-5pm - RegisterTuesday 6th November, 4pm-5pm - Register
Windows SharePoint ServicesIn the third and final part of our series on Windows Small Business Server we'll look in detail at Windows SharePoint Services.
Wednesday 31st October, 9am-10am - RegisterWednesday 7th November, 9am-10am - Register
The Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Best Practices Analyzer examines a server that is running Windows Small Business Server 2003 (Windows SBS) and presents a list of information and errors that administrators should review.
The Windows SBS Best Practices Analyzer examines the server and collects configuration information from many sources including:
After collecting information about server configuration, the Windows SBS Best Practices Analyzer verifies that the information is correct and then presents administrators with a list of issues sorted by severity. The list describes each issue and provides a recommendation or possible solution.
System Requirements
Supported Operating Systems: Windows Small Business Server 2003 (Any version of Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003)
Links
KB article
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940439
Download
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3874527A-DE19-49BB-800F-352F3B6F2922&displaylang=en
So take a look and let us know what you think about it! (Feedback email address is in the KB article).
[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Chris Puckett]
A security update for Windows Sharepoint Services (WSS) version 3 was released today on Microsoft Update. If you do not have WSS v3 installed on your SBS server, you will not be offered this update.
I want to point out one of the bullet points in the known issues section of KB 934525 specifically calls out an issue that may occur on SBS 2003 servers.
• After you install this update on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, the Web sites may not restart within the time-out period. Therefore, you may be unable to access the Backup, CompanyWeb, Microsoft Server ActiveSync, Monitoring, Outlook Web Access, or Remote Web Workplace Web sites. To resolve this problem, do one of the following:
• Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, and start any Web sites that are stopped.
• Restart the computer.
If you notice that none of your web sites work after installing updates, before you do anything else, please check to see if the World Wide Web Publishing Service is started and that the web sites in the IIS Console are started. As an alternative you can reboot the server.
If the only access you have to your SBS server is through the Remote Web Workplace (RWW), you should consider allowing yourself RDP access to the server using the RDP client without the use of RWW, or having someone on site after this update is installed in the event your server runs into this.