[Today’s post comes to us courtesy of Michael Leworthy from Windows Server Marketing]

Due to the size of the SBS 2011 Standard media (6.5Gb), downloading is not available on the VLSC (Volume Licensing Service Center), and is supported via media order only.

However, we have a dedicated large file download system partnering with Akamai to support our SBS 2011 Standard Evaluations. The great news is you can easily convert this evaluation version to a licensed version using Windows Activation.

Here is what you need to do if you want immediate access to SBS 2011 Standard through download and are a VLSC customer.

1. Download the SBS 2011 Evaluation through the CARE system

2. Install the evaluation onto your target server

3. Logon on your VLSC account, and access your SBS 2011 Standard MAK key

4. Click the Start menu on the server desktop, right click Computer, choose Properties, and then click the link under Windows Activation.

5. Click Activate Windows online now, type your MAK product key, click Next, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

You now have a fully registered version of SBS 2011 Standard.

[Today's post comes to us courtesy of John Bay from Commercial Technical Support and Chris Puckett from Product Quality]

Windows Small Business Server 2008 (Windows SBS) Update Rollup 5 is now available.  This rollup package includes all the fixes from the previous update rollups and addresses the following issues in Windows SBS 2008.

Issue 1
Small Business Server 2008 shipped with Windows Live Sign-in Assistant version 5.0. 
Update rollup 5 upgrades the Windows Live Sign-in Assistant to version 6.5

Issue 2
Log files for the Windows Update Services Website will continue to grow rapidly and will consume a large amount of disk space.
Update rollup 5 adds a scheduled task named WSUSLOGCLEANER that will remove all the log files in the WSUS Administration’s IIS directory (c:\inetpub\logs\logfiles\w3svc1372222313, by default) that are older than 30 days.  The files should be removed within 48 hours of the update installation.  The scheduled task will continue to run on a daily basis and remove any files older than 30 days.

Issue 3
IP version 6 is improperly disabled by unchecking IPv6 on the properties of the network card.
After installing update rollup 5, the fix my network wizard will enable IPv6 if it was improperly disabled.  The fix my network wizard will not enable IPv6 if it was properly disabledby following the steps in KB article 929852.  

Issue 4
Small Business Server update rollup 4 would fail to install if Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 had been removed from the server. 
Update rollup 5 will install successfully if Sharepoint 3.0 is uninstalled.

Issue 5
While trying to edit the properties of a user account, you may receive the following error message:
Invalid E-mail alias
This e-mail alias already exists.  Type a different e-mail alias.
This issue will occur if you have a user account and a mail enabled contact with the same SMTP mailbox name.  For example:  If you have a user with the email address of test@contoso.com and a mail enabled with an email address of test@adventureworks.com, you will see this failure.
After installing update rollup 5, you will be able you successfully modify the user account and will no longer receive the error message about an invalid e-mail address.

Issue 6
After installing any of the previous SBS 2008 Update Rollups (4 or lower) you might see the following event in the application event log happening every 5 to 10 minutes:
Log Name:      Application
Source:        Windows SharePoint Services 3 Search
Date:          8/5/2009 10:10:02 AM
Event ID:      2424
Task Category: Gatherer
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      SBS01.wingtiptoys.local
Description:
The update cannot be started because the content sources cannot be accessed. Fix the errors and try the update again.
Context: Application 'Search', Catalog 'index file on the search server Search'
New content will not be added to the search index and in consequence it will not be found when doing a full text search within the CompanyWeb application.
Update rollup 5 automatically implements the solution documented in this blog post.  The Windows SharePoint Services 3 search errors should no longer occur after applying this update rollup and search should work correctly.

Issue 7
Update rollup 5 fixes compatibility issues with Windows Internet Explorer 9.  Windows Internet Explorer 9 will now work with all the default Small Business Server websites such as http://Companyweb, http://server/Remote, and http://Connect

More Information

KB 2458094 Description of Windows Small Business Server 2008 Update Rollup 5.

How to obtain this update
This update is available from the Microsoft Update Web site.
This update is also available from the Microsoft Update Catalog Web site.

[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Justin Crosby from Commercial Technical Support]

In SBS 2011, administrators must provide an answer file (SBSAnswerFile.xml) to perform a migration mode install. Administrators can also use answer files to accelerate new domain installs (clean installs) as well. Once the SBS 2011 portion of setup begins (after the OS has been deployed), SBS 2011 will check the root, and only the root of all volumes for the answer file. If an answer file is found setup will continue using the options you have specified in the answer file. This is identical to how SBS 2008 behaved. A new improvement in SBS 2011 is now when setup does not find an answer file setup will stop and ask you what you intend to do:

This makes providing SBS 2011 an answer file much easier than in SBS 2008. If you wish to create a new domain just choose Clean Install and if you want to perform a migration copy your answer file to the root of one of your partitions (floppy drive, USB, c:, etc) and choose Server Migration. You will then be asked if the answer file is ready:

If setup still cannot find your answer file you will receive the following error:

Verify that the file is accessible on the root of a volume and that it has the correct filename SBSAnswerFile.xml then click Ok on the warning and click Next again and the migration should begin.

[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Justin Crosby from Commercial Technical Support]

Windows Small Business Server 2011 supports installing using an answer file.  You can use an answer file to automate both clean and migration mode installs. To perform a migration mode install you MUST use an answer file. To allow administrators to easily create an answer file SBS 2011 includes an answer file generation tool (SBSAfg.exe). This tool is very similar to the tool included in SBS 2008.

Running the tool

You have many options to launch the tool. You can insert the SBS 2011 DVD into a machine and let it autorun. You will be provided with the following menu from which you can click the Create an answer file link.

To migrate a domain to SBS 2011 you must first run the Migration Preparation Tool on the source server of the domain. Once the tool has been run you can launch the tool from the finish page by clicking the Create an answer file link.

You can also run the answer file directly from C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard Migration Preparation Tool\ SBSAfg.exe once the Migration Preparation tool has been installed.

To create the answer file for an automated install

1. Launch the answer file generator tool by using one of the methods mentioned above.
2. Select New installation or Migration from existing server (Join existing domain) depending on your scenario. Note: the tool will default to new install.
3. Enter the required information.  See below for a summary of each field.
   
   
4. Save the Answer file as sbsanswerfile.xml.
   Note: you cannot user any filename other than sbsanswerfile.xml. This is the only filename that the SBS 2011 setup will look for.
5. Copy the answer file to the root of a USB drive, floppy disk or a partition on the destination server. Then start either installing or migrating to SBS 2011. If the SBS 2011 installation wizard detects a migration answer file, the migration process starts automatically. For more information on how to provide the answer file to setup please click the link. 

Shared Information

• Get Installation Updates: Whether or not to automatically attempt to download installation updates.
• Run Unattended: If unchecked, the setup fields will be pre-populated but you must click Next during setup.
• Clock and time zone settings: You must make sure that you use the correct time zone.
• Company Information: The name and address of the business. This information is used for settings on your server and is not sent to Microsoft. You can edit the company information later. To edit it, in the Windows SBS Console, click the Help list menu, and then click Edit Company Information.

Migration Specific Information

• Source Server Information
  • Domain Administrator Account Name: The user account name of a domain administrator in the existing domain.
  • Password: The password that corresponds to the existing domain administrator account name.
  • Source Server Name:  The name of the server from which you are migrating.
  • Source Domain Name: The full DNS name of your organization's internal domain.
  • Default Gateway:  The IP address that is assigned to the router on your network.
  • Source Server IP Address:  The IP address that is assigned to the Source Server.
  • DHCP is running on the Source Server:  Select this box if the DHCP service is running on the Source Server. It is recommended that the DHCP service run on the Destination Server. If you are running the DHCP service on the Source Server, it is moved for you during Windows SBS 2008 migration. If the DHCP service is running on another server or device, you must manually disable it on that server or device.
• Destination Server Information
  • Destination Server Name: The name of your new SBS 2008 server.
  • Destination Server IP Address: The IP for your new SBS 2008 server.  Please verify that this address is not in use.

New Install Specific Information

• Server Information (Note: You cannot change ANY of the following names after the installation finishes)
  • Server Name: The name of your new server. This must be a unique name on the local network.
  • Internal Domain Name: The NetBIOS name of the internal domain—for example, contoso. This must be a unique name on the local network. The domain name and the server name cannot be the same.
  • Full DNS Name: The DNS name of the internal (local) domain.  You must provide at least two labels for the full DNS name. For example, you can use contoso.local, but contoso alone is not valid. It is recommended that you do not use a public top level domain name, such as .com, as the last label in the full DNS name. This is the DNS name of the internal domain.
• Network Administrator Account
  • First Name: First name of the administrator.
  • Last Name: Last name of the administrator.
  • Administrator User Name: User name or alias for the new network administrator account.
  • Administrator Password: Password for the new network administrator account. The password that you provide must be complex. If you do not provide a complex password, the unattended installation stops so you can provide the complex password.
• Network Settings for the Server
  • Automatically Detect the Network Settings: Use DHCP to identify an un-used private IP address.
  • Manually Choose the Network Settings as Follows:
    • IP Address: IP address of the SBS 2008 server.  This must be a private IP address.
    • Default Gateway: The IP address that is assigned to the router on your network.

[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Justin Crosby from Commercial Technical Support]

One of the major changes for SBS 2011 from SBS 2008 is the inclusion of the Migration Preparation Tool. This tool is designed to prepare your source server and domain to be migrated to SBS 2011. The tool performs two major functions:

• Scans the health of the existing domain to identify many issues that may prevent a successful migration
• Prepares the domain for SBS 2011.

You cannot perform a migration mode install without first running this tool on your source domain. Once you run the tool you have 14 days to start the migration. If you wait longer than 14 days you must re-run the tool before migration. We recommend re-running the tool immediately before performing a migration to make sure no new issues have arisen between the time you last ran the tool and the start of the migration.

To prepare the domain for SBS 2011 the tool will complete the following tasks as needed:

• Raise the domain and forest functional level to Windows Server 2003
• Use ADPREP to extend Active Directory schema to Server 2008 R2
• Install hotfix KB943494 to extend SBS co-existence to 21 days (SBS 2003 only)
• Convert Exchange to Native Mode (SBS 2003 only)

The Migration Preparation Tool will also scan the domain and source servers for errors and misconfigurations that will prevent a successful migration. Some of the things it checks for include:

• Journal Wrap
• Domain\Forest Functional Level
• Services not started
• Updates missing
• Broken replication
• Missing Sysvol Share
• IPv6 Disabled
• Etc.

The tool has two severity levels, errors and warnings. Errors must be fixed before continuing, but warnings can be ignored. Please be very careful when you choose to ignore a warning. We recommend fixing all errors and warnings before continuing. Spending a few minutes to fix a warning beats spending hours restoring from backup and performing a migration over.

Tool Installation

To install the source tool the following prerequisites must be met:

• Software
  • .Net 2.0 SP1
  • Microsoft PowerShell 2.0
  • Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer
• User Permissions
  • Enterprise Admin
  • Schema Admin
  • Domain Admin
• Source Machine
  • Schema Master FSMO Role
  • Infrastructure Master FSMO Role

If you do not meet one or more of the prerequisites you will receive an error:

Once the installation completes you will receive a finish screen as shown below.

Running the Tool

Once the tool has been installed you can launch it using the shortcut on your desktop. The tool will ask you if you want to update the tool before proceeding. We recommend ALWAYS clicking Download and install updates. This will ensure that you are using the newest version with the most recent health checks. The great thing about this is that we can add new health checks for any new issues discovered over the lifetime of the product.

Once the updates are complete you will receive the following screen. We highly recommend that all users have a current, verified, and tested backup in place before beginning a migration. You must check I have a backup and am ready to proceed before you can click next.

Now the tool will prepare your domain for the installation of SBS 2011. Depending on your source domain between 0 and 4 tasks will run at this point. As the tasks complete a green checkmark will appear next to the task. If a task fails it will receive a red check. To figure out why a task failed you can look at the log found in C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Temp\Migration Preparation Logs.

Next the tool will then start scanning for issues. If the tool detects any errors or warnings you will see a screen similar to the one below. You will have a chance to correct the issue(s) and re-scan. If the fix requires a reboot you will need to run the tool again. You can rerun the tool as many times as needed. Be sure to create a 2^nd backup after the fixes have been made.

If the scan detects no errors you will see the following.

Clicking next will take you to the final page.

You can now launch the Answer file generator, review the Migration Guide, and begin your migration.

[Today’s post comes to us courtesy of Michael Leworthy from Windows Server Marketing]

We are happy to announce that today, a few weeks after Windows Small Businesses Server 2011 Standard was released to manufacturing, you can download an evaluation copy of the software directly from our website.

On the same day, our SBS website will be refreshed to help you maximize your experience with the new SBS products. The site’s new graphics, videos, and content are aimed at facilitating the software evaluation and providing additional information and guidance to our customers and partners.

The evaluation kit for SBS 2011 Standard is valid for 180 days. If at any time during or after the evaluation period, you decide that Windows SBS 2011 Standard is the right solution for your business, you can easily convert the evaluation version to a full licensed version. Visit the evaluation page http://www.microsoft.com/sbs/en/us/try-it.aspx to find further information.

Also make sure you check out the new SBS 2011 Standard Training videos plus many more at our new SBS 2011 Showcase site.

So what are you waiting for? Visit the website and download and deploy your copy of the software. Start discovering immediately how Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard can give you greater business capacity and a new competitive edge by helping you get business done faster, be more productive, and stay better connected.