[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Shawn Sullivan from Commercial Technical Support]

For those of you who are operating with a WSS 3.0 site that has a content database approaching or larger than 10GB, you will have to take database size limits into account if you are planning a migration to SBS 2011. SBS 2011 setup installs Sharepoint 2010 Foundation by default, which uses a named instance of SQL 2008 R2 Express to hold the configuration, content, and search databases. Whereas WSS 3.0 uses the Windows Internal Database version of SQL which does not impose a database size limit, SQL 2008 R2 Express imposes a 10GB limit. In preparation for the migration, when you run the prescan utility on a WSS 3.0 content database that is approaching this threshold, two of its checks will fail:

Failed: Databases within this farm are hosted on Windows Internal Database and are larger than or close to 4GB in size.

Failed: Site Collections within this farm are hosted on Windows Internal Database and are larger than or close to 4GB in size.

Note: The 4GB limit mentioned in the rule does not apply to SQL 2008 R2 Express, which increased the limit to 10GB. The 4GB limit is imposed by SQL 2008 Express, which SBS 2011 does not use.

There are two options available if you intend to migrate this content database off of WSS 3.0. You can either try using Remote Blob Storage (RBS) or you can purchase SBS 2011 Premium and upgrade to SQL 2008 R2 Standard. The problem with RBS is that it is so dependent on what is actually in the database that it is not guaranteed to work around the size limit issue and there is still a limit on how large your data can grow. Although a deep technical discussion about RBS is not within the scope of this post, three quick facts from the link above are important to mention here:

• “RBS is designed to move the storage of binary large objects (BLOBs) from database servers to commodity storage solutions.”
  ** This is the primary reason for its existence, to reduce storage costs and not to work around the database size limits of SQL Express.
• “If after you move content into RBS, a content database remains that is larger than 4GB, the migration operation will fail. This failure typically occurs only with very large databases (20 GB or larger), but can also occur if there is a smaller database that contains too much metadata”
  **Once again, referring to the SQL 2008 Express size limit but the same idea applies to R2.
• “If the configuration includes SharePoint databases that are larger than 16GB, RBS is unlikely to provide a full solution to the limitations of SQL Server 2008 Express and SQL Server 2008 R2 Express. In this case, you should be prepared to use SQL Server 2008 Standard or SQL Server 2008 Enterprise to support the SharePoint database.
  **The target is between 10GB and 16GB with minimal room for growth.

For these reasons, we do not recommend using RBS and instead urge you to upgrade to SQL 2008 R2 Standard. The remainder of this post will show you how to accomplish this.

As mentioned before, this edition of SQL is included with SBS 2011 Premium for you to either install on the SBS server itself or onto a second machine running Windows Server (2008 R2 media is also included with Premium). In this part, I will demonstrate how to upgrade the existing R2 Express instance of SharePoint to R2 Standard in preparation for the migration. Subsequent posts in this series will demonstrate how to install a new R2 Standard instance on the second server and how to migrate the content database to it.

1. Load the SBS 2011 Premium media that contains the SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard installation files. Setup should launch automatically but if it doesn’t, launch setup.exe.
   
   
2. On the SQL Server Installation Center window, choose Maintenance on the left and then choose Edition Upgrade.
3. You will run through a handful of rule checks to make sure there are no issues that need to be corrected that will prevent SQL from installing properly. If you run into any warnings or failures, address or fix them then try again. Note: you will receive a warning for installing onto a Domain Controller, this is acceptable on SBS 2011.
4. When asked for the product key, you should find that it is automatically populated for you. Otherwise it can be found on the media package itself.
5. Under Select Instance, choose SHAREPOINT from the drop-down menu. It will run through another series of rule checks before the final upgrade.
   
   
6. Once it finishes, you will be able to verify in SQL Management Studio that its version has changed from Express with Advanced Services to Standard Edition
   1. Click Start > All Programs > Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 > SQL Server Management Studio
   2. Enter <Servername>\Sharepoint and click Connect
   3. Right-click on the instance and choose Properties
   4. The General page is the first to appear, and here you will see the version of the instance:
      
      

At this point, you will be ready to pick up at this step on the SBS 2011 Migration whitepaper. The next part of this series will cover installing the SQL 2008 R2 Standard instance on server two.

[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Sean Daniel]

With yesterday’s RTM of Windows Multipoint Server 2011, I want to show how it can help your Small Business with thin clients, old clients, seasonal employees and even reducing the number of machines in the office. With this release of SBS 2011 Essentials, a new level of integration between MultiPoint and SBS 2011 Essentials is here.  MultiPoint has some features that just work well with SBS, and vice versa.  Let’s take a look at those so you know what to expect.

1. MultiPoint Server can Join the SBS 2011 Essentials Server

That’s right, MultiPoint can go straight to http://server/connect and join just as if it was a client computer.  As the MultiPoint administrator on one of the local sessions, simply browse to the server /connect page and click the Join this Windows PC.  The join is pretty seamless, which then brings us to the next point…

2. Domain users can log into the MultiPoint 2011 Server

Once domain joined, the MultiPoint Server allows all domain users to log in as standard users to the server.  This includes local sessions or remote TS sessions.  This can essentially render the Users tab of MultiPoint useless to you, but now you can manage your users from inside the Small Business Server 2011 dashboard.

3. MultiPoint Server shows up in the SBS 2011 Essentials Server Dashboard

You can see your MultiPoint server in the dashboard, just along with your other clients, it appears online or offline depending on the state of the server.

This now brings me to my next point, because you probably saw that the backup status of this MultiPoint server is Successful

4. MultiPoint 2011 is backed up by SBS 2011 Essentials

As if it’s a client computer, the MultiPoint 2011 Server is backed up as if it’s a client computer.  In fact, it’s the *only* server operating system that can be backed up by the SBS 2011 Essentials backup engine.

5. MultiPoint appears in the Remote Web Access of SBS 2011 Essentials

Last but not least, the MultiPoint 2011 server automatically appears in the Remote Web Access for SBS 2011 Essentials, and users can connect directly to this server remotely. 

Using the SBS 2011 Essentials dashboard, you can control which users have access to this computer simply on their user properties object.

There you have it.  To learn more about MultiPoint Server itself, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows/multipoint/2011.aspx.

[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Dean Paron and Sandrine Skinner]

Hi- This is Dean Paron, Product Unit Manager for Windows MultiPoint Server and Sandrine Skinner, Director of Marketing for Windows MultiPoint Server . We are so pleased to announce to you that today Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 is available on the Download Center and to MSDN and TechNet Subscribers a bit later this week. This availability follows the official hand off of the final release (RTM) of Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 to our OEM partners which happened on February 11, 2011.

Volume License(VL) customers will be able to download and purchase Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 on March 1, 2011. Broader, public availability through partners will start mid-April 2011.

And by the way the evaluation version available on the Download Center today can be turned into a full production version when you purchase your VL license of Windows MultiPoint Server 2011- so there is no need for re-installation.

We also would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our beta testers for providing feedback and helping us refine and enhance the experience for this new product release.

There has been a lot of discussions around Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 over the last few weeks: it started at the BETT show, the largest tradeshow of Education technology, that took place in London early January where we first had the opportunity to showcase face to face Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 to customers and partners from around the world.

In our previous blogs around the Beta , we mentioned what’s new in Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 versus the previous release of Windows MultiPoint Server (WMS 2010) in terms of features and functionality.

We would like to also mention what’s new in terms of channel availability and SKU availability for Windows MultiPoint Server 2011:

*Actual number of connected sessions is based on host computer hardware capacity (CPU, memory, etc.), station hardware configuration (RemoteFX, PCI-E or USB) and usage workloads

As you can see in the table above, we now have 2 editions, Standard and Premium which have the same features and functionality except for the ability to join a domain, and ability to run as Hyper-V host or guest, which are only available in the Premium edition. Also the Premium edition is broadly available to customers and resellers through OEM and OEM Academic as well as through Volume Licensing Open Commercial and Academic.

Again VL customers will have access to Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 on the VL download site on March 1, 2011.

Also worth mentioning, we even had our own famous internal Windows 7 blogger, we’re sure you know him already, Brandon LeBlanc, who’s blogging about his experience with Windows MultiPoint Server 2011: check it out here at this link: http://windowsteamblog.com

We’re so excited about this release as in the WMS team we’re super passionate about delivering technology to help our Teachers and Students thrive and providing them with a Windows 7 experience, even as their school’s or campus’ IT budgets have been slashed.

Here’s the link to the Download Center for your convenience- Happy Windows MultiPoint Server 2011!!!!

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

If you uncheck the IPv6 protocol from your network interface card on your Windows SBS 2011 server you may see the following issues after a reboot:

• Microsoft Exchange services fail to start
• Server hangs at "Applying Computer Settings..."  (can eventually logon after 30 - 60 minutes)
• Network icons show as offline
• Some or all of the following events

This can also happen on SBS 2008 servers when IPv6 is disabled incorrectly/incompletely.

Application Log Events

Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchange ADAccess
Date: 1/12/2011 3:02:20 PM
Event ID: 2102
Task Category: Topology
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SBS7.contoso.local
Description:
Process MSEXCHANGEADTOPOLOGYSERVICE.EXE (PID=1736). All Domain Controller Servers in use are not responding:
SBS7.contoso.local

Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchangeRepl
Date: 1/12/2011 3:01:39 PM
Event ID: 3154
Task Category: Service
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SBS7.contoso.local
Description:
Active Manager failed to mount database Mailbox Database on server SBS7.contoso.local. Error: An Active Manager operation failed. Error: The database action failed. Error: Operation failed with message: MapiExceptionNotFound: Unable to mount database. (hr=0x8004010f, ec=-2147221233)

Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchangeRepl
Date: 1/12/2011 3:01:38 PM
Event ID: 3154
Task Category: Service
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SBS7.contoso.local
Description:
Active Manager failed to mount database Public Folder Database <> on server SBS7.contoso.local. Error: An Active Manager operation failed. Error: The database action failed. Error: Operation failed with message: MapiExceptionNotFound: Unable to mount database. (hr=0x8004010f, ec=-2147221233)

Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchange Mailbox Replication
Date: 1/12/2011 3:01:08 PM
Event ID: 1007
Task Category: Service
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SBS7.contoso.local
Description:
The Mailbox Replication service was unable to determine the set of active mailbox databases on a mailbox server.
Mailbox server: SBS7.contoso.local
Error: MapiExceptionNetworkError: Unable to make admin interface connection to server. (hr=0x80040115, ec=-2147221227)

Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchangeIS
Date: 1/12/2011 3:00:46 PM
Event ID: 5000
Task Category: General
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SBS7.contoso.local
Description:
Unable to initialize the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service. - Error 0x96f.

Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchangeIS
Date: 1/12/2011 3:00:46 PM
Event ID: 1121
Task Category: General
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SBS7.contoso.local
Description:
Error 0x96f connecting to Active Directory.

Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchange ADAccess
Date: 1/12/2011 3:00:37 PM
Event ID: 2604
Task Category: General
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SBS7.contoso.local
Description:
Process MSEXCHANGEADTOPOLOGY (PID=1736). When updating security for a remote procedure call (RPC) access for the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service, Exchange could not retrieve the security descriptor for Exchange server object SBS7 - Error code=80040a01.
The Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service will continue starting with limited permissions.

Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchangeThrottling
Date: 1/12/2011 3:00:33 PM
Event ID: 1002
Task Category: General
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SBS7.contoso.local
Description:
The Microsoft Exchange Throttling Service encountered an Active Directory error while building an RPC security descriptor. This failure may indicate that no Domain Controllers are available at this time. The service will be stopped. Failure details: Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.NoSuitableServerFoundException: The Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service on server localhost did not return any suitable domain controllers.

Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchangeRPC
Date: 1/12/2011 3:00:29 PM
Event ID: 1008
Task Category: General
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SBS7.contoso.local
Description:
Encountered unexpected error when starting MSExchangeRPC service. Error details: The wait operation timed out (258)

Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchangeProtectedServiceHost
Date: 1/12/2011 3:00:27 PM
Event ID: 2011
Task Category: General
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SBS7.contoso.local
Description:
An unexpected failure has occurred. No modules were loaded and the service will perform no work. Diagnostic information:
Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Directory.NoSuitableServerFoundException: The Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service on server localhost did not return any suitable domain controllers.

Log Name: Application
Source: MSExchangeRepl
Date: 1/12/2011 3:00:18 PM
Event ID: 2155
Task Category: Service
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: SBS7.contoso.local
Description:
The Third Party Replication Manager could not access Active Directory. Error: The Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service on server localhost did not return any suitable domain controllers.. Initialization will be retried automatically.

Resolution

To resolve this issue all you have to do is re-check IPv6 in the properties of you NIC and reboot.

NOTE: IPv4 must also be enabled.

Properly Disabling IPv6

SBS 2011, like SBS 2008, is designed to fully support IPv6 and has IPv6 enabled by default.  Most users should never need to disable IPv6, however if you must disable IPv6 here is how to disable it properly:

Important: This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/)

1. Uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) on your Network Card.
2. In Registry Editor, locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters\
3. Double-click DisabledComponents to modify the DisabledComponents entry.
   Note If the DisabledComponents entry is unavailable, you must create it. To do this, follow these steps.
   1. In the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value.
   2. Type DisabledComponents, and then press ENTER.
   3. Double-click DisabledComponents.
4. Enter "ffffffff" (eight f’s), and then click OK:
   
   
5. Reboot the SBS 2011 server.

RRAS (VPN) Note: If you plan to enable VPN on your SBS 2011 server, you MUST also Export and then Delete the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RemoteAccess\RouterManagers\Ipv6

If you do not delete this key you will get an 20103 Event when trying to start RRAS with IPv6 disabled.  You must reboot after removing this key.

For more information please see:

• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/952842
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929852

[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Damian Leibaschoff from Commercial Technical Support]

During the operating system portion of the Small Business Server 2011 Standard installation, you will reach a screen that asks what type of installation do you want. The options here are two: Upgrade or Custom (advanced). You can only use the Custom (advanced) option to successfully install SBS 2011 Standard, there is NO in-place upgrade path from previous versions of Windows or SBS.

SBS 2011 Standard is built on top of Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard and this is a behavior that derives from that integration.

If you want to add SBS 2011 Standard to a network where SBS already exists, you will need to follow the migration documentation found here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg490796.aspx. This documentation will also help you add SBS 2011 Standard to an existing domain where there is no SBS product currently in place.

[Today's post comes to us courtesy of Shawn Sullivan from Commercial Technical Support]

SBS 2011, just like SBS 2008, includes a backup wizard that is integrated into the SBS console for the purpose of allowing administrators to quickly create a robust backup/restore strategy without requiring them to have prior experience in Windows backup technology. It’s a simple custom interface that calls upon the native Windows Server Backup utility to do its work while keeping much of the underlying complexity in the background. In particular, it's designed to give the administrator no choice but to configure a recurring backup job that will perform a full backup of all critical volumes that is Bare Metal Recovery capable. At the same time, it allows you to select any additional data drives that you wish to include in the job.  If you have Exchange, Sharepoint, or SQL data on any of the drives you select, that data will be backed up as well.  In fact, with the exception of the default daily backup schedule (12:00pm and 11:00pm instead of 5:00pm and 11:00pm), the flow of the wizard and its options are identical to what they were in SBS 2008. For more details you can read our previous post on the SBS Backup Wizard.

What has changed is the feature set available through the native Windows Server Backup utility. Several options that were absent from the Windows Server 2008 version have been added in Windows Server 2008 R2. However, with the design intention on being as simple as possible, the SBS Backup Wizard does not expose or leverage these new options. You can still use them, but you just have to use the Windows Server Backup console, the WBADMIN command line tool, or the PowerShell snap-In to do so:

• Individual file selection is not limited just to restore operations, but for backup as well.
• You can exclude file types and paths from backup selection.
• You can target just the System State data for backup and restore from the Windows Server Backup Console now.
  • You can also include the System State along with files, volumes, or applications in the same backup job without performing a full server backup.
• Network shares are now valid targets to store backups.
  • Note: If you store backups in a network share, only one version of your backup will be maintained. You will be required to overwrite the existing backup.
• The WBADMIN command line tool has been expanded to accommodate the new features.
• A new PowerShell snap-in for Windows Server Backup is available.

If you are interested in learning more about or implementing these, you should start here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee344835(WS.10).aspx.