New Blog Location

If you stumbled across this website, congratulations!  Actually, this site was a test to see how easy it was to; a) import an existing blog from Blogger/Blogspot and b) test the interface, speed and functionality of WordPress.

I can honestly say that WordPres is a slam dunk. So I moved the blog over here:

http://www.nogeekleftbehind.com

Enjoy! 

 -Tim Barrett
(This old site at https://nogeekleftbehind.wordpress.com is officially dead)

SBS Chat Tomorrow (18 April 2006)

Chat: Small Business Server Live!
Date: Tuesday, April 18 2006
Time: 7:00 PM Eastern (GMT -5)

Got Small Business Server and want to get help administering it or help others to get the most out of it? Share your SBS stories with others on Tuesday, April 18 at 7 pm Eastern (4 pm Pacific); Microsoft MVP and SBS expert Andy Goodman will be there as master of ceremonies.

URL: http://chat.mcpmag.com/chats/default.asp

SBS Comes to the Great Unwashed Masses

Tired of paying your hard-earned dollars to Dell, HP, CDW, BestBuy or the Geek Squad for your SBS server hardware. Look out because there's a new sherriff in town. Now my favorite online gadget retailer Newegg aims squarely at the SMB market with their first-ever (as far as I know) webcast on building a SBS rig:

Title: More with Less – Build a Full-Service Small Office/Home Office Network with Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 and an AMD Opteron-based Server
Event Date : April 20th, 2006
Event Time : 4:30 PM Eastern
Duration: 60 minutes
URL: http://promotions.newegg.com/Microsoft/WebCast/index.html

Click here to register. The SBS market is really starting to open up, and this should be pretty interesting…

Whitepaper – Installing SBA 2006 on SBS

Title: "How to Install and Configure Small Business Accounting 2006 on Windows Small Business Server 2003"
File name: SBAandSBS.doc
Version: 1.1
Published: 3/23/2006
Language: English
Download size: 184KB

Description: Microsoft Office Small Business Accounting 2006 can be installed on a standalone computer, or on a peer-to-peer network environment for multiple users.

If you centralize the database to run on Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, multiple people can use Small Business Accounting 24×7, they can remotely access Small Business Accounting, and backups are performed automatically. To properly configure Small Business Accounting 2006 to run on a Windows Small Business Server 2003 network, follow the steps in this document.

1. Set Up a Security Group and Shared Folder for SBA in Windows SBS
2. Set Up SBA on the Server
3. Move SBA Company Data File to Shared Folder
4. Set Up Client Computers to Use SBA
5. Back Up the SBA Database with Windows SBS
6. Create a Rule for ADP
7. Rerun the CEICW

Download the whitepaper here.

Source: http://bink.nu/Article6550.bink

Training – Information Worker’s Guide to SBS

Title: Information Worker’s Guide to the Windows SBS Computer Network
File Name: iworkrgd.exe
Version: 1.0
Date Published: 3/10/2006
Language: English
Download Size: 8.6MB

Description: Through a series of interlinked PowerPoint shows or "modules," the "Information Worker's Guide to the Windows SBS Computer Network" provides users with a high-level overview of the Windows SBS network. There are four modules:

• What is Windows SBS?
• Your Company's Network
• Working Remotely
• Connecting with a Mobile Device

As they progress through the modules, users learn how Windows SBS can help them keep company data secure, improve personal and team productivity, and communicate more effectively with customers and co-workers. Along the way, they are introduced to Windows SBS features and functionality and to the basic scenarios of working remotely and staying connected.

Administrators: To make this guide available to users of a Windows SBS computer network, download and run this file on your server computer. After running the file, view the readme file for more information about how to complete the installation.

Download here.

Whitepaper – Deploying Windows Mobile 5.0 with SBS 2003

Title: Deploying Windows Mobile 5.0 with Windows Small Business Server 2003
File Name: Deploying_WM5_with_SBS2003.doc
Version: 1.0
Date Published: 3/6/2006
Language: English
Download Size: 987 KB

Description: This white paper provides step-by-step instructions for deploying Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 5.0 powered devices in an IT infrastructure that is based on the Microsoft® Windows® Small Business Server 2003 (Windows SBS) server software. It is assumed that the readers have a basic understanding of Windows Mobile and experience in deploying and managing Windows SBS. This white paper is ideal for users who already have a Windows SBS-based infrastructure deployed and want to add Windows Mobile devices to that infrastructure.

Step-by-step instructions include:

• INSTALLING ACTIVESYNC 4.1
• ENABLING MOBILE SERVICES FOR USERS
• CONFIGURING THE FIREWALL AND WEB SERVICES
• DEPLOYING AN SSL CERTIFICATE
• CONFIGURING WINDOWS SBS FOR MSFP
• CONFIGURING DEVICE SYNCHRONIZATION
• TESTING THE DEPLOYMENT

Download here

Your Mailbox Is Closed

Yesterday I had (to borrow a phrase from Susan), a 'blonde moment':

From: System Administrator
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 12:00 AM
To: Tim Barrett
Subject: Your mailbox is closed
Importance: High

Your mailbox has exceeded one or more size limits set by your administrator.
Your mailbox size is 258071 KB.
Mailbox size limits:
You will receive a warning when your mailbox reaches 175000 KB.
You cannot send or receive mail when your mailbox reaches 200000 KB.You may not be able to send or receive new mail until you reduce your mailbox size.
To make more space available, delete any items that you are no longer using or move them to your personal folder file (.pst).
Items in all of your mailbox folders including the Deleted Items and Sent Items folders count against your size limit.
You must empty the Deleted Items folder after deleting items or the space will not be freed.
See client Help for more information.

Note to self: Leave the 'Automatically download enclosures/attachments' unchecked for the Channel 9 Videos RSS feed. After nuking the contents of the folder, I'm back down to a more respectable 107MB (I archive anything older than 90 days).

In my defense, I will state that I checked the download attachments button (on purpose) because I wanted to stream the Channel 9 videos to my Pocket PC using www.orb.com.

Unfortunately, NewsGator only stores the videos in the Exchange store – not on the local hard drive. No joy. But Orb still spanks the llama though – it's better than SlingBox!!

Get Your Learn-On Across The Pond

Not since Jackie Chan filmed "Who Am I?" in Rotterdam has so fine a cast of talent invaded the Netherlands. Behold:

SMB Nation Amsterdam 2006!
April 6-7 2006

Hear from these world-class speakers (fight card subject to change):

• The Magical M&M's – Mariette Knap & Marina Roos (Netherlands)
• Susanne Dansey (UK)
• Mark Mulvany (Ireland)
• Ulrich Schluter (Germany)
• Beatrice Mulzer (USA, Germany)
• Harry Brelsford (USA)
• Jeff Middleton (USA)
• Karl Palachuk (USA)
• Matthew Dickerson (Australia)
• David Overton (UK)

Be sure and attend 'SMB Nation's European Vacation'!

Sign up TODAY (before 1 March) at www.smbnation.com and save 50 EURO (that's $70 US folks). If you miss the Early Bird discount, it's still only 350 EURO ($425 US). So get moving!!

R2-Poo-Poo

In the last 2 days I saw Guy Haycock present SBS R2, and Eric Ligman talked about licensing. Eric & Guy both did a great job, and it got me thinking, "What would I like to see in the perfect SBS R2 webcast?"

Here's my answer:
(And keep in mind, many of these points were in the other, 2 webcasts – this is the 1 perfect SBS R2 / Office / Vista small business opportunity webcast)

– Talk about SQL 2005 better performance out of the box, high availability
– R2 branch office scenario – minimum scenario & associated costs
– More time on WSUS integration demo, specifically updates for IMF, etc.
– Upgrading – is it an in-place upgrade from R1 SP1 or do you have to ‘Swing’ it
– CALs for member servers
– Specifically, what pieces of WS R2 made it into SBS R2
– Does R2 use a different Transition Pack SKU if you want to go past 75 CALs?
– Where is the Software Assurance sweet-spot for SBS upgrades?

First things first:
– R2 on new SBS boxes is a no-brainer. Hands-down.
– If you are selling new hardware TODAY, it MUST be 64-bit. Hands-down.

However, the vibe I hear from the Partners is that they don’t plan on selling *ANY* R2 as upgrades – only new box installs. They say, “Just hold off another year or so until the next ‘real’ version comes out.” But that’s flawed thinking, because Cougar is 64-bit only, and most (practically ALL) small businesses currently have 32-bit servers.

Sure, I agree that upgrading from SBS 2003 SP1 to R2 is stupid. And that’s why everybody loves to slam R2 like its Windows ME. It’s fun to poo-poo R2 and thumb your nose at it. Unfortunately you can’t hear the value of R2 over the roar of naysayers dissing it for being ‘a bunch of free downloads burned on CD and slapped in a box”. The chat transcripts and blogs echo that negative sentiment.

But the value is there underneath the noise. For those SBS 2000 boxes out there at client sites not willing to commit to x64 hardware, R2 is a slam dunk. I hate to see SBS stall in the R2 era the way it did in the ‘pre-SP1’ era – everyone holding their breath waiting for the next big thing. We lost a lot of momentum, and that’s hard to recapture.

We agree that new boxes get SBS R2 (nuff said).

BUT, R2 also needs to be pushed (as an upgrade to SBS 2K) bundled with SA through Open License to get those get those stray SBS 2000 boxes up to speed. R2 gets installed today on the client’s x32 SBS 2000 dogs in mid ’06. So they can eke another 18-24 months out of their current hardware (without pulling the trigger on 64-bit) and they have the ace up their sleeve of the Software Assurance free spin for Cougar. The longer they wait to buy 64-bit hardware, the cheaper (or faster) it will be.

Right now somebody is out there complaining, “But the customer will have to pay labor on a Swing Migration in ’06, and x64 hardware and ANOTHER Swing Migration in ’08 – they’ll never go for that!” The answer is, YES THEY WILL – because:

a) They’re splitting their payments over 3 Years with SA
b) If you bundle XP & Office into the package with one of Eric’s ‘fries with that’ SKUs, they get Vista & Office 12 AND the SBS CAL AND home use AND training AND etc.
c) They’re getting an extra 18-24 months out of their current x32 hardware
d) SBS Premium customers will get BETTER performance out of SQL 2005 than 2000 on the SAME HARDWARE
e) They’re getting more bang for their buck when they finally do buy x64 hardware
f) Your customers will be on current technology for the next 3 YEARS for less than $1 per day per employee

A friend of mine called my cell 20 minutes ago from BestBuy, asking if the Gateway AMD Athlon X64 X2 4200 dual-core desktop machine for $869 is a good deal. So how cheap do you think x64 servers will be in ’07? In ’08? Are you really doing your client a favor by selling them R2 on new hardware today? If they’ve got enough life left in their boxes to coast into the Cougar launch window (whenever that is) with their x32 gear – I say let ‘em.

From where I sit, the formula ‘Install SBS R2 = automatic new hardware’ doesn’t compute. If you disagree with me, you know where the comment button is.

Presto Chango

The SBS 2003 Transition Pack lets you turn your SBS box into a 'standard' Windows 2003 Server. It removes the 75-user limit, allows the core components to be separated to other servers, and leaves the SBS Wizards installed.

Sound interesting? Then be sure and check out the upcoming 'Inside SBS' team webcast this Wednesday (22 Feb 2006 – 11:00 AM Central US).

The show starts live at 11:00 AM CST.
Phone number for the live call-in portion of the podcast:
(866) 500-6738
Use participant code: 7508158

Source: Inside SBS Blog