SBS 2008 and EBS 2008: The View from the Trenches

The Microsoft product teams responsible for developing Windows Essential Business Server (EBS) 2008 and Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2008 proudly emphasize how much research they performed to ensure that the products met customer needs. To balance Microsoft’s perspective, Windows IT Pro asked two respected SBS MVPs, Susan Bradley and Nick Whittome, to candidly discuss the products from the community perspective. Has Microsoft’s research paid off for the people who will be deploying SBS and EBS? Here’s how Susan and Nick see the new launches.

Start with the Essential
As an SBS MVP, Susan looks at EBS as an extension of SBS and even hearkens back to the product that was the ancestor of both: “Anyone old enough to remember Microsoft BackOffice Server in the Windows NT 4.0 era will likely think of EBS as BackOffice’s fully developed descendent. The goal of EBS is to bring to the midmarket what SBS has brought to small businesses.”

However, Susan is quick to note, “EBS is not just SBS expanded to incorporate three, or potentially four, servers.” The architecture of EBS breaks down a network into IT roles. Reflecting this structure, “EBS 2008 Standard edition encompasses three server roles (Management Server, Messaging Server, Security Server), and EBS 2008 Premium adds a Database Server role.”

Susan describes each EBS server role, starting with the Management Server: “This server needs to be 64-bit, and Microsoft recommends a minimum of 4GB of RAM. Windows Server 2008 and Microsoft System Center Essentials (SCE) 2007 reside on this first server, which is also the primary domain controller for the EBS network. The SCE role on this server also provides management, monitoring, and patch deployment for the network. SCE lets you set up alerts and scans to monitor the network.”

The Management Server is crucial for preparing your EBS rollout. As Susan explained, “When you deploy the three EBS boxes, this is the server that starts the process and provides the guidance for setting up the remaining servers. Like SBS 2008, EBS includes tools for migrating from an existing platform such as an older version of Windows Server. These tools assess the condition of your current system, examining such aspects as your Active Directory (AD) infrastructure. EBS tools also assist in extending your schema to prepare for migration. After you’ve completed the preparation through the tools, you begin the process of moving your network to three servers with the distinct roles.”

Susan has found the migration assistance valuable: “These tools are an excellent feature for both the network administrator and consultants. You can run these planning tools on your existing AD or non-AD environment and improve the ability to successfully migrate to an EBS-based network.” (For Microsoft’s explanation of these tools and the top issues associated with them, see “SBS 2008 and EBS 2008 Build on Knowledge Every IT Shop Needs.” )

Moving on to the Messaging Server, Susan says, “Email is a key feature of EBS, and the second server houses Exchange Server 2007. This server—which is also a second domain controller for the network, for redundancy—will be your largest server of the three in hardware and RAM requirements. Plan accordingly for this box. Although the minimum memory requirement is 4GB, use the normal Exchange 2007 scaling guidance, and calculate your needs based on the number of users connecting to it and using its services. EBS also includes a one-year subscription to Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server.”

The Security Server’s role is to protect “the edge of the network. In addition to serving the Edge Transport role of Exchange 2007, it includes Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway, which is the successor to Microsoft ISA Server.” Susan continued, “The Security server requires the least processing horsepower of EBS’s three servers, but it still needs a 64-bit server with at least 2GB of RAM. I’ve not seen it get taxed when adhering to that requirement.”

For companies that require database support, EBS also has a Database Server role. Susan explained, “If you opt for EBS Premium, you’ll receive an additional copy of Windows Server 2008 Standard plus Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard edition.”

These roles provide the basic IT infrastructure for a midsized business. However, Susan noted a gap: “With all the roles and servers that I listed, you might be surprised to find one missing. I know I did during the beta testing. The role I wanted from the initial deployment was Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) 3.0. EBS will, however, include a console add-on that lets you manage WSS like the other server roles. You can install SharePoint on the Management Server, but it’s recommended to place it on a separate server. Microsoft supports WSS 3.0 as an additional server, as long as you purchase the necessary separate licenses.”

EBS: The Good and the Bad
Susan approves of the wizard-based deployment model that EBS inherited from SBS—and the EBS model gives administrators more flexibility and choices than the SBS wizards. Plus, the inclusion of planning aids “ensures that when you migrate from an existing network, you can ensure that AD is in a healthy condition.” In addition, Susan applauds the fact that “hardware manufacturers such as HP are already offering blade server solutions specifically for EBS deployment.”

A technology that will likely prove very popular is the Remote Web Workplace portal, which EBS has adopted from SBS. Susan explains, “This website allows secure remote access to Windows Vista and Windows XP workstations. Microsoft supports the separate purchase of Terminal Server licenses, which you can deploy on an additional server. You can also deploy Terminal Services Remote Applications.”

On the less positive side, Susan points out that EBS “includes Forefront Threat Management Gateway in the Security Server role. Because you can’t and shouldn’t move Exchange 2007’s Edge Transport server role from this server, you’ll seriously hinder your messaging deployment if you decide not to deploy the Security Server role. So if you want to maintain your existing firewall, make sure you place it in front of the Security Server role. Then you can continue to use your firewall solution as it stands today. Some would argue that this setup adds complexity while others argue that it adds an additional layer of protection in front of the server.”

In summary, Susan predicts that “the biggest hurdle will be the hardware investment that EBS requires. In many midsized organizations, purchasing three or four servers at one time might not be feasible.”

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