Help and Suggestions for Server 2003 SBS

Hello,

I am looking for some help and suggestions in how to configure a new server I just received from Dell that has 2003 SBS pre-installed. This server will be used as a file server and is a replacement for a 5-year old box that is running W2K server. Here are my questions:

1. I currently do not use Exchange for email. I have a small LAN with 4 users. Each is set up with Outlook 2003 and is using our ISPs POP3 and SMTP servers. The 4 PST files are all stored on the file server to ensure they are backed up daily. The PST files are roughly 1.5 GB combined.

This new server comes with Exchange. For a small network like mine, are there any huge advantages to changing from my current set-up to Exchange. If so, how easy/difficult is it to set-up/learn Exchange?

2. During the initial set-up Windows asked for the name of my local domain. I entered a name even though my current server does not use a domain controller. Instead I use a work group where all of the devices have a fixed IP address. When I went to look under "My Network Places ", I saw two entries, one for the local domain and another for my fixed IP address.

Can I set-up 2003 SBS as a work group, just like I did with my W2K server?

The Work group field is grayed out. Do I need to delete/demote my local domain before I can enter my work group name? If so, how do I do that?

Hope this makes sense. This is my first experience with Windows 2003.

Thanks,
Chip

 

If you use Exchange, you'll also get some nice features like shared calendars. However, it's not something to be entered into lightly. On a very small network like yours, where you are happy with the current system, I'd suggest you stick with what you have.

Definitely move over to a domain model rather than workgroups. That is, a system working as client server rather than peer to peer. It's the way Windows systems like to be networked together, and most windows networking works best if the PC are part of a domain.

I'd strongly recommend that you use a local domain name. E.g. companyname.local. Avoid using your internet DNS name space (typically companyname.com).

Make sure you install and configure DNS and DHCP to work together, and ensure all PCs have their DNS set up to use the server's DNS.

One issue with moving over to the domain system is that your users will get new profiles on their PC. Use the "Files and setting transfer wizard" to move all their settings and profile information to the new profiles.

I'd recommend you consider doing on a Microsoft training course to give you the basic skills that will help you get the best out of you server. For example, this one should be a good start:

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/syllabi/en-us/2395Afinal.mspx

I hope that helps.

 

Thanks and Addition Questions

Thanks Reggie. I agree and have decided against using Exchange.

OK, I decided to set up a domain. As you suggested, it is companyname.local. I also modified one of my desktops by taking it out of the workgroup and placing it in the domain.

However, since I have done this I have seen a few troubling things. First, when I go to log in it takes 30+ seconds for my desktop to load. Is this normal? This is probably triple the time it took to load when I was using a 5-year old server set up for a workgroup. It takes this long despite multiple log in cycles.

In addition, there is an annoying delay from the time I select Log Off to when it actually logs off.

This doesn't make sense to me because my new server is so much faster than my old one. What could be causing this?

Reggie, my entire network and firewall is configured using static IPs. I decided to stay with fixed IPs as opposed to using DHCP. Is this OK given that I have so few IP addresses (less than 10)?

In terms of DNS, maybe this is the problem. My desktop is still pointing to my ISPs DNS servers. Should it be pointing to the Domain Controller instead?

Reggie, you are 100% right about the user profiles. Where do I find the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard?

The class is a great idea. Unfortunately, my schedule is such that I can not take it for at least a few months. So I am hoping you and other members will help me get this new server running.

 

Slow Logon/Logoff

Once you've joined a workstation to an Active Directory Domain, DNS is everything. DNS acts as the central naming service for an AD domain. An essential DNS function in a Win2K3 network is to help computers find DCs. Then the client can process group policy objects from the site-domain-OU levels. There is alot more going on under the hood than this but pointing your clients to the DC that is running DNS is a good start.

 

Thanks JS! Once I changed my client's primary DNS from my ISP to my domain controller, I saw a huge difference in boot time. Before it was taking close to 3 minutes to boot - now I am down to 60 seconds. Once I type in my domain password, my desktop is loaded in 15 seconds or less.

Perhaps you can help me with a few other things?

First, when I log off a box pops up that is synchronizing some personal settings from MY OLD server. Once I am all finished with the set-up, the old server will be disconnected from the LAN and re-configured for another use. Is there some tool or method I can use to move all of my settings off my old server and onto my new one?

Also, ReggieB said I should Use the "Files and setting transfer wizard" to move all their settings and profile information to the new profiles. How do I do this?

Finally, do you know how I can check my Cluster Allocation Unit size? I want to use Diskeeper Server Edition to defrag my OS partition (which is heavily fragmented). However, the partition is running running VSS Shadow Copy. I read that I should only use Diskeeper if my Cluster Allocation Unit size is 16KB or larger. Otherwise, the VSS will treat all data moved as part of the defrag as new data, and will quickly fill up.

Thanks for all the help!

 

Offline Folder Synchronization
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307853
When you logoff from where? i.e. the server console or a workstation? If this occurs when you logoff, you more than likely have Offline folders enabled. The article listed above tells how to configure offline folders and files.

Files and setting transfer wizard
This is a step-by-step documentation provided by Microsoft for using the wizard.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457074.aspx

Cluster Allocation Unit
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/814594
To determine the current cluster size and volume statistics, run a read-only chkdsk command from a command prompt.

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. At the command prompt, type the following command:

chkdsk X:

where X: is the letter of the drive that you want to check.

3. Click OK.

The output screen should look similar to this. Look for the line that says "xxxx bytes in each allocation unit ".

H:\>chkdsk c:
The type of the file system is NTFS.

WARNING! F parameter not specified.
Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
File verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes (stage 2 of 3)...
Index verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors (stage 3 of 3)...
Security descriptor verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal...
Usn Journal verification completed.

78122951 KB total disk space.
52881620 KB in 87799 files.
31816 KB in 7574 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
188019 KB in use by the system.
25152 KB occupied by the log file.
25021496 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit. <-----------Your Cluster size.
19530737 total allocation units on disk.
6255374 allocation units available on disk.

On the issue of disk use. Are you running a hardware RAID? What model of Dell server did you purchase? What level of support contract did you purchase?

 

Hi JS,

Wow, I am always amazed by the detailed responses members provide in this forum. I just returned from driving my daughter to school, so I will need a few minutes to look into your cluster size suggestion.

First, the delay happens when I log off from a client. I will look into your Offline folders comment.

I will also let you know what my Cluster Allocation Unit.

In terms of my server, it is a Dell PowerEdge R300 that has two hot swappable 750GB SATA drives configured as RAID1 with a hardware controller. I also purchased three years of their Pro support. Last night I was on hold for 20+ minutes waiting for a Dell support technician. That was unusual - normally their service is fantastic. I did not purchase their installation service (partially because I did not know I was going to have to change from a work group to a domain controller). Your help is greatly appreciated. I can't wait to finish the installation.

On an aside, I am really excited about this new server. It is replacing a PowerEdge 600SC that has a whopping 36GB of capacity. This new server is so much faster!

 

Cluster Size

Hi JS,

I just ran the chkdsk and learned that I have the same cluster size as you - 4KB.

Are you familiar with Diskeeper? I believe the company licenses their technology to MS for the defrag that is built into Windows. When you analyze a drive you get a colored chart. Red denotes fragmented files. My C partition where the OS is installed is more than 50% red!! I can defrag my other partitions without any problem.

Do you have any suggestions? I can change Diskeeper's settings to defrag a VSS drive. They just warned me that the VSS folder can easily fill up with phony changes.

Chip

 

Windows Defrag

I am not very familiar with Disk Keeper's product. I am very familiar with Microsoft's continual battle over NT operating systems and defragging. If you'll recall the NT4 days there wasn't even an option to defrag built into the OS.

The 16k cluster size is a VSS (Volume Shadow Copy) problem. VSS strictly looks at file system access to determine if it needs to take a snapshot of a file that was changed on access. This is called a copy-on-write process. The default cluster size for NTFS (in order to reach volume sizes greater than 2 gigabyte & up to 2 terabyte) is 4kb.

Shadow copies may be lost when you defragment a volume
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/312067

I would definately look through the Disk Keep info on this one. Surely someone has come accross this before.