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Add-In | Configuration Partition Editor

Oliver Sommer 2008-06-26 The first Windows Essential Business Server Add-In not dev...

ebsfaq.com blog - a three-act play - First non-MS Windows Essential Business Server Add-In reached beta milestone

The first Windows Essential Business Server Add-In not developed by Microsoft has reached it's beta milestone release: http://dnn.ebsfaq.com/AddIns/ConfigurationPartitionEditor/tabid/1704/language/de-DE/Default.aspx It will be downloadable fo...

ebsfaq.com blog - a three-act play - issue running virtualized EBS on Hyper-V RC1

ebsfaq.com blog - a three-act play - First 'Microsoft Update' Patch for Essential Business Server 2008

Oliver Sommer The Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article number 953258 describes a known issue with the EBS administration console where keyboard navigation is not working properly and points to a patch for this issue using Microsoft Upda...

Setup in replacement mode

Oliver Sommer 2008-06-05 The replacement scenario is NOT a replacement fo...

ebsfaq.com blog - a three-act play

Read about EBS and how it's conquering the worlds server closets... :)

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First non-MS Windows Essential Business Server Add-In reached beta milestone

Thursday, June 26, 2008

The first Windows Essential Business Server Add-In not developed by Microsoft has reached it's beta milestone release:
http://dnn.ebsfaq.com/AddIns/ConfigurationPartitionEditor/tabid/1704/language/de-DE/Default.aspx

issue running virtualized EBS on Hyper-V RC1

Friday, June 20, 2008

If you are running into issues with virtualized EBS running on the Release Candidate 1 of Hyper-V (the one that you'll get streamed down by Microsoft Update by now), then you should use the leagacy (older) Networkadapters at least for the EBS Security server (both internal and external).
Both other EBS servers may use the VMBus aware synthetic networkadapters of Hyper-V, but the RC version of Forefront Thread Management Gateway (TMG | exISA) seems to have an issue with those new network adapters, although it worked in former RCs of Hyper-V.

First 'Microsoft Update' Patch for Essential Business Server 2008

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Oliver Sommer

The Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article number 953258 describes a known issue with the EBS administration console where keyboard navigation is not working properly and points to a patch for this issue using Microsoft Update.

Watch this: Extreme Makeover | Server Room Edition :)

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Myths are telling that this project has essentially become Centro which was the prerelease Codename of Essential Business Server 2008 as we know:

Let's get it even more interesting! | Giving away free EBS Domain-Admin Accounts for EVERYONE!

Friday, June 06, 2008

Oliver Sommer

Well we have more then 40 accounts on the virtualized environment intranet.EBSfaq.com by now, how exciting is that!? :)
But I still wanne have MORE!!

So as I did with all account by now withouit writing it here:
I will now give anyone a free EBS Domain-Admin Account to fully testdrive and demo EBS on his own behalf using our virtualized environment.
If you wanne have it demoed at a customer and are worried about availablilita of the environment (it still is a testing environment!) please drop me a mail and I will make sure it will we available during your demo timeframe.

For a FREE Domain-Admin Account drop me a mail to:
o.sommer@trinitycomputer.de

Ok, time to get this a little more interesting

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Oliver Sommer

Ok, I have a challenge to anounce. I wonder if we can stress our virtualized showcase EBS running on https://intranet.ebsfaq.com a little more as if this would be a productional maschine.
(I think we never could make that much workload on it as on a really productional machine, but maybe just a little more.)

This is also a...
heads up to everyone how want's to get in touch or showcase EBS!!

So for that I'd like to invide anyone who want's to have an user account on that boxes to play with and/or to demonstrate EBS technolgies to someone else, to send me an email to o.sommer@trinitycomputer.de and I'll setup those accounts up to when we reach 300 users.
Feel free to request even accounts for customers or whomever you want to show EBS.

I want users on that boxes!!!

You will be able to use:

Remote-Webworkplace
Outlook over the Internet (RPC over HTTPs)
Mobile Device eMail (push using EAS compatible devices)
Connect to computer (RDP) to a virtual Vista SP1 client
Connect to fileshares using OWA and asap Sharepoint

You will have local admin rights on that Vista SP1 client, so you even can install apps there, but don't overact please, I will revert to a prior snapshot if.
Please also be aware that this free offer can be canceled at anytime and for whatever reason, so don't relay your whole business on that Email services.

But please feel free to put some unvaluable emails into that emailbox you get and get it opened by default as secondary homepage into your browser or something.
I really wanne get a feeling how well that virtualized box will run if it's gonne be bombed by 300 users.

I will setup a real public trusted certificate for that domain in short time as long as that you may download that EBS root cert installer using this link:
https://intranet.ebsfaq.com/Remote/ebsfaqcom.zip

A public Thawte certificate has been issued and installed. So you don't need to install the selfsigned one anymore.

Migration to Essential Business Server RC0 successfull

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Oliver Sommer

We just moved our EBS beta 2 deployment to EBS RC0. It mostly went very smoth with just one or two minor fixes needed offside from the how-to-path we got.
Thanks to the EBS product group and our POD, you guys rock.

public Essential Business Server Newsgroup up and running

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Oliver Sommer

Microsoft just setup a public newsgroup for Essential Business Server 2008 and that is gonne be the place we will refer to be the one point of public discusion around EBS:
https://connect.microsoft.com/ebs08/community/discussion/richui/default.aspx

If you need assistence in accessing the EBS NG please go here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver/essential/ebs/community.mspx

EBS RC0 available for public download

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Oliver Sommer

Yesterday Microsoft anounced the public availability of the Essential Business Server 2008 Release Candidate 0. Today I got aware of the actual download link:
http://technet.microsoft.com/de-de/evalcenter/cc184869(en-us).aspx

By now it is only available in english and you need to logon using your Live/Passport account.
Be aware that EBS RC0 is a more than 10 GB Download.

Microsoft published prices for Essential Business Server 2008

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Oliver Sommer

Microsoft just published prices for United Staates in US $ for the Essential Business Server 2008 Standard and Premium Suites and Client Access Licenses (CAL).

All EBS Suites will be available through Open not as full packaged product (FPP), I don't know about OEM and other option by now.

You do not need to buy Premium CAL for Users in a Premium EBS environment that do not access the Premium features (namely the SQL Standard Server), this gives most companys a chance to safe ahugh amount of CAL costs because mostly not all users need to have access to SQL and therefor only need to be licensed with a EBS Standard CAL.

EBS Standard Edition (including 5 CAL) costs are 5472 US$ through Open.
EBS Premium Edition (including 5 CAL) costs are 7163 US$ through Open.

One additional CAL for an user needing access to Standard features is 81 US$.
One additional CAL for an user needing access to Premium features is 195 US$.

Price difference between Standard and Premium CAL seems to be a dicounted SQL CAL mostly.

Comparing these prices to the sum of all standalone products included in the EBS Editions that by now had to be purchased by the targeted businesses there is a discount of 28-30% which seems quite fair to me.

EBS TAP billard evening event in Redmond (thanks HP and AMD)

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Oliver Sommer

On that EBS TAP event here in Redmond we went out to an amazing billard cafè (sponsored by HP and AMD) to have some fun. Mike published some more pictures of that here: http://mikelangowski.com/?p=16

Guitars for TAP Rockstars

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Oliver Sommer

Being here in Redmond at a EBS TAP (technical adaptors program) event some of the best bugging TAPs have been given a electrical guitar signed by EBS PG team members for there engagement during the beta phase of the EBS program.

Mikael Nystrom who also writes on this site has been awarded as the best bugging TAP.

Wow: I got recognized by Dr. J :)

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Oliver Sommer

On my way back from MVP Summit last sunday I found a horribly bad advice to disable the Firewall and other stuff on Chicago's O'Hare Airports Wireless Network Website (http://www.flychicago.com/ohare/concessionsohare/pdf/NewWiFiBrochure.pdf) and send it to an email list we simply call the SBSFamily list, because there are SBS friendly people on it.
Somehow this email made it's way to Jesper Johanson a well known security expert and as he is no longer Microsoft employeed he became MVP - Windows Security.
He found that this PDF advice I found is even worse than I recognized and wrote a blog post about it:
https://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jesper/archive/2008/04/19/today-s-forecast-for-o-hare-lots-of-vulnerable-computers.aspx
Jesper, I feel honored having my name on your blog! :)

Windows Server 2008 vs. EBS and SBS 2008 conversations

Friday, April 18, 2008

Oliver Sommer

Fellow MVP mates Wayne and Dean have just made some very cool and explaining video clips and put them on YouTube.

Hockey Pants

Manuals

SBS vs EBS - The Spanking

How to migrate public folders to EBS Exchange coming from older versions of Exchange

Monday, March 31, 2008

Oliver Sommer

Fellow collegue Robert Adie published a short how to on his blog that deals with standard Exchange public folder migration from Exchange versions prior to 2007 to EBS Exchange server 2007:
http://constantlyconnected.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!8F56349B10A270D4!167.entry

E-Bitz - SBS MVP the Official Blog of the EBS "Diva"

read an exclusive EBS version of Susans well known blog.

How to get EBS installed in 6 gigs or less

http://www.crn.com/software/207603334

So if you want to take a look at the public release of EBS and you only have a 64 bit server that has 6 gigs of ram, I'm here to tell you that you can get EBS up in under 6 gigs. Now you don't want to run it like that..but if you want to see what the install is like here's how you do it.

I used a Windows XP 64 bit (at the time Vista was just out, and I didn't use 2k3. I installed VMWare workstation. The computer has 6 gigs of ram. As you build the three servers, I would built each with 2 gigs at a minumum. Then when I had built the one system, I would go back and pull the ram down. So the first server, the management server was built with 2 to 2.5 gigs and then I stopped it, pulled the ram down to 1.5 gigs. Same for the Messaging server. Built with 3 gigs, pulled back down to 2. Finally the security server, built with 2, pulled back down to 1.

You have to build the Management first, then the Messaging server and join the two. So I would do it like this.

Build management. Shut it off. Adjust memory.

Build Messaging. Shut it off. Adjust memory. Start management server. Join Management and Messaging. Shut them off.

Build Security. Shut it off. Adjust memory. Start Management, then messaging. Join Security to the other two.

You can even consider making a snap image before each of the joins as that makes it a breeze to roll back should you screw something up.

Also take the time to read the network diagram setup. One you have the IP addresses as you intend, it's then easy to enter the IPs as you need them.

But bottom line I can get EBS up and running (admittedly it boots slow) in under 6 gigs in a vmware. Enough to get you to look around and go ...hmmmmmm....

Learn more about EBS

Essential Business Server (EBS) demo with Bjorn | Media | TechNet Edge:
http://edge.technet.com/Media/Essential-Business-Server-EBS-demo-with-Bjorn/

Going from Home Server to SBS to EBS

The question was asked if Microsoft has planned the migrations between Home Server to Small Business Server 2008 to Essential Business Server 2008

The answer is absopositivelutely -- check out this whitepaper from going to SBS to EBS as one example of how they are planning the migration

Download details: Migrating from Windows Small Business Server 2003 to Windows Essential Business Server:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=191b141e-3a1f-4c1b-bd2d-15623751e518&DisplayLang=en

Keep in mind that Home server can actually stay in that migrated SBS network and live side by side if you wanted to.

From the Download site... documents on EBS

The EBS Planning Wizard

http://blogs.technet.com/essentialbusinessserver/archive/2008/04/19/ebs-well-received-at-smb-summit.aspx

Had to laugh...that's the second time I've heard that wizard called EBS Planning Wizard (A.K.A. Mark Stanfill 2.0)

:-)

Looking for Essential Business Server info?

http://dnn.ebsfaq.com/

Olliver who is running EBS in a TAP beta in Germany also runs the EBS web site. Check it out!

Watch this blog -- EBS official blog now live!

The Essential Business Server Team Blog:
http://blogs.technet.com/EssentialBusinessServer/

The Official SBS Blog : Announcement: Windows Essential Business Server Blog Is Now Live!:
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2008/03/10/announcement-windows-essential-business-server-blog-is-now-live.aspx

Want to see Essential Business Server in Action?
Kent Compton : Essential Business Server video shot at IT Forum is now online:
http://blogs.technet.com/kent_compton/archive/2008/02/06/essential-business-server-video-shot-at-it-forum-is-now-online.aspx

And you'll need the Silverlight download to see it...

SBS Next

Mike Walsh's WSS and more - What comes after SBS 2003:
http://mikewalsh.bilsimser.com/PermaLink,guid,b7f071eb-0dc1-405b-8b85-7f268c09c212.aspx

Sorry to disappoint you Mike ... you'll be stuck with us SBSers for a while...

There's a couple of things you missed in that article (I'm assuming it's this one -- http://redmondmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=9226) and for the benefit of others I'll do a heads up here. First off the article Mike is referring to is about Essential Business Server which is not SBS. EBS is not SBS. While the initials may be similar the fact is they are not the same thing.

What is EBS? (and yes Mike, that is it's RTM name) It's a three server solution for mid sized businesses..ones above SBSsized.
A good resource/overview of EBS can be found at Windows Essential Business Server - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Essential_Business_Server

What is SBS Next? Charles' blog has a good overview: Are you Ready for Windows Small Business Server Codename "Cougar"? - In The Know - Charles Van Heusen's Weblog:
http://ts2community.com/blogs/charlesv/archive/2008/01/11/are-you-ready-for-windows-small-business-server-codename-quot-cougar-quot.aspx

The difference between EBS and SBS next will be the size of the client base attached to the network. SBSnext will be the typical small network, EBS will be a larger mid sized firm, like the article said about 250 and below. SBS will still be 75 and below.

And sorry to tell you Mike, SBS Next still has Sharepoint, you are still stuck with us. ;-)

Views of EBS

If you want to see Centro/Essential Business Server in action.. at least from a screen shot view... check out http://www.appscout.com/2007/11/the_skinny_on_centro.php

My guess is that's from the next beta build of EBS

It's official now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Essential_Business_Server

It has a Wikipedia entry.

Packing the essentials....

It's been a day since Centro became Essential Business Server and there's something about the name that bugs me.

Essential.

When I pack "the essentials" for travel, I pack one bag. http://www.roadandtravel.com/travel/traveladvice/2006/travelingessentials.aspx When I take a long term vacation, I have multiple bags. I don't think Centro is "just the essentials". I think it's MORE than the essentials. I think it's at least a two week vacation worth of servers. It's not an overnight bag worth of servers. And if you really had to define an "essential" business server.. wouldn't it be SBS? As it is the perfect overnight rolling bag that makes travelling a breeze and makes a gal agile and able to hop on a flight, not check baggage and fly stand by on flights if I have to, better known as the server that not only solves all my needs but is compact and agile and perfect for an agile firm.

Okay so the luggage analogy may not be the same... but is anyone else besides me thinking of luggage? Essential as a word to me means traveling light and being agile. Centro or EBS's three servers are a overnight case with rolling wheels that allow you to be secure and compliant and bigger and longer stays and.... well... it's a Complete Business Server.

Well that's just my wacky thoughts anyway.

The server formerly known as Centro....

If you want to know more (or sign up for the beta) on Centro ...I mean Essential Business Server...

[MSFT-BE] Arlindo's Blog - IT Pro Evangelist : Windows Essential Business Server - aka Centro:
http://blogs.technet.com/aralves/archive/2007/11/08/windows-essential-business-server-aka-centro.aspx
The SBS, Centro and Windows Home Server Community Lead Blog : Windows Server "Centro" is officially unveiled and has a new name!!:
http://blogs.technet.com/kevin_beares/archive/2007/11/07/windows-server-centro-is-officially-unveiled-and-has-a-new-name.aspx
Windows Server Division WebLog : "Centro" = Windows Essential Business Server:
http://blogs.technet.com/windowsserver/archive/2007/11/07/centro-windows-essential-business-server.aspx
Kent Compton : Windows Server "Centro" has a New Name:
http://blogs.technet.com/kent_compton/archive/2007/11/07/windows-server-centro-has-a-new-name.aspx
Girish's Graffiti : Codename Centro has a name: Windows Essential Business Server:
http://blogs.technet.com/girish/archive/2007/11/07/codename-centro-has-a-name-windows-essential-business-server.aspx
Microsoft Small Business Community Blog : Announcing Windows Essential Business Server - Formerly codename "Centro":
http://blogs.msdn.com/mssmallbiz/archive/2007/11/07/5955270.aspx
The Official SBS Blog : Windows Server "Centro" Is Now Officially Windows Essential Business Server:
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2007/11/07/windows-server-centro-is-now-officially-windows-essential-business-server.aspx

And thank you James.. this IS my favorite Essential Business Server post

James.Random() : Windows Essential Business Server - why didn't they just call it Centro?:
http://blogs.technet.com/james/archive/2007/11/07/windows-essential-business-server-why-didn-t-they-just-call-it-centro.aspx

Essential Business Server

http://blogs.msdn.com/mssmallbiz/archive/2007/11/07/5955270.aspx

Eric Ligman has the info on the name of the Mid Market Server formerly known as Centro.. now Essential Business Server

Centro beta is opening up

The SBS and Centro Community Lead Blog : So, what is "Centro" you ask...........?:
http://blogs.technet.com/kevin_beares/archive/2006/10/24/so-what-is-centro-you-ask.aspx

From now on Tuesday is officially Centro day of the week.... so want to give feedback on the "mid market" server? Here's your chance to be involved on the beta...but keep in mind that it will need 3 64 bit "servers" (I use the term loosely as you could have overgrown workstations, or try to set up some ESX virtualization (but right now I was talking with Brian Desmond and this sounds a bit expensive). This issue I have is that I only have one machine at this time that is 64 bit ready and it's my MCE at home running 32 bit and I'm quite frankly getting a smidge tired of blowing up boxes that are that nice. Most of my 'play toys' are 32 bit which I don't mind blowing up. I still need to see if I can get a dual boot of Longhorn on there and not blow anything up.

I think I'll have to bow out of Centro testing and see if I can set something up for SBS/Longhorn testing as that I can probably get away with a lesser box for that one.