Question : new 2003 SBS Server build gotchas?

I'm going to be setting up a new server with Windows 2003 SBS Standard this weekend. They have 8 users and have been running an NT4 domain.

I want to know if there are any 'gotcha's' I need to consider for this build. It's a brand new machine with plenty of power. I hope to start Friday evening and finish by Monday morning if necessary.

Specifically, can someone point me to a useful tutorial for setting up the system? It's simply a file server but will run a database application running MSDE runtime for a program called ProLaw. I will get tech support involved for installing that.

I also want to be able to have drives mapped automatically and wonder if someone could show me how to do that and where to put the script.

I will copy the data from the NT4 machine over and layout the disk structure (RAID 1), create all the users, assign permissions etc.

I am more nervous about Active Directory than anything, correctly labeling the internal domain name, getting DNS to work correctly etc. They won't have a full time admin but I will be on call to help them from time to time so I would want this to be fairly self maintaining.

Also, whereas I was using VNC to connect to the old NT4 server, I need to have RDP or Terminal Services running to connect to this new machine. Please advise on that.

I will award points after the setup is complete and the users have been to work using the new server for 2 days.

Many thanks...

Answer : new 2003 SBS Server build gotchas?

WOW!!! There are more than a few small errors in bilbus's information.  Bilbus, please take a few moments to learn about SBS before stating such stuff.   You avoid it like the plague probably because either you don't understand it or you don't work with companies that have less than 50 employees and can't afford a multi-server environment.

Leew provided just about the best information, I would only add that one should read http://sbsurl.com/itpro to understand all of SBS's gotcha's if you think you would deploy or manage it in the same way that you would just any Server 2003.  Then, please see my recent response to Leew as to why SBS is different:  http:Q_21831460.html

Finally... this is one product that you have to RTFM!  Because SBS is a pre-configured system, it needs to be deployed as designed.  Then, once things are working properly, you can customize and modify as needed.  Use http://sbsurl.com/start or if you want a well written guide, http://sbsurl.com/best

Jeff
TechSoEasy