Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!

Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!

  • Congratulations gkittelson on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

Can SBS be configured as workgroup?

Status
Not open for further replies.

eys

Programmer
Mar 5, 2001
28
MX
Some guy in Dell told me that he is not sure that Server2003 SBS can work under workgroup configuration.

Is this true?

I have a Server2003 already configured as workgroup but i'm not sure if SBS (RC2) it can.

Thanks

Jose Carlos
 
If you installed SBS correctly, it's the root of an AD forest. If yours isn't, it wasn't installed correctly.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -
 
From your question, I'm assuming that you haven't already bought this server?

SBS can ONLY be deployed as a Domain Controller at the root of the AD forest. It cannot even be configured without a domain, so the easy answer to your question is the guy at Dell should have been sure that the answer is NO, you cannot install SBS into a workgroup.

SBS is a use-specific, preconfigured server which is intended to be the central backbone of a network with less than 75 users or devices. It cannot be used in any other manner, and if you tried, would power itself off after 14 days.

If you have a small network, SBS is a great value, and having a domain is always preferable to a workgroup since you can then centrally manage your systems and security.

Jeff
TechSoEasy
 
Jeff (TechSoEasy):

Ok, I understand the way that SBS have to work, now, we dont have a problem to use the the SBS as a domain.

Now the problem is this: we have 25 XP Home PC's actually connected to a Server 2003 in workgroup configuration.

The big question is: If I install the new Server 2003 SBS RC2, can the CAL (client access licences) work under domain? (its a lot money upgrade to XP Professional, and thats the big problem).

I appreciatte your help.

Jose Carlos
 
XP Home won't join a domain. You'll need to upgrade them to XP Pro. That's by design, and any other way wouldn't likely be supported.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -
 
Whoever makes the business decision needs to understand that if you have 25 users you need a domain and the accompanying security and configuration control that comes with it. Find the money and upgrade to XP Pro. I see this shortsighted approach to expenditures and it almost always cost more to do it the cheap way. Have some vision......

Bill
 
I'll just echo what wtotten said... with a little math for you...

If it costs, say, $175.00 per machine to upgrade to XP Pro, consider that by doing this it will save you at least 5 hours per machine per year in maintenance time, and will most likely provide at least an hour or two a month per user of increased productivity. So, let's be conservative and say that it's about 15 hours per year per machine in savings. If each person is making over $8.50 per hour, then you'll save money by upgrading.

Okay, I left out the math part... but you can do that yourself with your own figures.

You should be aware that there is a Small Business Desktop license that Microsoft offers which will provide a much less expensive approach to this and will get your workstations upgraded to what they really need to take advantage of the rest of your investment in IT.

Check out for more info.

Jeff
TechSoEasy
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor

Back
Top