Removing Roles from SBS 2

[TimRegester]

I have a client with a SBS 2003 Server. I inherited this server and it is setup with all the roles set. Due to Network expansion including adding a proper hardware based Firewall router I wish to turn off certain roles. Not surprisingly this looks difficult. So I need to know how the following is done.

1) Turn off Sharepoint
2) Turn off Proxy Server
3) Turn off Routing through the server for internet access (currently through USB modem attached to server)
I will leave the server doing DC, DHCP and DNS so AD works ok most file and print will migrate to a new member server.

The default gateway for the network will migrate to the firewall/router and I know how to adjust DHCP to reflect this, are there any gotchas to be found in DHCP and obvious DNS changes.

 

[ShackDaddy]

The first thing I would do is change DHCP's scope options so that the router is the default gateway.

Make sure that all clients still point to this server for DNS.

Then after you've waited more than half the amount of your lease time (4 days if it is set to 8 days, etc), you can go into Add/Remove Programs on your server and go into Windows Small Business Server on the list. That will give you the chance to add/remove features, and you can remove SharePoint and ISA server.

You may also need to look at Group Policies on the server and make sure there's not something in there that is setting users browsers to use this server for a proxy server. If you find that setting, just turn it off.

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[TimRegester]

Thanks for the advice a star for you sir.

I know my way round GPOs so will have no problem sorting that part out, in fact it only has the default policy so I need to set new policies and a complete security and admin setup.

This won't be for a few weeks yet, but I am trying to plan everything out Gates willing.

 

[TechSoEasyMVP]

I'm curious why you would disable ISA Server when it's regarded as one of the best firewalls in existence.

The value of that alone is worth the price of SBS. If you want to also add a hardware firewall that's perfectly fine... the SBS's Configure Email and Internet Connection Wizard (CEICW -- which is linked as Connect to the Internet in the Server Management Console > To-Do List) can configure everything for you so that there are no conflicts or omissions.

A visual how-to is here:

http://sbsurl.com/ceicw

And rather than moving file and print to a new server consider upgrading the SBS machine to be able to handle it properly. The only reason I generally see for moving files to another machine is if the organization handles large CAD or JPG files on a regular basis. Otherwise, SBS is optimized to handle these things.

You can't look at an SBS with an Enterprise mindset and assume that because you've always known there to be problems with a certain configuration that the same would hold true on your SBS. In fact, exactly the opposite is true... because SBS is so finely tuned through the use of it's configuration wizards (which are really just complex scripts), attempting to manage it or configure things contrary to it's design could actually degrade performance and cause you unnecessary management effort.

If the server only has the "default" GPO, then someone monkeyed with it and deleted the standard set of about 10 to 12 GPOs which simplify management and provide a secure environment. If this is the case you really should be considering a full reinstallation ... doing it the "right" way this time.

See

http://sbsurl.com/itpro

for an overview which touches on some of the things I've mentioned.


Jeffrey B. Kane
TechSoEasy

http://www.techsoeasy.com