SBS2003 AND A TERMINAL SERVER BOX

[CRAIG2432]

HI.

We currently have a single sbs2003 server. Can i install another server with 2000 or 2003 and set it up as a terminal server. The only reason I ask, I remember reading some time ago that sbs was designed to run as a single box solution.

Thanks

 

[ShackDaddy]

Yes, you can install another Windows Server in the SBS domain and run Terminal Services on it in Application mode. You can't turn on Application mode on the SBS server itself, so adding another server is the way to do it. I would just avoid making that second server a DC, for security reasons.

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[CRAIG2432]

Thank you for that.

What spec would anyone recommend for 4 to 6 users, running Office 2003, Adode reader, TAS (account package) and our intera net site.

What is the main factor that will increase speed for the end users? Hard drive speed, CPU (single, dual or quad core) or will it be memorey?

Many thanks.

 

[ShackDaddy]

A dual-core and a couple gig of RAM would be plenty.

I actually ran a Windows 2000 server with 700mb of RAM on an 800mHz proc for a couple of years with five users running Office and a couple of other apps and had no performance complaints.

If you watch the performance graphs on a normal user workstation, you will notice that they barely utilize the hardware in front of them.

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[CRAIG2432]

Thats realy good to know. I have a spare server. Dual PIII 1Gig and 2Gig of ram. I'll set up a test enviroment and see how it runs.

Can you recomend any good links to read up on licencing a TS and Office 2003. I think it could be quite a mine field.

 

[ShackDaddy]

The

http://www.BrianMadden.com

is a goldmine of all sorts of information on Terminal Server.

This might be the best article out there:

The Ultimate Guide to Windows 2003 Terminal Server Licensing

http://www.brianmadden.com/content/content.asp?ID=154

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[yamyam]

You could use this addon, it will host upto 21 RDP sessions on a SBS server.

http://www.thinsoftinc.com/index.aspx

 

[58sniper]

Doing RDP connections directly to an SBS server for the users to do work is a security risk, and is the reason why you can't install Terminal Services on SBS 2003.

It's also a resource hog.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[ShackDaddy]

You also can't install Outlook easily on an Exchange server without breaking it. If you want to run Terminal Server on your SBS box, you can always install VMWARE on your SBS box and run Windows 2003 Standard on it, set up for Application Terminal Services. But since there is already some freed-up hardware available, it would be better to just use that.

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[CRAIG2432]

Gents.

Many thanks for all your input. It is always greatly apprecialed.

 

[TechSoEasyMVP]

Please see this document for how to configure a Terminal Server in an SBS environment:

http://sbsurl.com/sbstss

But if these users already have a workstation in your office there is no need to deploy a Terminal Server since SBS has Remote Web Workplace. (see

http://sbsurl.com/rww)

If they don't, then you could also deploy a terminal server for just a few users right on the same machine as your SBS using Virtual Server 2005. This may prove to be more cost effective by just increasing the capacity of that machine instead of getting a new one. See

http://sbsurl.com/vs

for info on this. Normal TS CALs would still be required.

Jeffrey B. Kane
TechSoEasy

http://www.techsoeasy.com