THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS "DIVA"

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....