THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS DIVA

Thanks for this. So it appears that you suggest one 2012 Standard and run three virtual servers on it. Now the big question, what type of hardware do you need to run three virtual servers? I am currently running SBS2008 on a Quad Core Xeon with only 8 gigs of RAM very successfully. Do you think that hardware (with additional RAM) can handle it?

I am glad I could shock you! Truthfully, I have had no performance issues with only 8. My current hardware has a max of 24GB RAM. Wondering if that would be enough for this.

So, in your proposed solution, is the Essentials server essential? Are those items you listed not in the 2012 Standard? I was thinking running all the basic stuff (like AD) on the parent then run only two virtual servers. Bad idea?

Sorry, I am very new to this visualization stuff.

I too have clients on 8GB of RAM with SBS 2008 (R"1" with Exchange 2007) and it works fine.

I ran a few test scenarios where I increased it to 16GB with their workload and it didn't offer much of a noticeable improvement.  Mind you, that was a couple of years ago when RAM was far more expensive too.

BTW:  There's a lot of interest in running Lync on-premise with far lower specs than what Microsoft recommends and users are saying that it works for small workloads with minimal RAM (10 users or less, generally).  Remember that Lync is supposed to scale for dozens of users.  I use Lync (Online) too, but most of it is for remote helpdesk, since it replaces the old LiveMeeting/Communicator platform.  It's not difficult to get users to run a simple ActiveX control on Windows to give me access to their machine, although I really wish it supported admin privileges, which it does not.  It does, however, support multiple remote monitors, which Communicator didn't.  I run a pretty small business though, and we don't use a PBX, nor do I want to put huge money into IP PBX hardware or SIP trunking, so we just use Vonage here with one of their V-Portal routers.  Our SBS Essentials box does all the network routing and DHCP though.  As good as Lync Server sounds for enterprise voice, it just doesn't fit into our budget (and we get Lync Server as part of MAPS too!).

You can add WSUS to the SharePoint Box as well, it will not install on the Essentials box (last I heard).

RAM, just like talk, is cheap.  We put 3 x 8GB DIMMs in a single CPU SBS 2011 box at the moment or 4 x 8GB for dual Xeons.

I quite like the idea of Hyper-V + VMs for the future of "SBS".

My concern (other than pricing for Server 2012 + CALs + Exchange + CALs being much more expensive than SBS) is where we've had a really tight budget and ended up with something like a HP ML110 G7 - Xeon E3, 16GB and SATA RAID1 for storage.

SBS wasn't super quick but it runs okay.  However, that spec' is not going to stand up to HyperV + VMs, so we need to figure something out for low-cost, on-premise options.

Chris.

With your proposed setup, what if you need more that 25 users? Seems I understood that Essentials is limited to 25.

Okay, my brain wants to explode with all this.

My SBS CALS covered Exchange. Will I have to by server CALS AND Exchange CALS?

Also, with more than 25 users, can I still use Essentials with all its wizards, or will "transmorging" it mean I have to go to Server 2012 Standard without them?

sad to see SBS go. we have been setting most people up with SBS Essentials 2011 and Google Apps/365 for the past year.

Will especially miss RWA though. OWA, Sharepoint, Remote Desktop and a private Skydrive was a great selling point - especially the sky drive type access for ipad users. Before I fire up the lab this weekend to test, is there any way to get RWA working on a non-SBS 2012 server?

Will the Essentials 2012 console automatically create Exchange accounts when a new user is created after it has been expanded past the 25 user limit?

Also do we know if it is possible to upgrade an expanded Essentials server when a future version of Essentials comes out?

The skinny on the pricing differences between SBS Premium Addon vs Breaking it out to Windows Server 2012 Standard w/25 User cals, Windows Small Business Essencials 2012 (25 user cals), Exchange Server 2010 w/ 50 user cals turns out to be very close to the same as what I was quoted for SBS Premium Addon.  The big difference is SQL.  SQL can get very pricey with user cals.  SQL Server with 50 user Cals comes to $10k plus.  With virtualization, it just makes alot of sense to break out SBS.  I just wish Windows Server Standard came with RWW/RWA built in and that there was a more economical SQL Server for smaller shops.

"And where's SBS?  Or rather...how can you build a SBS like replacement?"

It took a year last time.  Give them some time.

With the advent of virtualization it just makes sense to use virtualization rather than SBS.  I have been using SBS since it first released and have had the headache of having to reboot the entire server when one of the components of SBS became unruly.  There is also the issue of disaster recovery.  Virtualization makes alot of the headaches go away.  I had contemplated break up SBS last year when we surpassed the 50 user mark.  SBS was a smoking deal period.  The only obstacle i need to hurdle at this point is RWW.  Our users work from home and out of the office on a very regular basis and the beauty of RWW was welcomed by our users with open arms.  I am confused as to how to accomplish this in a non SBS world with budget constraints in place.  I have convinced our CEO and CFO that we will break up our upgrad from SBS 2003 into two fiscal years. My plan is a virtualized HP monster Server (Gen * with lost of RAM).  Move AD to the new server.  Then move shares to the new server.  Then Install Exchange in its own Virtual Server and move off of SBS Exchange.  If anyone has any suggestions on an RWW replacement, pleas chime in.  I also need to look at moving a handful of users off a Terminal Server.  I am bouncing back and forth on the VDI solution compared to the New TS solution, so if anyone has opinions on that let me  know.  I know when it is all done, and we have pulled the plug on our old SBS system we will be in a better position to handle up time and growth.  Until then, I am going through alot of aspirin for those unforseen headaches that always popup when experiencing growing pains.  But I am also very excited about virtualization and how it will solve some age old problems we have been dealing with for many years.