A versatile system for the small or not-so-small business

Author's Rating:

Pros: A raging bargain, at-a-glance security and status indicator, checklist makes setup easy

Cons: Must be run entirely on a single server, only standard Windows firewall on standard version

The Bottom Line: 
Full versions of Windows 2003 Server Exchange Server and Sharepoint Server for a tiny fraction of their cost. The restrictions will not impact most small businesses.

Author's Review
Last month I made the move on my company network from peer-to-peer to a client-server system, and Microsoft Windows 2003 Small Business Server R2 Standard Edition (what a mouthful, I’ll refer to it as SBS for short) was the system I ultimately selected. SBS is not the only offering aimed at small businesses, is not the cheapest, the easiest nor the most powerful, but it was still the best fit for my small business, and might be for yours as well.

My top three priorities in a server operating system were that it include shared calendaring, remote access over the internet, and that it be simple enough to set up, configure and administer that I could do all three myself with a minimal intrusion into my actual business. My business is small, with only 4 users on 6 computers (plus the server). My needs are similarly modest in terms of size and speed, but as a law firm operating in the busy Los Angeles area, I still need advanced features and automation. Oh, most importantly, as a small business, I don’t have an IT department that I can call on when there is a problem or change, I have to do it myself.

SBS is not the cheapest server OS, as there are plenty of UNIX and Linux-based options that are cheaper or even free. Likewise it is not the most powerful, that distinction again going to some of the UNIX or Linux systems. It is not the easiest, a distinction that (in my opinion) goes to Apple’s Macintosh OS X Server. What SBS does better than its competitors is to integrate a combination of value, simplicity and power that as an overall package, comes out on top. Bear in mind, that rating is directly related to MY business, not necessarily to yours.

Lets start with cost. SBS standard was a $300 add-on to the Dell server I ordered, or would cost about $500 on its own (for installation on an existing server). OS X and the commercial Linux variants vary in price as well, but clearly $300 was a reasonable price for what SBS gave me, which I’ll get into below. Where the Linux systems cost more is in knowledge. I am not skilled in Unix or Linux, and really don’t have the time to become so, which left only Windows and OS X options on the table for me. For advanced Unix and Linux users, the value equation would clearly come out differently.

I have one more requirement that surprisingly pushed me to the Microsoft option, and that is the requirement to integrate Apple Macintosh OS X clients. I started my firm with a peer-to-peer network, and for peer-to-peer networking, Apple’s system is extremely simple. Combined with a $100/year service called .Mac, I had shared calendaring and messaging without the need for an expensive server or any fancy software. The problem was, while great for keeping a home and work computer synchronized, .Mac really wasn’t up to keeping a business calendar with 4 users on 6 computers synchronized. We had constant sync errors and ultimately had to move to an expensive hosted practice-management service, which gave us out shared calendars, remote file access and messaging, but cost $200 per month.

The need for OS X client support pushed me to look at OS X server first. At $500 the price was also reasonable, and being Mac, its even easier to set up and use than SBS. What was lacking, was shared calendaring, and I don’t have the time to invest in building or adapting such an application to my mixed Mac OS X and Windows XP clients.

That brings me to SBS, which in addition to including in the box everything I need for my server operating system, also includes support for Mac OS X shares. Since my Mac computers already have Microsoft Office 2004, the shared calendaring problem is also solved neatly by SBS’ included Microsoft Exchange Server SP2 (Apple’s Mail.app is also Exchange complaint for email). Exchange, for those not familiar with it, is Microsoft’s integrated messaging and calendaring protocol that brings a lot of advanced functionality to your inbox, allows both public and private folders, and most importantly for me, allows multiple shared and private calendars that update dynamically. Shared calendar is the “Killer App” for me, allowing me to tap on a date in MS Outlook when a judge sets a hearing date in court, and see immediately if there is a conflict. Yes, any calendar program will do this, but with Exchange, my staff can schedule my time blocks and synchronization, unlike with .Mac, is seamless, automatic, and RELIABLE.

Remote access is also very robust in SBS, with two primary options, VPN and a web-based portal and Outlook client using the included Sharepoint server. VPN is a means of connecting directly to the server over the internet, creating an encrypted tunnel between the network at say a hotel or coffee shop and my private company network. VPN is what I use on my laptop, allowing me to access my public and private folders, update my email and calendar through Exchange, even print or fax through the office. It gives me secure instant messaging restricted to my network, which is far more private than any public IM service, and does all of this with a very simple and secure connection. If I’m at a public computer, I can log onto a website that is included with SBS, and through that website I have nearly the same access as VPN, without any fancy settings or taking a risk on a borrowed computer. Other server operatings systems can do these things, but SBS makes them easy to set up both on the client and server end.

There are clearly too many features and functions included in SBS to discuss them all in an Epinions review. The book I bought on the subject weighs more than most laptops because there is so much to cover. What I can say is that for businesses within SBS’ limits, it’s a very compelling package, with its full versions of Exchange Server, Windows 2003 Server R2 and Sharepoint Server, you are getting literally thousands of dollars worth of software. The limitations on that software, however, are very real.

First of all, if you have more than 75 clients, SBS will not work. This is a hard limitation imposed by Microsoft, that cannot be violated without some serious unlicensed effort. You are also restricted to a single domain, though you can have a secondary domain controller helping out on your SBS network. Finally, you cannot separate the components onto different servers. Your file, print and web servers will be running on the same machine as your Exchange server, which can overwhelm even the most powerful hardware if you get close to that 75 user limit. With a powerful server and under 40 clients you should be fine, and for the “True” small business like mine, one server is probably all that you can justify anyway. Of course, Microsoft and its competitors have other products aimed at larger business or more demanding server environments, SBS is the entry-level.

Entry level does not mean it is crippled beyond the 75 user limit and the single server requirement. You get all of the features of the full Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003, including Active Directory and 75GB Exchange mailboxes. That’s a lot of power in a system that at its smallest can be run on a standard PC at modest cost. My Dell package, including the operating system was only $1500, and that was for a server that for small office use is quite robust. With its Dual Core Pentium D processor, 2GB of RAM and dual 160GB hard drives (with RAID 1 hardware controller), I was able to buy a server with enough muscle to support a business 10 times the size of what I have now, or more likely, 10 times higher demand per user as applications, files and functions become more robust and more complex in the coming years. That all of this power was available for the price of a good laptop can only be described as an outstanding value.

Now for some aspects of SBS that have nothing to do with its functions. First off some good news; it’s Windows, meaning most computer users are already familiar with many of the basic concepts and certainly with the user interface. Those server-specific functions that many users don’t know about can be handled by simplified wizards for networking novices, or manually for Windows server veterans. Now for some bad news; it’s Windows. Yes, this is both a positive and a negative. Where using the Windows XP interface makes it easy to learn and use, using the Windows architecture makes it susceptible to viruses and spyware. The Premium edition includes a robust firewall, but the Standard edition does not. Of course, as with any server, a robust hardware firewall with a software backup is a good idea.

In conclusion, Windows 2003 Small Business Server R2 Standard Edition offers enough power, simplicity and value for even the smallest of businesses to move up from peer-to-peer networks to a true client-server computing environment. Collaboration, messaging, file, print and web serving and remote access are enterprise-level features that are now available at a small business price.