18Jul2016
14Jul2016
Remove SBS 2008 or SBS 2011 Source Server from the domain
Sorry Old Yeller--I know you were a faithful companion for many years--but it's time to put you down, buddy. I usually wait until the end of the migration project for this. There is no harm leaving the old server as-is for the duration of the project while you finish migrating file shares, DHCP, Remote Access...
11Jul2016
Migrating SBS Remote Web Access to Essentials Anywhere Access
In Windows Small Business Server environments, one of the more popular features to implement was the Remote Web Workplace (or Remote Web Access in 2011). The idea was to grant secure, web-based remote access to corporate resources (such as Remote Desktop or web-enabled access to Server Folders). In Windows Server 2012...
04Jul2016
Migrating File Shares from SBS to Windows Server 2016 Essentials Experience
To copy files from a legacy file server to a new file server, whether 2012 R2 or 2016, the process would be the same. Note: Some files shares might be better off in SharePoint, and users' personal Documents Libraries can probably go to OneDrive. This could greatly reduce the amount of data...
27Jun2016
Active Directory Migration from SBS 2008 or 2011 to Windows Server 2016
There are three basic options for migrating Active Directory from Small Business Server--(1) you can move into Windows Server Essentials or (2) Windows Server Standard. Furthermore, (3) you can move to Windows Server Standard, and enable the Essentials Experience role afterward, which is what I typically recommend if you are interested...
16Jun2016
Checklist: Preparing for the Migration from SBS to Office 365 & Windows Server 2016
Before you begin your migration from SBS 2008/2011 to Office 365 and Windows Server 2012 R2 or 2016, it pays to set aside 2-3 hours to review the existing environment, look for pitfalls, and set out your plan of attack. This is a checklist that helps me do just that. 1....
13Jun2016
Hybrid Network Architecture Options & Pre-Reqs for SBS Migration to Office 365 & Windows Server 2016
In this post I will lay out some of the options to consider when replacing the late Small Business Server (SBS) product with a hybrid architecture. Along with the huge success of Office 365, many small businesses are realizing the benefits of a hybrid deployment model, where some infrastructure is kept on-premises, and other...
09Jun2016
Email migration paths from SBS/Exchange to Office 365
Whether you are a small business migrating from SBS Server 2003, 2008 or 2011, or a mid-sized business operating with Exchange On-premises (or even if your email system is hosted), there is probably a migration path available for you. Here are various methods you would have to choose from based solely on what version or type...
06Jun2016
How-to Manage Server Folders & Security in Windows Server 2016 Essentials
After setting up your domain and adding or importing users from an existing domain, then one of the very next things you're likely to do as an administrator of Windows Server Essentials 2016 is to setup your shared folders and permissions. Prior to this step, I also recommend enabling the integration to Azure...
26May2016