Can you run an SBS 2003 box as a client?

[johnny_zone]

Hi everyone. I have a quick server environment question that is hopefully very easy for someone to answer. We used to use an SBS 2003 box as our server. Since then, we upgraded to a new SBS 2008 box. We put the SBS 2003 box away, but I just brought it back out to run as our Symantec Antivirus Server.

Somehow, I've got to get the SBS 2003 box to be recognized on the network, so it can run and do it's antivirus server thing. What's the best way to do this? Do I need to completely disable all server services and such, so the SBS 2003 box doesn't interfere with the SBS 2008 box? Or do I have to set the SBS 2003 box to run alongside the SBS 2008 box? Of course, I'm open to reading articles, tutorials, etc. if it's inefficient to type a lot of instructions. Thanks!

[jbennet]

I dont know about SBS but ive got 2003 standard and i just instaled it and then didnt add any roles - joined it to my domain in the usual fashion.

I dont know about SBS, does that come with AD, DNS, DHCP etc... set up out of the box or not? A fresh install of 2003 standard doesnt install any roles, and therefore no server services and can set up to do whatever you want to do (e.g mine hosts online games)

Edit:

On further investigation i found this

Windows Small Business Server has the following design restrictions:

* Only one computer in a domain can be running Windows Small Business Server.
* Windows Small Business Server must be the root of the Active Directory forest.

So the answer is NO.

[johnny_zone]

Awesome, thanks for the reply, jbennet! I was under the impression you could run multiple servers on the same AD, just not both as the primary. I guess my question is if that rule you stated is absolute...is there any way around that? Or any way to run this SBS 2003 box maybe without even having the server services running or something?

[jbennet]

Look here

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884453

The following conditions must be true after you install the new SBS 2003 computer in an existing domain or the new SBS 2003 computer may display warnings and shut down periodically:

* The new SBS 2003 computer must be a domain controller that is installed on the root of the domain.
* The new SBS 2003 computer must hold all the Flexible Single Master Operation (FSMO) roles.
* The new SBS 2003 computer must be a global catalog server and must be the licensing server.

So it looks like its NO still.