Member Avatar for 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!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by jbennet

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Short answer for : was right to point out that Small Business Server is not intended to be dropped back into an existing SBS-managed Active Directory as a normal member server. That product builds in assumptions about being the site/forest root and will cause operational and licensing headaches if treated like an ordinary server.

Practical options that avoid those headaches:

  • Reinstall the machine with a non‑SBS OS (Windows Server Standard or a supported Windows Server version). Backup any data, perform a clean OS install with the appropriate license, join it to the existing domain as a member server, set its DNS to the SBS 2008 box, and then install the Symantec management server. This is the cleanest, supported route and prevents any conflicting AD/DNS behavior.

  • If reinstalling is not possible, run the Symantec manager on the server in a workgroup/standalone mode or inside a VM. SEP management consoles can operate without domain controller roles (though some features, push installs, and AD sync are easier when domain‑joined). Isolate the old SBS from AD services first: verify it is not still acting as a domain controller or DNS server before connecting it to the live network.

Checklist and cautions:

  • Confirm whether the old box is currently a domain controller (look for Active Directory administration tools, the NTDS service, or DNS hosting). Do not demote a DC unless it no longer holds any production roles or is safe to remove — demotion must be done carefully or a full reinstall is safer.

  • Set a static IP and point DNS to the active SBS 2008 server when joining the domain.

  • Check Symantec/Broadcom product compatibility with the chosen OS version and open required ports on firewalls.

If avoiding reinstall, virtualization (convert the old box into a VM and run it isolated) or installing the Symantec server on the current SBS 2008 are the least risky approaches.

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Member Avatar for 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.

Member Avatar for 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?

Member Avatar for jbennet

Look here


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.

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