SBS2003

[lloyd]

I got the situation which exactly same with the post below.
My question is, is the license of SBS2003 totally failed.?

========================
Marina Roos [SBS-MVP] wrote:
> Hi Tim,
>
> You can't demote SBS 2003 and then think it is a W2k3 server as it isn't.
> You won't be able to join this machine. If you wanted to do this to get data
> from that server and copy it to the 2008, you will have to do that in
> another way. Use USB drives for example.
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> Marina Roos
> Microsoft SBS-MVP
> One of the Magical M&M's
> www.smallbizserver.net
> Take part in SBS forum: http://www.smallbizserver.net/Default.aspx?tabid=53
> "TimCinOR" <ConnectUser> wrote in message
> news:connect.2db390cc-5052-403c-a635-fff92eaefb31@CPMSFTWEBC106...

>> After considering whether to do a migration or clean build, we decided
>> to not do a migration because there really wasn't any info to
>> migrate, only a few accounts, no Exchange, no Sharepoint or Website,
>> etc. We built SBS2008 on new equipment and made a new local domain
>> name. We demoted the old SBS2003 (dcpromo /forceremoval) but when we
>> try to connect the former server to the new domain we get "Access
>> Denied".
>>
>> Is that because it's still SBS even though it's no longer a Domain
>> Controller with an Active Directory or ... ?
>>
>> How do we get the old SBS2003 to join the new domain?
>>
>> TIA,
>> TimC

[lloyd]

I'm afraid I didn't say it clearly.
We bought SBS2003 before.
Now we are using a win2008 standard as the PDC server. But I realize the SBS2003 can not join to the domain holded by other PDC. It seems SBS2003 license is totally wasted.
I'm wondering if there is other way we can use some part of it (SBS2003).

[lloyd]

no body faced this situation before?

[gbarnas]

The design of all Small Business Server software requires that the SBS server be the domain controller and hold the PDCe role - you cannot demote it, and thus you cannot move it to another domain. You can join other DCs to the domain, but that has little value, since if the SBS server crashes you need to do a full install. This generates new SIDs, making the other DC useless for recovery of user accounts.

You can join other computers to the SBS domain, but you are still limited to a 2003 AD structure and a basically single DC. The only time multiple DCs would be appropriate in an SBS environment (IMHO) is if you had a remote site and provided local authentication, but if you were big enough to have 2+ sites, you shouldn't be on SBS!

I've not tested it, but you might be able to have a computer join the SBS domain as a second DC, then migrate your data and application roles from the SBS server and shut it down. You can then promote the other DC and seize the FSMO roles. Then you can rebuild the original SBS server as a normal system, possibly Exchange. You won't be able to use the SBS license or software.

As you see, there's no pretty solution... it's one reason I've never recommended SBS based solutions.

Glenn

[lloyd]

Thank you very much, gbarnas.
now I can forget that license.
lloyd