Exchange 2003 & SBS 2003 questions?

Hi there,

About 3 years ago I dabbled with SBS 2003 on a new (cheap) Dell Poweredge
Dual Xeon box to replace an aging NT4 server in my home network.

Shortly after I decided that a fully fledged Domain server was overkill and
decided to remove it.

My home network of up to 7 PC's has functioned well but I now want to press
the Dell back into service.

I do not want to go back to a Domain Controller - Client/Server setup so I
have configured it as a simple workstation getting its DHCP settings from my
router like everything else on my network.

So I was thinking...as Exchange Server is part of my SBS 2003 disc set would
it be possible to install & configure Exchange despite the Dell not being a
DC and part of a Client/Server setup?

Would Exchange work on this peer-to-peer type of network?

The thought of being able to access 'grown up' email from any machine on my
network and having a 16GB limit on mailbox size is an advantage. :-)

Is this possible and are there any resources out there that I might have a
read of?

--
Thanks & regards,
-pp-

Ed
Wed Mar 12 20:32:40 CDT 2008

SBS 2003 includes its own version of Exchange 2003, so I don't quite know
what you're asking. If you run SBS, then you have a basic domain
controller. There is no 16GB maximum mailbox size, although you'd be kind
of nuts to have one that big. There was a 16GB store size but that's
increased with SP2 and a registry hack.
--
Ed Crowley
MVP - Exchange
"Protecting the world from PSTs and brick backups!"

"Pheasant Plucker®" <pheasant@plucker.not> wrote in message
news:%23BGZDcJhIHA.4196@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi there,
>
> About 3 years ago I dabbled with SBS 2003 on a new (cheap) Dell Poweredge
> Dual Xeon box to replace an aging NT4 server in my home network.
>
> Shortly after I decided that a fully fledged Domain server was overkill
> and
> decided to remove it.
>
> My home network of up to 7 PC's has functioned well but I now want to
> press
> the Dell back into service.
>
> I do not want to go back to a Domain Controller - Client/Server setup so I
> have configured it as a simple workstation getting its DHCP settings from
> my
> router like everything else on my network.
>
> So I was thinking...as Exchange Server is part of my SBS 2003 disc set
> would
> it be possible to install & configure Exchange despite the Dell not being
> a
> DC and part of a Client/Server setup?
>
> Would Exchange work on this peer-to-peer type of network?
>
> The thought of being able to access 'grown up' email from any machine on
> my
> network and having a 16GB limit on mailbox size is an advantage. :-)
>
> Is this possible and are there any resources out there that I might have a
> read of?
>
> --
> Thanks & regards,
> -pp-
>
>

Pheasant
Wed Mar 12 20:56:35 CDT 2008

Hi Ed, thanks for taking the time to reply.

Maybe I didn't make myself clear...sorry.

I realise SBS includes Exchange which was why I was thinking of installing
it ;^)

I also realise SBS acts as its own DC out of the box but I have since
altered its configuration so it takes its own IP address from my router
using DHCP so therefore does not act as a DHCP Server...my intention is to
'dumb it down' so it acts like a workstation rather than a server - sounds
strange I know but as a server it has spent the last 3 years sitting
unplugged & unloved and I thought I may as well make use of it albeit not as
a DC/Server...seems a shame to let all that horsepower go to waste!

The thought of a 'full strength' mail system appeals and I just wondered if
Exchange Server would install/configure under SBS if it was not acting as a
'proper' server - not even sure if it can be 'dumbed down' but it seemed
like a good idea at the time! ;^)

The 16GB limit was tagged with a smiley but I am sure there are more
advantages to using an Exchange client rather than the Internet only
version.

It would also give me the opportunity to learn my way around Exchange
Server.

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-


"Ed Crowley [MVP]" <curspice@mvpsnospam.org> wrote in message
news:O7pmhoKhIHA.2004@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> SBS 2003 includes its own version of Exchange 2003, so I don't quite know
> what you're asking. If you run SBS, then you have a basic domain
> controller. There is no 16GB maximum mailbox size, although you'd be kind
> of nuts to have one that big. There was a 16GB store size but that's
> increased with SP2 and a registry hack.
> --
> Ed Crowley
> MVP - Exchange
> "Protecting the world from PSTs and brick backups!"

Ed
Thu Mar 13 01:28:32 CDT 2008

Inline...
--
Ed Crowley
MVP - Exchange
"Protecting the world from PSTs and brick backups!"

"Pheasant Plucker®" <pheasant@plucker.not> wrote in message
news:OTxI61KhIHA.1164@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Hi Ed, thanks for taking the time to reply.
>
> Maybe I didn't make myself clear...sorry.
>
> I realise SBS includes Exchange which was why I was thinking of installing
> it ;^)

What is there to install. Isn't it already there? I'm not an SBS guy so I
wasn't aware that you could pick and choose parts to install.

> I also realise SBS acts as its own DC out of the box but I have since
> altered its configuration so it takes its own IP address from my router
> using DHCP so therefore does not act as a DHCP Server...my intention is to
> 'dumb it down' so it acts like a workstation rather than a server - sounds
> strange I know but as a server it has spent the last 3 years sitting
> unplugged & unloved and I thought I may as well make use of it albeit not
> as
> a DC/Server...seems a shame to let all that horsepower go to waste!

You'll have to do more than take away its DHCP capability to "dumb it down".

> The thought of a 'full strength' mail system appeals and I just wondered
> if
> Exchange Server would install/configure under SBS if it was not acting as
> a
> 'proper' server - not even sure if it can be 'dumbed down' but it seemed
> like a good idea at the time! ;^)

It depends on what you mean by "'proper' server". If you mean a standalone
(non-domain controller) the answer is no. Exchange requires Active
Directory. You can install Exchange on a non-comain controller, but it has
to be a domain member, but that doesn't apply to SBS.

> The 16GB limit was tagged with a smiley but I am sure there are more
> advantages to using an Exchange client rather than the Internet only
> version.

I'm not sure what you mean by "Internet only version".

> It would also give me the opportunity to learn my way around Exchange
> Server.

True, that.

> Thanks & kind regards,
> -=Glyn=-

You're welcome.

> "Ed Crowley [MVP]" <curspice@mvpsnospam.org> wrote in message
> news:O7pmhoKhIHA.2004@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>> SBS 2003 includes its own version of Exchange 2003, so I don't quite know
>> what you're asking. If you run SBS, then you have a basic domain
>> controller. There is no 16GB maximum mailbox size, although you'd be
>> kind
>> of nuts to have one that big. There was a 16GB store size but that's
>> increased with SP2 and a registry hack.
>> --
>> Ed Crowley
>> MVP - Exchange
>> "Protecting the world from PSTs and brick backups!"
>
>

Brian
Sat Mar 22 08:55:10 CDT 2008

Yes, you can have the workstations not be in the domain, however, your users
will get prompted for credentials if they do not have a domain user account
that matches for both logon name and password.

I think your administrative worries will increase not running in domain
mode. Do yourself a favor and get a good SBS book and learn how the product
works. It is much easier than running a 7 node peer-to-peer network once
you get the hang of things.

Brian Kronberg, MCSE:M


"Pheasant Plucker®" <pheasant@plucker.not> wrote in message
news:%23BGZDcJhIHA.4196@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi there,
>
> About 3 years ago I dabbled with SBS 2003 on a new (cheap) Dell Poweredge
> Dual Xeon box to replace an aging NT4 server in my home network.
>
> Shortly after I decided that a fully fledged Domain server was overkill
> and
> decided to remove it.
>
> My home network of up to 7 PC's has functioned well but I now want to
> press
> the Dell back into service.
>
> I do not want to go back to a Domain Controller - Client/Server setup so I
> have configured it as a simple workstation getting its DHCP settings from
> my
> router like everything else on my network.
>
> So I was thinking...as Exchange Server is part of my SBS 2003 disc set
> would
> it be possible to install & configure Exchange despite the Dell not being
> a
> DC and part of a Client/Server setup?
>
> Would Exchange work on this peer-to-peer type of network?
>
> The thought of being able to access 'grown up' email from any machine on
> my
> network and having a 16GB limit on mailbox size is an advantage. :-)
>
> Is this possible and are there any resources out there that I might have a
> read of?
>
> --
> Thanks & regards,
> -pp-
>
>