Add W2K3 to existing domain

Hello everyone, I have a few questions about licensing. Our company is on SBS 2k and we are growing fast. We need another server shortly and I would like to move to 2k3. We are using 30 CALs on our 2k domain right now and we only have 35 CALs for SBS. Do I need to buy all new CALs in order in bring in the new 2k3 DC? What happens to the CALs that are being used on the 2 other 2k servers once I install the new 2k3 DC? It is a bit confusing and I want to make sure that everything is up to spec and legal. With the new server installed, do I lose my SBS licensing? Do I have to remove my SQL, Exchange, etc?

Any information would be helpful
THANKS!
Brian

Chris
Wed Dec 24 08:08:07 CST 2003

Brian,

If you are bringing in a Server 2003 Standard as the new DC replacing SBS2K
you will lose your licensing from SBS. If you are growing beyond the 50 user
limit of SBS2K, SBS2K3 has been moved up to a 75 user limit.

If you feel that you have grown past the effectiveness of having all of the
server components on one box, you can purchase the SBS migration pack to
move the Exchange, SQL, ISA, etc. to other independent servers

You can add the WS2K3 to the SBS2K domain as a member server for an
additional file/print server or Application server, but all of the SBS2K
bundled software must remain on the SBS.

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"BrianFB" <btroiano@fivebelow.com> wrote in message
news:D97A335C-7592-4D84-B01D-CB2031DB33FE@microsoft.com...
> Hello everyone, I have a few questions about licensing. Our company is on
SBS 2k and we are growing fast. We need another server shortly and I would
like to move to 2k3. We are using 30 CALs on our 2k domain right now and we
only have 35 CALs for SBS. Do I need to buy all new CALs in order in bring
in the new 2k3 DC? What happens to the CALs that are being used on the 2
other 2k servers once I install the new 2k3 DC? It is a bit confusing and I
want to make sure that everything is up to spec and legal. With the new
server installed, do I lose my SBS licensing? Do I have to remove my SQL,
Exchange, etc?
>
> Any information would be helpful
> THANKS!
> Brian

Dave
Wed Dec 24 12:00:48 CST 2003

You can add a 2k3 server to the domain without effecting your existing
licenses, but you'll need to purchase the appropriate licenses (server and
client) for the new 2k3 server. I'm in a similar situation. My
understanding is that the SBS 2000 CALs cover win2k server and prior
versions in your SBS domain, but not 2k3 servers. The SBS 2003 CALs cover
Windows Server 2003 and before. Therefore, I'm going to upgrade SBS from 2k
to 2k3 as soon as the upgrade CALs are released. The SBS 2k3 cals will
cover the SBS, the win2k server, and the new win2k3 server.

The money I save by not having to purchase Windows Server 2003 client
licenses will pay a good chunk of the cost of upgrading SBS. Depending, of
course, on how much MS decides to charge for the upgrade CALS.


"BrianFB" <btroiano@fivebelow.com> wrote in message
news:D97A335C-7592-4D84-B01D-CB2031DB33FE@microsoft.com...
> Hello everyone, I have a few questions about licensing. Our company is on
SBS 2k and we are growing fast. We need another server shortly and I would
like to move to 2k3. We are using 30 CALs on our 2k domain right now and we
only have 35 CALs for SBS. Do I need to buy all new CALs in order in bring
in the new 2k3 DC? What happens to the CALs that are being used on the 2
other 2k servers once I install the new 2k3 DC? It is a bit confusing and I
want to make sure that everything is up to spec and legal. With the new
server installed, do I lose my SBS licensing? Do I have to remove my SQL,
Exchange, etc?
>
> Any information would be helpful
> THANKS!
> Brian

anonymous
Wed Dec 24 13:36:05 CST 2003

Here is what is going to happen. My primary DC is also the SBS2K box, housing Exchange, and SQL Server. I am planning on upgrading this box with Server2003. Now SBS2K3 holds up to 75 CALs, I am using only 30 with 5 to spare right now. Over the next year I do not think that I will max that out with the growth of my company, but I am not sure and want to play it safe. If I upgrade SBS2K to SBS2K3 for now and later decide to upgrade that to Server2003 Standard, will I be losing money? I do not want to waste any money and would rather not spend all of the time upgrading... Do I have to purchase CALs for Exchange?

Dave
Wed Dec 24 14:00:35 CST 2003

You'll have to price out some of your options. You can read about this on
the SBS web site at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/default.mspx

I'm not clear on whether you're trying to replace the existing hardware, or
whether you need to add another server. If it's just hardware, you could
move your existing software to the new server, thereby not spending any
money on software until you're sure of your needs.

If you need an additional server, you could compare the price of 2k3 server
(oem, boxed, or open license) plus 30 additional client licenses to the cost
of 2k3 server, SBS 2003 version upgrade, and 30 SBS upgrade CALS (reportedly
available soon). Obviously SBS + SBS CALS + 2k3 server will be more
expensive than keeping your existing SBS software and buying the 2k3 client
licenses, but the question is whether the value of the SBS upgrade justifies
the additional cost.

Whether you upgrade the SBS or not, either version has a transition pack
that allows you to move from the SBS licensing scheme to that of the
separate products. The transition pack eliminates the 50 or 75-CAL limit
and the requirement to install all the software on one server. There are
transaction client licenses too, so you'd end up with 35 licenses for
windows, exchange, sql, isa, etc. If you look at the cost of these
products, you can see whether you think it's better to wait and see or to
bite the bullet now.

FYI, my understanding is that although SBS 2003 will accept up to 75
licenses, Microsoft still recommends it for 50. The extra 25 is padding to
keep a company that is near the limit from avoiding the product.


"BrianFB" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:94EB2654-EA3F-4D3E-BFD3-B342A7B76E2E@microsoft.com...
> Here is what is going to happen. My primary DC is also the SBS2K box,
housing Exchange, and SQL Server. I am planning on upgrading this box with
Server2003. Now SBS2K3 holds up to 75 CALs, I am using only 30 with 5 to
spare right now. Over the next year I do not think that I will max that out
with the growth of my company, but I am not sure and want to play it safe.
If I upgrade SBS2K to SBS2K3 for now and later decide to upgrade that to
Server2003 Standard, will I be losing money? I do not want to waste any
money and would rather not spend all of the time upgrading... Do I have to
purchase CALs for Exchange?