January 2008 - Posts
When I wrote the post about what SQL instance and version should we install SCE 2007 to, I was pretty sure my best practice would be the copy of Express that ships with SCE 2007
I do know that running SCE 2007 on SBS 2003 R2 Premium DOES work with the Express Database that ships with System Center Essentials 2007, and to be honest this really should be good enough given the cap of 75 Devices in SBS 2003 and the number of dedicated SQL Instances that get installed on an SBS Build. So what's one more in the scheme of things?
I have completed a build on the Default Instance of SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition which ships with SBS 2003 R2 and all things considered I would always recommend that the Express Instance be used.
That said here are the manual work around's I used which did not need to be done using the Express Instance:
- Install SQL 2005 Workgroup edition according to the SBS Installation Instructions use the version from the web site as the version on the DVD is version 1, (make sure you do not install reporting services);
- Rerun the installation of SQL 2005 Workgroup selecting Reporting Services, (do not configure reporting services);
- Install SQL 2005 Service Pack 2
- Run the Reporting Service Configuration....
I looked at the reporting services configuration as set in the "Express Build" and made it the same for the "Workgroup Build" which I hope you agree we do not recommend. Oh BTW did I mention the SCE Installation does this for you if you choose the SQL Express route.
 | Select the Correct Instance and Click Connect |
 | Click Server Status;
Check the Service Status: is Running |
 | Click Report Server Virtual Directory;
Click New |
 | Select Default Web Site;
Enter ReportServer;
Click OK |
 | Click Report Manager Virtual Directory;
Click New |
 | Select Default Web Site;
Enter Reports;
Click OK |
 | Click Windows Service Identity;
Click Built-in Account;
Select Local System |
 | Select Web Service Identity;
Press New next to Report Server;
Repeat for Report Manger |
 | Enter ReportServer or ReportManager in the application pool name;
Select Built-in Account and select Local System |
 | Click Database Setup;
Select the SBS Server Name and click Connect;
Select ReportServer from the list of Databases;
Select Service Credentials from the list
Click Apply |
 | Click Email Settings;
Enter and address for the Sender Address ie Reports@smemanaged.com;
Enter the SMTP Server details |
 | Click Execution Account;
The default is domain\administrator (however I suggest some effort be taken to find a least privilege alternative) |
Install SCE 2007 IAW Installing System Center Essentials in SBS 2003 R2 Standard Edition
In the section that covers the removal of the SSL Certificates the following procedure should be followed instead, if the SSL Port remains configured SCE 2007 Install will report un-configured Reporting Services.
| 
| Select the Default web and Right Click Properties |
 | Click Advanced |
 | Select the SSL Address and Click Remove;
Click OK |
| 
| Select the Directory Security Tab;
Click Server Certificate |
 | Click Next > |
 | Click Remove the current certificate;
Click Next > |
 | Click Next > |
 | Click Finish |
Return to the installation
When complete reverse this procedure
When I asked around about issues people have had deploying SCE 2007 on SBS 2003 R2 Premium, I was told there were some issues with SQL Server (2005 Workgroup Edition). I have not been able to collect the exact issues because many of the people are working from memory.
I do know that running SCE 2007 on SBS 2003 R2 Premium DOES work with the Express Database that ships with System Center Essentials 2007, and to be honest this really should be good enough given the cap of 75 Devices in SBS 2003 and the number of dedicated SQL Instances that get installed on an SBS Build. So what's one more in the scheme of things?
The Installing SQL Server 2005 WorkGroup Edition in Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 Document says:
- Do not upgrade the instance of MSDE that is installed for Monitoring (MSSQL$SBSMONITORING), because this it is not supported.
- Do not upgrade the instance of MSDE that is installed for Update Services (MSSQL$WSUS), because this is not supported.
and the Installation of ISA Server 2004 adds a (Microsoft ISA Server 2004 instance).
I am very much in favour of doing an upgrade of the MSSQL$SHAREPOINT instance to SQL 2005 Workgroup Edition so that Full Text Search is enabled for Windows Sharepoint Services, but if I didn't have a line of business application that needed SQL Server 2005 Workgroup then I wouldn't be installing a Default Instance just because I could.
When I created SME Managed I really wanted to keep all the design, support and management information in the SME space together where I could refer people to it. I already had Mackie.is-a-geek.net and it is a mix of all geeky things I want to talk about and I didn't necessarily want folk to go to two places to get everything.
Not to mention right now a very different group of people are getting to each blog, I expect it to converge over time but the automatic cross posts are here to stay unless I get massive negative feedback from this post of course.
Mackie.is-a-geek.net Traffic
SMEManaged.com Traffic
In the course of developing some of the builds for SCE 2007 on SBS 2003, my server threw an error and asked permission to send error information. As you can see the dialogue box says Please tell SMEManaged01_MG about this problem. I am curious why this does not use the Organisation from the Servers Registration information. I'm of course in search of a way to change this to give the users a better experience.
When I tried to install System Center Essentials 2007 on SBS 2003 R2 Premium Edition, I received an installation failure. Viewing the Setup log file revealed errors setting up reporting services.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Machine : SMEMANAGED01
Product : Reporting Services
Error : The setup has encountered an unexpected error while Setting reporting service and share point exclusion path. The error is: Fatal error during installation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Machine : SMEMANAGED01
Product : Reporting Services
Error : The setup has encountered an unexpected error while Setting reporting service and share point exclusion path. The error is: Fatal error during installation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Machine : SMEMANAGED01
Product : Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
Product Version : 9.1.2047.00
Install : Failed
Log File : C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Files\SQLSetup0001_SMEMANAGED01_RS.log
Last Action : InstallFinalize
Error String : The setup has encountered an unexpected error while Setting reporting service and share point exclusion path. The error is: Fatal error during installation.
Error Number : 29528
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This issue is caused by the Configure Email and Internet Connection Wizard setting the Default Web Site to the Local IP Address instead of the default All Unassigned. The fix is of course to reconfigure the Default Web temporarily to allow the installation to complete, this is described in a knowledge base article http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=920803.
I have prepared a quick Visual Guide because some folk just like to see.
 | Open IIS Manager;
Select Default Web Site;
Right click Properties |
 | Select IP Address;
Choose (All Unassigned);
Click Apply;
Click OK
Close IIS Manger |
When SCE 2007 is successfully installed return the configuration to the internal IP address.
I have spent some time this week installing System Center Essentials 2007 on SBS 2003 SP1 / R2 with some interesting conclusions, lets go on the journey.
The first go through I installed an SBS 2003 R2 Standard Edition Server on VMware Server.
I created the base server with:
- 127GB IDE disk,
- 3096MB RAM and
- (initially) a single NIC
Once I had documented the Single NIC Build I added a Second NIC to emulate the very popular Windows Firewall behind a Broadband Router configuration (SCE Computer details shown on the right).
In both configurations for Standard Edition I found no reason why this would not be a very useful management tool 
I would be much less keen to add this workload to Premium Edition, in fact the the same build as my Standard Edition Virtual Machines I have had more than one Blocking Error and still do not have a stable build.
I will not post these until I have fixes, I am still collecting data and will ask for help on the Managed Forums to see if there are resolutions to these installation blocks.
So for today I think SCE 2007 on SBS Standard edition with 4GB of RAM is something I am very happy to deploy, especially if the rumour of Service Pack 1 having much lower memory requirements are true.
BUT even if the Installation blocking issues are easy to resolve I'm not too sure I would want to add SCE 2007 to a machine that runs...
- Exchange 2003
- WSUS 2.0
- WSS 2.0
- WSS 3.0 <--- Very common SBS Community Additional Install
- ISA Server
- SQL 2005 Work Group
- Trend Micro CSM for SMB 3.6 <--- Doesn't everyone run Trend?
Best Practice so far:
System Center Essentials 2007 on SBS 2003 R2 Standard Edition? Give it a try looks to me as a definite future up and comer especially in SBS (Next) and Windows Essential Business Server.
System Center Essentials on SBS 2003 R2 Premium Edition? I really do think a Windows 2003 R2 Standard Edition Server to act as a management Server will be the best solution or you may have some pain. Plus if you remove WSUS from the SBS Server in favour of the SCE 2007 Server you get back a few cycles and a bit of RAM to let you serve a few more users.