SBS 2003 best practices

During the course of my work with SBS systems, the following I found was useful configuration:

Storage configuration:

• Have 2 partitions. 30 GB for the system, rest for the data.
• Have Shadow Copies enabled. To restore files without referring to the backup
  
• Copy all the necessary software onto the machine or the server (e.g. office and windows installation CD's)
• Do not install SBS 2003 from the HDD,( MSDE and SQL 2005 will fail). Always use CD’s. To reinstall monitoring components: CD must be used, as MSDE is being affected.

Exchange:

• Specify Exchange database to reside on data partition
• Remove quotas on mailboxes.
• Change the registry key for the 18GB limit on Exchange database, restart information store.
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\\Private-013e2e46-2cd7-4a8e-bfec-0e4652b94b00
  
  And
  
  
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\\Public-013e2e46-2cd7-4a8e-bfec-0e4652b94b00
• Add new REG_DWORD key named Database Size Limit in GB with HEX value of 46 (or 70 in decimal)
• Set deleted items protection for 90 days

Automatic updates:

You may remember Skype's experience couple of years ago when Automatic updates from MS have stopped their services. I personnaly isable Automatic updates altogether and ONLY install even numbered Service Pack from MS. (SP2, SP6, SP4) avoid odd service packs like wildfire. There is no logical reason to this, but practice showed that this is the best way.

• Disable the Configure Automatic Updates policy setting in Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update.
• Use WSUS 3.0 instead if needed

Small Business Server 2003/2008 best practices, SBS professional, SBS scpecialist. Central Scotland, Stirling, Glasgow, Edinburgh. www.lanos.co.uk