Choosing Windows Small Biz Server Version (2008/11 and Standard/Essentials)?
We currently have a SBS 2003 server that is on its way out. Our shop is small (< 10 PCs), and our needs are not that great. I've been looking at Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and trying to figure out if it will work for us. These are out basic needs:
- Domain Controller/Active Directory
- File and Printer Sharing
- IIS for Intranet
- Ability to create VPN connection
Our Intranet App uses MySQL, so SQL Server is not required. We have hosted email so Exchange is unimportant. We have no need for SharePoint.
Would SBS 2011 Essentials fit the bill for this? Or am I looking at the Standard version?
Solution 1:
As long as you are planning for your server to have 8GB or less of RAM, Server 2008 R2 Foundation would be a more appropriate choice. The Foundation Edition includes web services but has none of the SBS bloat. It is missing certain features that you are unlikely to miss, including Hyper-V and Active Directory Federation Services. The license cost is only about $200-300, considerably less than the cost of SBS 2011 Essentials, but it can be purchased only as a preinstalled option on OEM servers. Microsoft provides links to participating OEMs.
A matrix of Server 2008 R2 editions and features may be useful to you in making your decision.
Solution 2:
If you don't need Exchange and/or SQL Server, SBS is the wrong choice. With SBS you essentially get all the main Microsoft products at a much lower price than the full retail price of all of them together, but still at a higher price than a simple Standard license of Windows Server; and it comes with big limits on the number of users and servers you can have in your environment (even later on).
My advice is to stay clear of SBS and buy a Standard license of Windows Server 2008 R2, which will fulfill all your needs.
As a side note, I'd rather not put all of those services on a domain controller. If you are on a low budget for hardware, you could at least consider virtualization and splitting those services between mutiple (virtual) servers.