Re: Running SBS 2003 on a virtual server?

At least 512 for the host OS, up to 4 GB for the SBS 2k3, and at least 6 GB for the guest SBS 2k8.

So 12 Gb sounds reasonable, keeping in mind that once you have a virtualization platform you're probably going to find other virtual machines to run, for various purposes. One of the benefits of virtualization is that it's easy to allocate more or less resources, it's just a setting (and a guest restart), assuming the resources are physically available.

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Les Connor [SBS-MVP]


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"r042wal" <rob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:60A38A87-A445-457B-9F96-BAC17A2833A4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
How much RAM would you recommend? I was thinking 4 for the host and 8 for SBS so 12Gb in total. The network is 35 users, seven member servers and Exchange.

Thanks,

"Les Connor" <les.connor@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:Ow74WJNSJHA.4212@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hyper-V is a role you enable in WS 2008, it's in the box.

You can use existing licensing for SBS 2003, but you're moving it to new hardware when you virtualize, so OEM is out, and you'll need to re-activate.

For SBS 2008, there is a license for virtualization because the licensing rules for virtual machines have changed. This is to our benifit, it's not an added cost license.

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Les Connor [SBS-MVP]


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"r042wal" <rob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:%236L33%23MSJHA.4764@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks Les.

Is Hyper-V and add-on to Server 2008 or a different product all together?

If I start by running SBS 2003 in Hyper-V, can I use the existing licensing? I noticed on TechNet there is a different license for SBS 2008 virtual so I wondered if the same applied to SBS 2003?

Rob

"Les Connor" <les.connor@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:el6P14MSJHA.4772@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yes, you can do it, and it also has advantages when migrating from 2003 to 2008 as it's a virtual to virtual migration, with enhanced recovery options.

I've been running SBS 03 on both VMware and Virtual Server on Windows Server 2003 in production for some years now, and recently switched the host to Windows Server 2008 and the virtual hosting environment to Hyper-V.

You'll need an OS for the host, I'd recommend WS 2008 running Hyper-V. SB 2008 Premium provides licensing for this, or you can use Server Core with Hyper-V enabled but IMHO that's too much learning all at once.

VMware running on WS can also be a decent platform, but as it stands right now SBS 2008 is supported by MS on Hyper-V, while the word is not in on support for VMware.

Drawbacks to virtualization are few, but they include needing 3rd party solutions for access to USB/Serial hardware on the host, and of course the learning curve. But IMHO, it needs to be learned - virtualization provides a great platform for learning anything, including virtualization itself.

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Les Connor [SBS-MVP]


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"r042wal" <rob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:8764AF16-E60F-4B78-9384-C223C0A2205F@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I was looking for feedback from anyone running SBS 2003 on a virtual server?

My customer has an SBS 2003 server that we would like to migrate to a new SBS 2003 server. They would like to purchase the hardware that would enable them to migrate to SBS 2008 at a later date when SBS 2008 has been around longer.

Since presenting this, they have asked about going virtual with the new server we are considering. This would mean likely mean a Dell 2900, quad-core and 12Gb of RAM.

Could I run SBS 2003 in a virtual environment on this? Would VMware Server 2 be the best platform to host this? Considering I have had no experience with virtual servers in a production environment, is this a prudent move?

Thanks for any comments or opinions.





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