Most small office networks rely on a variety of software products
(and often operating systems) acquired from multiple vendors. Typically, the most computer-literate person in the office--whether CEO or secretary--chooses, installs, and manages the collage of software. Balancing technology and staffing is a real dilemma for many small businesses. Small companies need the services that technology can provide to grow their business and enhance their customer service, but hiring a full-time MIS person to implement and manage the technology might not make economic sense.
The solution to this dilemma may very well be Microsoft BackOffice Small
Business Server (SBS). What is SBS? In general terms, the product lets someone with intermediate computer skills and two days to kill configure a robust business network environment that supports 25 client connections and harnesses the power of Windows NT Server, SQL Server, Exchange Server, Proxy Server, and more--all installed and configured through a friendly GUI. Think of SBS as "BackOffice Lite" for small businesses. Small companies can implement file sharing, printer sharing, modem sharing, fax serving, email, and Internet connectivity with one integrated, easy-to-use package.
SBS includes existing BackOffice components and some new components
Microsoft developed just for SBS (Figure 1, page 70, lists the components).
Exchange is the key component for providing internal and external mail service.
To keep hardware requirements to a minimum, Microsoft has tuned the SBS version
of Exchange (and SQL Server) to support no more than 25 connections. (Microsoft
provides SQL Server in SBS to support business database applications, but none
of the SBS components rely on SQL Server.)
In this first installment of the Windows NT Magazine Lab's SBS
track, I'll report on SBS, Beta 2's setup, configuration, management, and online
Help. In the next installment, I'll explore SBS's application services, general
communications services, and Internet connection services.
The Context for SBS
To truly appreciate SBS, you need to see how it fits into a typical small
business environment. For example, consider the fictitious Dr. X's growing
family practice. Over the past 20 years, the practice's patient base has risen
from a few hundred patients to several thousand patients. A few years ago, Dr. X
hired two interns and several nurses just to keep up with demand. The handful of
nurses and office assistants feel more confident in front of a typewriter than a
computer, yet they admit they can't keep up with the paperwork (e.g., patient
records, insurance forms) and general administration (e.g., billing accounts) of
running a successful office.
Because Dr. X doesn't have time to explore all the options, Dr. X hires me
as a consultant to examine the practice's business needs and present a
reasonably priced solution to move the office into the 21st century. We discuss
hardware requirements and software applications for networking, remote access,
electronic mail, Internet access, modem and fax sharing, and backups. Then we
discuss the office's database structure and which applications the staff
will use and need to be trained on. Ka-ching! After recovering from price tag
shock, Dr. X politely throws me out of the office and tells me never to come
back--without even hearing about maintenance and support options.
Armed with the false assumption that the office staff can do better on its
own, Dr. X and the accountant, office manager, and in-house computer expert go
shopping. They buy whatever they can from anyone who offers a cheap, fast deal.
Then Dr. X assembles the rest of the staff and gives the motivational speech, "Make
it work, people!" Of course, no one wins in this situation because learning
about, configuring, and supporting these computers often takes anywhere from 10
percent to 50 percent of the staff's time, leaving less time for primary jobs.
With SBS in the picture, my encounter with Dr. X might turn out
differently. SBS provides an integrated software solution for common business
environments; thus, bundling SBS with some hardware, line-of-business software,
and training lets me provide an economical solution to Dr. X's problem. I
decided to test this theory in the Lab by establishing a small business network
environment for Dr. John's Health Services.
A Look at the Server
SBS, Beta 2 comes with a well-written Reviewer's Guide and a Start Here
booklet. The product also includes Release Notes and a Hardware Compatibility
List (HCL--make sure your hardware appears on the SBS HCL, which is
substantially shorter than the standard BackOffice HCL). For a test server, I
chose an HP NetServer E 45, configured with a 266MHz Pentium II, 128MB of RAM,
and three 4GB SCSI hard disks. (For more details about the test server, see "HP
NetServer E 45," page 113.) I reformatted the hard disks in NTFS before
installation.
Microsoft provides the SBS software on three CD-ROMs, two for Intel
processors and one for Alpha. The product also includes three SBS installation
floppies, and four floppies containing client licenses. (Microsoft supplies
licenses in increments of five.) The SBS software limits use to 25 client
computer systems (the number of computers connected to the server, not the
number of users). Multiple users can share computer resources as
needed--Microsoft expects no more than 100 users.