Product Overview for Windows ® Small Business Server 2011 December 2010 Abstract Microsoft offers Windows® Small Business Servers as a business solution for small businesses by providing a simplified setup, intuitive management of day-to-day tasks, comprehensive network and data protection, and rich business productivity features, combined with high performance within a Windows environment. This guide provides an overview of the benefits of a server-based small business solution and introduces Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials (a new edition of Windows Small Business Server) and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard. It describes the new and enhanced features of Windows Small Business Server, presents scenario walkthroughs to highlight several of the new capabilities, and provides references to additional resources.
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Product Overview for Windows® Small Business Server 2011
December 2010
Abstract Microsoft offers Windows® Small Business Servers as a business solution for small businesses by
providing a simplified setup, intuitive management of day-to-day tasks, comprehensive network and
data protection, and rich business productivity features, combined with high performance within a
Windows environment.
This guide provides an overview of the benefits of a server-based small business solution and introduces
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials (a new edition of Windows Small Business Server) and
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard. It describes the new and enhanced features of Windows
Small Business Server, presents scenario walkthroughs to highlight several of the new capabilities, and
provides references to additional resources.
Disclaimer
THIS IS NOT A PRODUCT SPECIFICATION.
The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corp. on the
issues disclosed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market
conditions, this document should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and
Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented. This document is provided
“as-is”. This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT.
Information in this document, including URL and other Internet web site references, is subject to
change without notice. You bear the risk of using it. Unless otherwise noted, the companies,
Overview of Small Business Needs......................................................................................................................... 5
The Small Business Challenge .................................................................................................................................... 5
The Windows Small Business Server Solution ............................................................................................................ 5
How Small Businesses Benefit .............................................................................................................................. 6
How the Partner Community Benefits .................................................................................................................. 7
Trends in Small Business Computing ......................................................................................................................... 8
Growing Interest in Cloud Computing .................................................................................................................. 8
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials .................................................................................................. 10
A Cross-Premise Small Business Solution ................................................................................................................. 10
The Dashboard and Launchpad ............................................................................................................................... 10
Remote Web Access Feature ................................................................................................................................... 11
Computers and Backup ........................................................................................................................................... 12
Network Health Monitoring .................................................................................................................................... 13
Extensibility and Add-ins ......................................................................................................................................... 13
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard ................................................................................................... 15
A Fully On-Premise Small Business Solution ............................................................................................................ 15
Remote Web Access Feature ................................................................................................................................... 16
Messaging and Collaboration ................................................................................................................................. 17
Server Backup .......................................................................................................................................................... 19
Network Health Monitoring .................................................................................................................................... 19
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials ..................................................................................................... 21
The Dashboard .................................................................................................................................................... 21
Backup & Restore for Clients & Servers .............................................................................................................. 23
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard ...................................................................................................... 29
The Administration Console ................................................................................................................................ 29
Backup and Restore Servers ............................................................................................................................... 36
Common Feature Areas ........................................................................................................................................... 38
Remote Web Access Feature .............................................................................................................................. 38
Health and Security Monitoring .......................................................................................................................... 41
How to Install .......................................................................................................................................................... 44
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials Setup and Configuration ........................................................ 44
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard Setup and Configuration ......................................................... 44
Windows Small Business Server blog .................................................................................................................. 44
Overview of Small Business Needs
The Small Business Challenge Today’s small business owners face daily challenges in running their businesses, and one of the more
difficult challenges is managing an IT infrastructure. However, the primary focus for most business
owners is on their core business competencies, not on becoming technology experts. Because
investments in technology directly impact the bottom line, there is a constant need to achieve real
business benefits and mitigate costs against a backdrop of time pressures and limited technical skills. To
add to this pressure, many small businesses are now looking toward cloud services, and what they may
offer—which can add even more complexity and apprehension in adopting new technology.
To help small businesses solve these challenges, Microsoft built upon its success with Microsoft®
Windows® Small Business Server 2008 to develop the next generation of solutions for small business,
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard.
These products are designed to help small businesses operate at the same technology level as much
larger organizations, without the added costs and complexities of managing an intricate IT
infrastructure. The next-generation of the Windows Small Business Server family also provides the
choice of a solution focused on traditional on-premise workloads, or a solution that is designed to have
a high degree of interoperability with cross-premise (cloud computing) technologies.
The Windows Small Business Server Solution Technology has always promised to solve problems, not create them. Windows Small Business Server
2011 Essentials and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard simplify business technology and
deliver on that promise.
Previous versions of Windows Small Business Server took significant steps toward reducing the
complexity of implementing and managing server technology in a small business environment. Windows
Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard build upon
that foundation with easier setup, installation, and migration experiences, a simplified management
experience, and better network-wide security features for the small business customer. They
incorporate the latest Microsoft technologies for networking, data storage and backup, security, and
document and printer sharing as well as providing on-premise solutions for advanced e-mail and
calendar capabilities, database and line-of-business support. New to the family are cross-premise
capabilities for cloud based workloads, allowing small business customers the flexibility to choose the
best environment for their line-of-business and collaboration solutions.
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard continues to be an ideal on-premise solution that
includes all the key workloads small businesses need to be productive and competitive. Windows Small
Business Server 2011 Essentials enables a cross-premise solution, allowing small businesses to retain
core infrastructure and security features on their local networks, and also includes technologies such as
Active Directory Federation Services to enable simple, single sign-on experiences with cloud-based
services. This allows end-users to work in ways that are familiar to them, while at the same time making
it easier for small businesses to take advantage of the growing set of offerings available in the cloud
through platforms such as Windows® Azure™.
Partners are also a great way to reduce complexity for businesses. Windows Small Business Server 2011
Essentials and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard make it easier for partners to deliver value
to customers through simplified installation, administration and mitigated costs.
How Small Businesses Benefit
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard
provide small businesses with a simplified installation and management experience making the
transition from peer-to-peer networks to server-based technology painless. It also helps in keeping small
business’ data and systems highly secure – including e-mail and documents - from malicious attacks,
disasters, or hardware failures. Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Small
Business Server 2011 Standard increase productivity through near anytime, anywhere access – for
employees and/or business partners – to company information regardless of their location.
Simplified Purchase and Setup. Rather than requiring customers to identify, purchase, install, and
manage multiple products or technologies, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard bring these technologies together into a single-server
installation and management experience.
Simplified Management. By its very nature, an operating system running multiple technologies tends
toward complex management. However, managing a complex environment does not have to expose
that complexity for all tasks. Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Small
Business Server 2011 Standard reduce operating system complexities by using an intuitive management
interface, one that presents relevant system information and a matching set of tasks.
Network-wide Protection. As the digital age increases the volume of business data, and increases
reliance on communication tools such as e-mail, line-of-business applications, and remote access,
businesses of all sizes need to protect these assets. The more sophisticated the collaboration and
business data becomes, the greater the need for complete, network-wide protection. Windows Small
Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard utilize protection
technologies, such as the Security Center and Windows Backup and Restore, which help guard a small
business network and its data.
Client Protection. Desktop clients sometimes change on a daily basis as employees add, remove, or
modify applications and information without your knowledge. Windows Small Business Server 2011
Essentials and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard monitor your client computers for
antivirus status, update compliance, and overall security health. This gives administrators a quick view
into overall client status and helps address issues before they arise.
Simplified Backup for Business Data. Both Essentials and Standard servers help businesses can easily
backup server data to internal and/or external hard drives and optionally rotate drives to offsite storage
locations. Additionally, for Essentials, client computers can also be backed up to the server, providing a
centralized location to help protect critical data. This simplifies the ability of businesses to help secure
their data and keep it safer.
Remote Web Access1. Remote Web Access (formerly Remote Web Workplace) is a dynamically-updated
web site that uses encrypted connections to provide a single, simple, and consolidated entry point into a
small business network. Employees or partners can gain access to e-mail, files, or even a desktop
computer through Remote Web Access. For Windows Small Business Server 20011 Standard this
includes a fully-configured internal web site managed by Microsoft SharePoint® 2010 Foundation.
Desktop Synergies with Windows 7 and Office 2010. By combining the Windows 7® operating system
and Microsoft Office® 2010 productivity and content management tools to Windows Small Business
Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard, small business will have the
IT foundation they need to work fast, smart, and together, to take it on the road, and to help protect
their business data—from the inside out.
Mobile Device Support. Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Small Business
Server 2011 Standard offer excellent support for Windows Mobile smartphone devices. These devices
give highly-mobile employees such as sales staff or field personnel access to e-mail, contact lists,
calendars, and documents stored on the company web site. Businesses can administer mobile devices as
if they were on the local network, installing certificates or remotely wiping devices for security purposes.
Active Directory Federation Services. A powerful feature of the underlying Windows Server 2008 R2
operating system, Active Directory Federation Services enables simple, single sign-on experiences with
cloud-based services. This allows end-users to work in ways that are familiar to them, while at the same
time making it easier for small businesses to take advantage of the growing set of offerings available in
the cloud through platforms such as Windows Azure.
How the Partner Community Benefits
The partner community can realize significant benefits from selling and supporting Windows Small
Business Server 2011 Essentials and Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard. Their intuitive and
streamlined management tools simplify administration, reducing guesswork and allowing partners to
optimize their time. For example, the daily health reports can help a partner determine which customer
sites might require some remote administration tasks, or which ones may require a site visit in the near
future. Expansion and data management features, such as the Move Users’ Shared Data wizard,
minimize the time required to grow the network to match business needs.
These tools, and the underlying design goals of Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials and
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard, will afford the partner community the ability to move
beyond traditional break-fix services. Partners can become specialists in vertical market technology and
provide value-added services to their customers. Infrastructure management is not a commodity, but it
1 Use of Remote Web Access feature may require additional services from your broadband provider, such as access to certain
“ports” that some providers may block for customers on some service plans. Contact your broadband provider if you have
questions about their services or service terms.
is one that can’t be heavily promoted as a value-add line item; customers expect that the infrastructure
is configured properly and “just works.” By providing a core infrastructure that already meets customer
expectations, it frees the partner to focus on and promote value-add solutions to the customer – in
other words, the partner gets to focus on doing what the partner does best.
Partners can also increase customer trust by providing them with a known-good infrastructure. As
businesses grow, the potential for loss increases and the more products need to be installed and
configured to help reduce the risk. Even when products are supplied by the same vendor, additional
configuration and modification is needed to ensure the products work efficiently and with a high degree
of security. This requires that partners become knowledgeable about different products so that the
systems will be protected. Yet there can be lingering questions, wondering if all the options been
properly set or whether something was missed from the best practice guide. With a core infrastructure
in place that has already been configured according to best practice guidelines, partners can increase
customer trust and improve their status as a true strategic partner for the midsize business.
In addition, partners can use the versatile Windows Server Solutions SDK to extend and customize the
experience for small business owners. For Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials the SDK
provides a toolset to extend the platform, develop server and client add-ins, and provides customized
interoperability with cloud services. Partners can use this to easily develop the Windows Small Business
Server 2011 Essentials integration components for new and existing cloud services. For Windows Small
Business Server 2011 Standard, partners can use the SDK to extend, customize and tailor Small Business
Server solutions and add-ins.
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard provides an unparalleled out-of-the-box experience for a
small business customer. For the partner community, Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard
provides the solid foundation to grow the partner business, both by adding more customers without
adding staff, and to grow the business into value-add services.
Trends in Small Business Computing
Growing Interest in Cloud Computing
If we look at small businesses today, about 55 percent of the primary workloads2 include collaboration,
file and print, networking and security. Many organizations spend large percentages of their limited IT
budget on simply maintaining on-premise applications and services such as these, which are not fully
utilized. Over the past few years, cloud services such as email, online back-up and line-of-business tools
are now becoming key considerations.
Many small businesses don’t have regular IT budget cycles or dedicated IT staff, so maintaining a
complex set of on-premise solutions can be cost prohibitive. In fact, when you look at organizations
below 25 PCs, over 70 percent3 have used or are now using cloud-based applications such as email
2 Based on 2008 data from IDC Workloads Tracker (2009 release) 3 Based on Microsoft Email Deployment Tracker, January 2009
(through services such as Windows Live Mail, and other online email providers). These services provide
small businesses the power and flexibility of enterprise class solutions without the cost of on-premise
support.
However, while many organizations may already be using online services, they not align with single sign-
on facilities, and can they cannot easily be centrally managed in bulk. Customers are looking for ways to
extend their investment in on-premise platforms and seamlessly integrate them into the cloud.
That is not to say on-premise support is declining across all small businesses. For larger organizations,
supporting on-premise collaboration and line-of-business applications is still a primary choice.
Organizations such as these are looking for a complete server platform that is integrated and optimized,
or a customizable platform for their exact requirements.
Ultimately it is a business decision for small businesses. Some organizations may feel comfortable with
everything in the cloud or a hybrid solution. Others, typically those who have already invested in client
or client-server line-of-business applications, will feel more comfortable with an on-premise server.
Microsoft is now able to provide more than a one-size-fits-all approach and has offerings for a wide
range of customer and partner preferences.
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials is a new edition of Windows Small Business Server that
introduces cross-premise functionality, providing small businesses with on-premise file and print,
security, backup, remote access, and identity management services, combined with optional off-premise
services.
A Cross-Premise Small Business Solution Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials incorporates best-of-breed 64-bit product technologies
to deliver a server environment well suited for most small businesses. The product technologies include:
Server Operating System: Windows Server 2008 R2 product technologies provide the core
foundation of Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials. Windows Server 2008 R2 is the
most flexible and robust Windows Server operating system to date. For more information, visit
the Windows Server 2008 R2 web site.
Network Monitoring and Protection: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials monitors
its own health status and the status of client computers running Windows XP, Windows Vista®,
Windows 7, and Mac OS X version 10.5 and above. Health status notifies you of issues or
problems related to computer backups, server storage, low disk space, and more.
Database: The optional Small Business Server Premium Add-on includes a licensed copy of
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard technologies and Microsoft SQL Server® 2008 R2 Standard
Edition for Small Business, providing customers and partners with a comprehensive data
management and analysis solution. For more product-specific information, visit the Microsoft
SQL Server web site.
The Dashboard and Launchpad The Dashboard is the command and control center for Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials.
From the Dashboard, you can perform all the management and maintenance tasks you need to control
how your server behaves on your network, who can access it, what information can be stored and
retrieved, how it is organized, protected, and made available remotely. The Dashboard itself can be
accessed remotely by users who have permission.
The Dashboard is organized around tasks, with different activities presented on different tabs. Each tab
in the Dashboard contains specific action items, giving you better control, while still making changes
simple to understand and perform.
The Home tab provides shortcuts to the necessary tasks for getting started as well as common
tasks that will be used to maintain the server, such as adding users and shared folders. It also
displays a list of community links.
The Users tab allows you to add up to 25 user accounts. You can change the shared folders that
users have access to and enable and define what level of remote access each user has.