Hi folks I'm new to this forum and also pretty new to windows server in general so hello to everyone! I recently took over the IT side of things at my company and we are currently using windows server 2003. We have a total of 22 people within the company so we are quite a small business. We have roughly 8 office users and about 14 working outside the office so most of the company rely on connecting to our network remotely. However we are also looking to employ about an another 20 staff over the next 5 years. The spec of our current server looks something like the following: Intel (R) Xeon (TM) CPU 3.20 GHZ 3.50 GB RAM can't remember the capacity of the hard drive but we have roughly 150 GB left. Within our server we have the usual stuff like exchange server, web server, terminal server, virtual private network, sql server, etc etc. The IT company that supports us recently proposed that we need a new server and should upgrade to windows server 2008. They beilieve we should do this very soon as they don't think our current server will last very long (i think its 4 or 5 years old) The reason i'm writing this email is because my boss wants to know whether or not the new server and upgrade to server 2008 is necessary. I know that one of the main benefits of server 2008 is the virtualisation of the server which can significantly improve performance. Our system does appear alot slower than it used to and users both within the office and connecting remotely have complained about this. I basically want to know is it necessary to buy a new server in order for server 2008 to reach it's potential and also what are the benefits of server 2008 such as virtualisation? Sorry for the long email. If you could even point me to the right resources if this seems like a too much information to answer! Thanks Tree

Hello, it sounds for me that the OS version can be SBS. Please clarify the used OS version. Also we need to know, if not SBS version, if the server is domainc ontroller or not. After 4-5 years a real server hardware, running 24/7 the complete year, is on it's end of lifetime. We count on ours between 3-5 years for replacing them. Additional you have to keep in mind that running that amount of different applications like Exchange, SQL, Web servivces and using it as RRAS and Terminal server is not the best idea. If it is a domain controller it is also not recommended, except SBS version which is built for this kind of setup. Virtualizing servers is of course an idea but therefore we need also some more information as licensing comes into play. So how are you licensed for the server and all installed applications?Best regards Meinolf Weber Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.

Hi, According to the company scale, I agree with “Meinolf Weber” that SBS 2008 can meet your requirement. It includes Windows Server 2008 Standard, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Standard, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, Windows Server Update Services 3.0, Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard for Small Business (Premium only). The totally price is cheap. For more information, please refer to the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/sbs/en/us/default.aspx The last Windows Server operating system is Windows Server 2008 R2. Designed to help organizations reduce operating costs and increase efficiencies, Windows Server 2008 R2 provides enhanced management control over resources across the enterprise. It is designed to provide better energy efficiency and performance by reducing power consumption and lowering overhead costs. It also helps provide improved branch office capabilities, exciting new remote access experiences, streamlined server management, and expands the Microsoft virtualization strategy for both client and server computers. For more information, please refer to the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/why-upgrade.aspx To upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2, please also read the following Microsoft TechNet articles: Determine Domain Controller Upgrade Order http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732085(WS.10).aspx Prepare a Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 Domain for a Domain Controller That Runs Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754670(WS.10).aspx Regards,Please remember to click Mark as Answer on the post that helps you, and to click Unmark as Answer if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.