Some of us have problems with connecting Windows 8 to SBS 2008 or SBS2011 Remote Web Workplace. In RWW, after the connection is established, it is possible to view E-Mails in OWA and open the companyweb site, but it is impossible to connect to internal computers.
This issue is (or will be) solved with Update Rollup package or you can solve it manually, directly in Internet explorer with few clicks:
– add your RWW site to Trusted sites,
– open the RWW site in compatibility mode.
After this, you will be able to connect to all computers..
Tag: Small Business Server
Windows Server 2012 Essentials is now RTM
Today Microsoft published the RTM version of Windows Server 2012 Essentials. Download is available on MSDN for Microsoft partners. The new version is similar to the old one, with some new features (like the connector for on premise Exchange, Cloud backup …). This version is also a replacement for Home server, which means that now are available Media functions (similar as that in Home server).
Good, now you have enough reasons to download it. Test and enjoy it!.
Update Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 with WSUS 3.0
Now many of us are using Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. In many cases, there are some problems updating these operating systems with WSUS 3.0. The first symptom is, that these systems are reported in WSUS as Windows XP pro, not as Windows 8. It seems that the problem is in WSUS service. To solve the problem you must install WSUS SP2, which is downloadable from http://www.microsoft.com/en-za/download/details.aspx?id=30747 (64bit) or from http://www.microsoft.com/en-za/download/details.aspx?id=30748 (32bit).
After installing this update, you will be able to update the Windows 8 and Server 2012 operating systems..
Essentials and SBS Server RWA Security
I have to say that I have reported the same problem in Windows Server 2012 Essentials as I had reported it two years ago for SBS Standard 2011 and SBS Essentials 2011. Unfortunately also in this case I had from Microsoft people the answer, that this is »feature by design«.
The explanation of the problem is simple. In any Microsoft environment, administrator does not have the access to other users’ redirected folders. For me, this is a right approach (of course the user can have in this folder some private data and we must leave them as that). The same thing is in Essentials server; administrator, in the way of browsing on server, is not able to access to other users’ folders.
We can see, that this is the same approach like in other products and is the same approach as is in server environment at least since Windows server 2000. It gives privacy and confidence to all users for their data, because they are secure.
In other way,if you try to access to the same data true RWA,you will get a surprise. You can access to all users’ folders, and also to any shared folder.
It does not depend on security settings, it is simply accessible. Do you think, that this will help to inspire confidence in users? I don’t think so.
What does Microsoft say? They are sure, that this is a small environment, where administrator must have access to data for support reason (OK, but to private files?). I might try to understand them, but this state as is now, sounds like “Sorry Mr. User, I cannot help you from your office. If you like my help, I can do this from home.” This is not a clear situation. In most cases you cannot access to personal data like in “real systems”, but it exists a work around (which is not a trusted computing approach). We have two very different types of understanding what are and how to secure users personal data. This is not the right way and I think that is not clearly defined what administrator can do and what he can’t do.
So once again, please let me know what do you think about this and also tell the same things to Microsoft people via connect site or forums. It will be the best thing for us and our customers..
Windows SBS is now Windows Server 2012 Essentials only
As a lot of us probably heard in the last days, Microsoft declared that Windows SBS server is out. They told us this is because we are entering in new era of Cloud computing and this is definitely the way where companies in SMB segment will go.
I don’t completely agree with this statement, but this is the way where we go… Maybe in the near future the Cloud will be really the best solution, but now there are still a lot of small companies who don’t have a good internet connection or just don’t want to go in the Cloud.
We have to remind that it was a day when SBS appears on market and now it is the day when it disappears. The only thing that remains from this project is Windows Server 2012 Essentials. Let’s take a short look on it:
This is a very similar project to Windows SBS 2011 Essentials and it has more or less the same functions. It is designed for very small businesses with a maximum of 25 users (and also a maximum of 50 devices). It has a very easy to manage SBS console and a similar remote web access as the previous version. Of course the synchronization with Office 365 is natively supported, but the new thing is the support to on premise Exchange on the second server. In this case, of course, you have to buy Windows Server 2012 Standard and Exchange Server + CALs. A new feature in this version is also Online Backup, which is used to back up your system in the Microsoft Cloud. The good news is,that 100GB of space are included with any installation of Windows Server 2012 Essentials for free (in Beta version,I’m not sure about the amount of free storage in the release version).
It will be available also the “transition pack”, which is the way to “upgrade” Essentials version to Standard. It removes all limits, except the limit for the number of backups for the client computers (the maximum is 75 PCs). After the transition there will still remain some functions like RWA and SBS Console (but I am not sure if Console will be useful with a large number of users). At transition I’m also worried how we will manage or convert the users. In Essentials version they have permissions in file system and in AD established on principle user by user. This is practically impossible to manage in large environments like the new one will be.
Anyway, like it or not, I invite you to download and try Essentials version from here, to be prepared when it will come on the market..
