Small Business Server 2003

[thefultonhow]

So I'm setting up a server for a small company. Right now, they want to be able to share files over the network, do backups, and share printers -- nothing more. They don't have a website, but I don't think they particularly want one; their email needs are taken care of by Earthlink DSL; and they don't use Outlook to share calendars. They use Quickbooks, but I'm not sure if it has a server component. The server came with Small Business Server 2003, and they got it before I stepped in.

So, my question: Are there any particular features of Small Business Server 2003 that I should pay attention to in this situation? I don't want their purchase to be wasted, so I'd like to know of anything that would help them. Also, they currently are running XP Home on all of their computers -- would it be worth it to upgrade to Pro so that I can set up a domain? Thanks in advance for the input.

[glc]

If they all have XP Home, the server was a wasted purchase. Somebody did not do their homework. For what they are doing, a simple workgroup setup is all they need.

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by glc If they all have XP Home, the server was a wasted purchase. Somebody did not do their homework. For what they are doing, a simple workgroup setup is all they need.

They do want the file/print server functionality, but yeah, probably just any old Dell Dimension running XP would do that.

[glc]

If they want to use the new server, then all workstations will need to be upgraded to XP Pro or downgraded to 2000 Pro. The server is designed for domain and active directory - are you prepared to deal with that?

I believe in keeping things simple - any old Dimension sounds like a good choice to me, running 2000 or XP Pro, acting as a simple file server in workgroup mode - and hardware print servers (Jet Direct, etc.) plugged into the router.

How many workstations are on this network?

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by glc If they want to use the new server, then all workstations will need to be upgraded to XP Pro or downgraded to 2000 Pro. The server is designed for domain and active directory - are you prepared to deal with that? I believe in keeping things simple - any old Dimension sounds like a good choice to me, running 2000 or XP Pro, acting as a simple file server in workgroup mode - and hardware print servers (Jet Direct, etc.) plugged into the router. How many workstations are on this network?

There are only four or five workstations on the network, and one of them is a laptop so I'm not sure how much it get's connected. They have already bought the server, so unless they want to sell it, they'll use it. But it sounds to me like they really don't need to use most of the features.

One thing that did look useful when I did some research on my own is SharePoint services, but I would need to look at it a little bit more closely.