Featuring: Wayne Small (NSW), Robbie Upcroft (Microsoft), Dean Calvert (SA), Henry Craven (VIC), Ian Brissit sp? (NSW) and others…. (sorry guys, didn’t catch your names)

Q: SBS – SBS 2008 Migration, Any effect on Member Servers?
A (Wayne Small): Yes, The wizard allows you to migrate the TS Licensing etc etc. It will also take the additional DC’s

Q: SBS Premium Options – Can we put SQL on the Primary Box and use the other Windows Server License for a Terminal Server.
A (Wayne Small): Yes, you can use the Server License for TS, and you get downgrade rights to SQL2005 aswell!

Q: Management of multiple site, any functionality for that?
A: Yes, in the management console you can manage multiples sites. In multiple customers sites, you must have System Center Operations Manager.

Q: Who put IP Address, Gateway and Subnet in that order? Did anyone get shot?
A: We don’t generally shoot people in Microsoft

Q: Concern about today not being technical enough. Will Microsoft be providing some sort of discounted training.
A (Robbie Upcroft): Yes, lots of it is based on feedback received from today and events like this. It will all be released in the next few weeks.

Q: When you did the install you had the option of Custom or Upgrade. I thought you couldn’t upgrade?
A (Wayne Small): This is if you are already running Server 2008 x64.

Q: With EBS, what is the user number point where you would recommend using 1, 2 or 3 physical servers.
A: We have not done an analysis of based on the number of users in a deployment. You really have to look at that traffic in each site. It’s a case by case basis.

Q: After the release date of SBS2008, how long will SBS2003 be available for.
A (Robbie Upcroft): About 12 Months.

Q: Now that it is RTM, is there now a physical and virtual key like Server 2008.
A (Wayne Small): You cannot install the HyperV instance on SBS Product BUT I expect that you will be able to on the second Windows Server License.
Other: Robbie – September 9th will be the official date for the supported virtual install options for SBS/EBS 2008.

Q: How long before we see them in the Action Pack?
A: November – Usually takes 4-6 Weeks for it to come down the line.

Q: With the experience you’ve been having, what are the pro’s and cons of going to a virtualised environment?
A (Dean Calvert): Pro’s – Disaster Recovery aspect as long as you have it all setup properly. Is there a compelling reason to go virtualised?
A (Wayne Small): If you run a SAN, then you can run the HDD Images on the SAN and use a blade and do balancing and moving of your blades as you need it.

Q: If you have licenses with SA, how will that work?
A (Robbie Upcroft): We kind of glossed over it this morning. Microsoft is looking at a Solutions Pathway. This will be pathway that will offer SKU’s and Discounts to offer pathways for the client.
Robbie assures that as soon as it available he will put it on the blog.

Q: Is the migration of domains supported in the sense of the purchasing of companies?
A (Wayne Small): Usually we just move the users over, move the data over scrub the box and do it that way. You cannot support child domains in the SBS environment.

Q: Earlier you mentioned that we should be purchasing SA. What is the upgrade path.
A (Robbie): I don’t know. We’ll take it offline and get back to you.

Q: OEM Licenses on Virtualised Machines
A: Robbie will have to get back to us …. again.

Q: Now that you’re wearing the red shirt, I hope you’re independant. When you’re doing the rounds are you going to be looking at the VMWare product and touching on it as well?
A (Wayne Small): From a support perspective, you might want to think about putting a customer on a platform that isn’t supported by Microsoft. Where is the responsibility. In terms of what I’ll be doing… We’ll See.

Q: Have Microsoft release any official support for other Virtualisation platforms?
A: Microsoft do not currently support other Hypervisor platforms. Get into the community and check it out.

Q: USB HyperV Passthrough, is there any support?
A: A USB drive appears on the Physical Machine and not the HyperV. So, how do you back it up? There are ways to do it, but you’ll need to look in to this.

Q: ISA, what is going on? We’ve been pushed to buy it, how many people are going to move to Linux firewalls to over come this.
Lots of hands went up.
A: You can still use ISA, it is just not built in to the product. Q to crowd, If you could purchase an ISA license for a reduced price, would you buy it.
Some hands went up?

Q to audience (Wayne Small) – how many people only purchase SBS Premium? How many people only buy it for ISA? (Many hands went up)

Q: With SBS being available for the next 12 months, what is the SA deal?
A: SBS will be available as 2003 only as OEM. With Licenses you will buy 2008 and use downgrade rights. With the free Server + ISA2006 offer you must purchase NOW not after the fact.

Q: Will you be able to cross license 2003 CALS over to 2008?
A (Dean Calvert): From memory the date is May 2009. You’ll find the information under the licensing FAQ @ Microsoft’s website.

Q: you mentioned the 12 Month life span of SBS2003. Does this also mean the OEM Vendors?
A (Robbie): Yes I believe so. I will confirm this on the blog.

Q: It sounds like you have taken away the technical limitations of using the right CALS. What are you going to do to police it?
A (Dean Calvert): It will really be an honesty system. The cost had come down significantly, this is making it easier for you to sell but also for the license to be purchased by the customer and become legal.

Q: Re: Virtualisation Q ealier you’ll find it on KB957006
A: Thanks

Q: Why should the customer purchase the one or two additional licenses when it won’t stop them from using it.
A (Wayne Small): Why do you register your car every year? If you get audited, then that is when you will get hit. It is an honesty system. It’s also up to you as their trusted advisor.

Robbie: The CALS we sell here in Australia are 52% of the SBS business.

Q: Is it possible to do an Rsync so you can replicate the the backup data to an offsite store.
A: Speak to Linus Chang from BackupAssist

Quick comment about license: It’s a perfect time for you to make a decision whether you want to do business with them. If they want to rip Microsoft off, then they want to rip you off to.

Q: Software as a Service. Is Microsoft looking at deploying it?
A (Robbie Upcroft): NO COMMENT

Q: SBS using DFS in a remote office, is it there?
A (Wayne Small): YES!

Q: Is there going to be RWW support for WM6?
A: All shake their heads on stage.