Windows Small Business Server - Versions

Versions

• October 22, 1997 – BackOffice Small Business Server 4.0

based on Windows NT Server 4.0 SP3 and includes Exchange Server 5.0 SP1, IIS 3.0, SQL Server 6.5 SP3, Proxy Server 1.0, Internet Explorer 3.02 or 4.01, and Outlook 97; allows 25 client licenses.

• May 24, 1999 – BackOffice Small Business Server 4.5

based on Windows NT Server 4.0 SP4 and includes Exchange Server 5.5 SP2, IIS 4.0, SQL Server 7.0, Proxy Server 2.0, Internet Explorer 5.0, Outlook 2000, and FrontPage 2000; allows 50 client licenses.

• February 21, 2001 – Microsoft Small Business Server 2000

based on Windows 2000 Server (including Internet Explorer 5.0 and IIS 5.0) and includes Exchange 2000 Server, SQL Server 2000 Standard Edition, Internet Security & Acceleration Server 2000, Outlook 2000 and FrontPage 2000; allows 50 client licenses.

• October 9, 2003 – Windows Small Business Server 2003 (codenamed Bobcat)

based on Windows Server 2003 and includes Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft Outlook 2003, Windows SharePoint Services 2.0, and optionally Microsoft SQL Server 2000, ISA Server 2000 (upgrade to ISA Server 2004 in Small Business Server Premium SP1), and Microsoft FrontPage 2003 in Premium edition; allows 75 client licenses. Service Pack 1 for Windows Small Business Server 2003 was released on July 25, 2005.

• July 29, 2006 - Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2

based on Windows Server 2003 (Not R2) and includes Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft Outlook 2003, Windows SharePoint Services 2.0, and optionally Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Workgroup Edition, ISA Server 2004, and Microsoft FrontPage 2003 in Premium edition; allows 75 client licenses. A major addition is a built-in patch management solution optimized for small businesses, based on Microsoft Windows Server Update Services. Exchange database size limit is set to 18 GB by default but can be expanded to 75 GB using a registry key.

• August 21, 2008 - Windows Small Business Server 2008 (codenamed Cougar)

based on Windows Server 2008 and includes Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and 120-day trial subscriptions of new security products from Microsoft, namely, Forefront Security for Exchange and Windows Live OneCare for Server. The standard edition of SBS 2008 will be a single server solution for small businesses. The premium edition will contain a license for Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition, with the option to run SQL Server on either the main SBS server, or a second server. The premium edition will therefore be targeted at dual-server scenarios such as terminal services application sharing, Line of Business applications, edge security, secondary domain controllers, and virtualization. In addition to features present in previous versions, new features include:

• A streamlined administration and management console that is designed around tasks to be accomplished rather than underlying technologies
• Built-in support for registering and configuring domain name and DNS records via multiple registrars
• Monitoring reports that gather data from both servers and clients on the network, including Security Center status (anti-virus, spyware, and client firewall) from all the clients
• New features in the Remote Web Workplace, such as the ability to define default and allowed PCs for each user
• Office Live Small Business integration for and configuring a public web site or extranet
• New server backup features, based on the incremental block-based backup technology in Windows Server 2008 (tape backup no longer supported via native tools, but continues to be supported via 3rd parties)
• SBS 2008 requires installation behind a separate network firewall device. In contrast with SBS 2003, it does not support being installed directly on the edge of the network, ISA Server is no longer bundled and a dual-NIC configuration is not possible.
• Migration of 32-bit SBS 2003 versions to 64-bit SBS 2008 and SBS2011 has no in place upgrade and can problematic. Inability to upgrade Sharepoint (WSS 2.0) by WSS 3.0 or Sharepoint 2010 Foundation.

SBS 2008 was released to manufacturing on August 21, 2008 and was launched on November 12, 2008. Windows Small Business Server 2008 supports organizations with up to 75 users or devices. A notable change from SBS 2003 is that CALs are not enforced electronically.

• December 13, 2010 - Windows Small Business Server 2011

Microsoft announced two successors to the SBS series during WPC 2010, both based on Windows Server 2008 R2. One successor (code name "Aurora") supports a maximum of 25 users, removes the traditional on-premises components of Exchange, SharePoint and WSUS, and is oriented to attach cloud services. The other successor (code name "SBS 7") is the more direct successor of SBS 2008, and continues to support a maximum of 75 users, and will continue to include the next generation on-premises versions of Exchange, SharePoint and Windows Server Update Services.

Late in 2010, Microsoft announced the official branding for the 2011 wave. SBS "7" will be branded as Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard, and "Aurora" will introduce a new edition to the SBS product line: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials. Additionally, changes to the premium edition were announced. Whereas formerly, the premium edition of SBS was packaged as a superset of the standard edition, in the 2011 wave it will be available as an add-on edition, containing standalone copies of SQL Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 R2, and available to add on to either SBS 2011 Essentials or Standard.

In mid-December, Microsoft released Windows Small Business Server 2011 Standard to Technet/MSDN Subscribers for evaluation. Microsoft has also announced that Windows SBS 2011 Standard will be available to Volume Licensing in Early January and as a Trial in Mid-January. SBS 2011 requires an Internet connection.

• October 2012 - Windows Server 2012 Essentials

In July of 2012, it was announced that there will not be another Windows Small Business Server product after SBS 2011. SBS 2011 Essentials will be succeeded by Windows Server 2012 Essentials. One of the primary differences between Windows Server 2012 Essentials and previous versions of Small Business Server is that Windows Server 2012 Essentials does not include Microsoft Exchange which is used for messaging and collaboration, including the ability to host email. For more information about Windows Server Essentials, see the External links section on this page.