Hi,

I would like to know if it is possible to demote an SBS server so that it is
not a dc on my LAN but instead acts as member server instead.

It holds two of the FSMO roles and there is a normal Windows Standard server
that holds the other three, I am installing two new servers to act as dc's
but still require the SBS server to be functional because of the Sharepoint
Services configuration.

Dave:

I want to reinforce what Leonid has been telling you. The issues you are
having seem, on the basis of the limited information you have provided, to
be the direct result of the FSMO roles being spread across multiple DCs.

You may very well have reasons for such, but if so, then indeed, SBS is the
wrong product for your environment. It is a wonderful solution for organizations
that meet its design criteira, but it is what it is and you cannot make it
something else.

So, along with Leonid, and with a lack of information that would indicate
otherwise (such as exceeding the limit of 75 licenses), I suggest you at
least try returning the FSMO roles to the SBS, leaving the other DC's in
your network if you feel the need. (That is a nother discussion, most here
would say there is no need for additional DC's in an SBS network, member
servers, sure, but not DCs).

Once that is done, please let us know any issues you have and we will do
our best to help you with them. But for now, you are in between the badlands
and no mans land, totally unsupported, and hanging by a thread.

How is that for mixing the metaphors? <g>

-
Larry
Please post the resolution to your
issue so others may benefit
-
Get Your SBS Health Check at
www.sbsbpa.com

> On 2/24/2010 4:40 AM, Dave wrote:
>

>> Hi,
>>
>> The server keeps shutting down and crashing on its own and leaving it
>> in the pool of servers isnt an option, it has to go.
>>
>> Is it possible to run a dcpromo on it and actually demote it?
>>
>> What about using a trasition pack and trying to make it a normal
>> server and demoting it?
>>
>> Something I dont understand is how everybody keeps saying it has to
>> have all the FSMO roles but in my network it only has two, the scema
>> master and domain naming master, the other three are handled by a
>> different dc that is not an SBS Server.
>>
>> I want to get rid of it as a dc but cleanly and I want it to stay as
>> a member server until I can transfer the Sharepoint Services role
>> from it to another server.
>>
>> There must be a way around this, surely not all companies that have
>> used an SBS Server are restricted and can never upgrade systems or
>> demote it.
>>

> If it's shutting down on its own... let's say... every 100 minutes?
>
> Then you are experiencing the effect of this server telling you that
> it must own all FSMO roles. Please transfer the roles back to the SBS
> and see if the "random" shutdowns stop. It is designed to reboot
> itself every 100 minutes if it detects that it's not holding all the
> roles.
>
> If you run dcpromo on it and then later promote it back to a DC, you
> will create problems with IIS. I have done that and basically the
> impact is that you need to adjust permissions on C:\Windows\Temp to
> bring certain features back online.
>
> There is no harm in letting this server keep all these roles if you
> have additional domain controllers. There is also no harm for you to
> keep it alive while you have other global catalog servers available.
> For license compliance, among other things, in order for your SBS CALs
> to be valid, this server must exist on your network.
>
> The transition pack removes these restrictions, but it will be like
> throwing out the baby with the bathwater. It will also be very
> expensive. My recommendation is to fix the malfunctioning SBS server.
>

Guys, appreciate your responses.

My companys user base at some stage before me working here moved up to 150
users and an external IT company done something to allow the FSMO roles to be
distributed, I honestly can not figure out what. The company is now at a
stage of wanting to upgrade the hardware and software on a server level to
accomodate the possibility of another 150 users (maybe more). They have
outgrown what SBS Server offers.

The SBS Server crashes because its old, not built correctly and experiences
more Windows crashes rather than the known shutdowns that SBS Server has
built in.

Going forward the company wants shot of it. I am in the process of building
two new Dell, Windows 2008 servers to act as dc's. So back to my question,
can I once the new dc's are built transfer the FSMO roles and cleanly demote
the SBS Server as a dc with the idea eventually it will be redundant and I
can switch it off once and for all. I at the moment only want to use it for
Sharepoint Services and that is it, no data, no dc, FSMO roles, Exchange sits
on a different server, no DHCP nothing.

I want to run a dcpromo on it and have it as a member server and nothing
else, once the Sharepoint Services are transferred I will switch it off.


"Larry Struckmeyer[SBS-MVP]" wrote:

> Dave:
>
> I want to reinforce what Leonid has been telling you. The issues you are
> having seem, on the basis of the limited information you have provided, to
> be the direct result of the FSMO roles being spread across multiple DCs.
>
> You may very well have reasons for such, but if so, then indeed, SBS is the
> wrong product for your environment. It is a wonderful solution for organizations
> that meet its design criteira, but it is what it is and you cannot make it
> something else.
>
> So, along with Leonid, and with a lack of information that would indicate
> otherwise (such as exceeding the limit of 75 licenses), I suggest you at
> least try returning the FSMO roles to the SBS, leaving the other DC's in
> your network if you feel the need. (That is a nother discussion, most here
> would say there is no need for additional DC's in an SBS network, member
> servers, sure, but not DCs).
>
> Once that is done, please let us know any issues you have and we will do
> our best to help you with them. But for now, you are in between the badlands
> and no mans land, totally unsupported, and hanging by a thread.
>
> How is that for mixing the metaphors? <g>
>
> -
> Larry
> Please post the resolution to your
> issue so others may benefit
> -
> Get Your SBS Health Check at
> www.sbsbpa.com
>
>

> > On 2/24/2010 4:40 AM, Dave wrote:
> >

> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> The server keeps shutting down and crashing on its own and leaving it
> >> in the pool of servers isnt an option, it has to go.
> >>
> >> Is it possible to run a dcpromo on it and actually demote it?
> >>
> >> What about using a trasition pack and trying to make it a normal
> >> server and demoting it?
> >>
> >> Something I dont understand is how everybody keeps saying it has to
> >> have all the FSMO roles but in my network it only has two, the scema
> >> master and domain naming master, the other three are handled by a
> >> different dc that is not an SBS Server.
> >>
> >> I want to get rid of it as a dc but cleanly and I want it to stay as
> >> a member server until I can transfer the Sharepoint Services role
> >> from it to another server.
> >>
> >> There must be a way around this, surely not all companies that have
> >> used an SBS Server are restricted and can never upgrade systems or
> >> demote it.
> >>

> > If it's shutting down on its own... let's say... every 100 minutes?
> >
> > Then you are experiencing the effect of this server telling you that
> > it must own all FSMO roles. Please transfer the roles back to the SBS
> > and see if the "random" shutdowns stop. It is designed to reboot
> > itself every 100 minutes if it detects that it's not holding all the
> > roles.
> >
> > If you run dcpromo on it and then later promote it back to a DC, you
> > will create problems with IIS. I have done that and basically the
> > impact is that you need to adjust permissions on C:\Windows\Temp to
> > bring certain features back online.
> >
> > There is no harm in letting this server keep all these roles if you
> > have additional domain controllers. There is also no harm for you to
> > keep it alive while you have other global catalog servers available.
> > For license compliance, among other things, in order for your SBS CALs
> > to be valid, this server must exist on your network.
> >
> > The transition pack removes these restrictions, but it will be like
> > throwing out the baby with the bathwater. It will also be very
> > expensive. My recommendation is to fix the malfunctioning SBS server.
> >

>
>
> .
>

Do what you will, it will continue to shut down every x minutes.

Better to get your other servers to support all the functions you need, and
dcpromo it out of existance. Since you advise the hardware is old, you probably
won't want to repurpose it.

In the meantime, you will have to live with the shutdowns.

-
Larry
Please post the resolution to your
issue so others may benefit
-
Get Your SBS Health Check at
www.sbsbpa.com

> Guys, appreciate your responses.
>
> My companys user base at some stage before me working here moved up to
> 150 users and an external IT company done something to allow the FSMO
> roles to be distributed, I honestly can not figure out what. The
> company is now at a stage of wanting to upgrade the hardware and
> software on a server level to accomodate the possibility of another
> 150 users (maybe more). They have outgrown what SBS Server offers.
>
> The SBS Server crashes because its old, not built correctly and
> experiences more Windows crashes rather than the known shutdowns that
> SBS Server has built in.
>
> Going forward the company wants shot of it. I am in the process of
> building two new Dell, Windows 2008 servers to act as dc's. So back to
> my question, can I once the new dc's are built transfer the FSMO roles
> and cleanly demote the SBS Server as a dc with the idea eventually it
> will be redundant and I can switch it off once and for all. I at the
> moment only want to use it for Sharepoint Services and that is it, no
> data, no dc, FSMO roles, Exchange sits on a different server, no DHCP
> nothing.
>
> I want to run a dcpromo on it and have it as a member server and
> nothing else, once the Sharepoint Services are transferred I will
> switch it off.
>
> "Larry Struckmeyer[SBS-MVP]" wrote:
>

>> Dave:
>>
>> I want to reinforce what Leonid has been telling you. The issues you
>> are having seem, on the basis of the limited information you have
>> provided, to be the direct result of the FSMO roles being spread
>> across multiple DCs.
>>
>> You may very well have reasons for such, but if so, then indeed, SBS
>> is the wrong product for your environment. It is a wonderful
>> solution for organizations that meet its design criteira, but it is
>> what it is and you cannot make it something else.
>>
>> So, along with Leonid, and with a lack of information that would
>> indicate otherwise (such as exceeding the limit of 75 licenses), I
>> suggest you at least try returning the FSMO roles to the SBS, leaving
>> the other DC's in your network if you feel the need. (That is a
>> nother discussion, most here would say there is no need for
>> additional DC's in an SBS network, member servers, sure, but not
>> DCs).
>>
>> Once that is done, please let us know any issues you have and we will
>> do our best to help you with them. But for now, you are in between
>> the badlands and no mans land, totally unsupported, and hanging by a
>> thread.
>>
>> How is that for mixing the metaphors? <g>
>>
>> -
>> Larry
>> Please post the resolution to your
>> issue so others may benefit
>> -
>> Get Your SBS Health Check at
>> www.sbsbpa.com

>>> On 2/24/2010 4:40 AM, Dave wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> The server keeps shutting down and crashing on its own and leaving
>>>> it in the pool of servers isnt an option, it has to go.
>>>>
>>>> Is it possible to run a dcpromo on it and actually demote it?
>>>>
>>>> What about using a trasition pack and trying to make it a normal
>>>> server and demoting it?
>>>>
>>>> Something I dont understand is how everybody keeps saying it has to
>>>> have all the FSMO roles but in my network it only has two, the
>>>> scema master and domain naming master, the other three are handled
>>>> by a different dc that is not an SBS Server.
>>>>
>>>> I want to get rid of it as a dc but cleanly and I want it to stay
>>>> as a member server until I can transfer the Sharepoint Services
>>>> role from it to another server.
>>>>
>>>> There must be a way around this, surely not all companies that have
>>>> used an SBS Server are restricted and can never upgrade systems or
>>>> demote it.
>>>>
>>> If it's shutting down on its own... let's say... every 100 minutes?
>>>
>>>
>>> Then you are experiencing the effect of this server telling you that
>>> it must own all FSMO roles. Please transfer the roles back to the
>>> SBS and see if the "random" shutdowns stop. It is designed to reboot
>>> itself every 100 minutes if it detects that it's not holding all the
>>> roles.
>>>
>>> If you run dcpromo on it and then later promote it back to a DC, you
>>> will create problems with IIS. I have done that and basically the
>>> impact is that you need to adjust permissions on C:\Windows\Temp to
>>> bring certain features back online.
>>>
>>> There is no harm in letting this server keep all these roles if you
>>> have additional domain controllers. There is also no harm for you to
>>> keep it alive while you have other global catalog servers available.
>>> For license compliance, among other things, in order for your SBS
>>> CALs to be valid, this server must exist on your network.
>>>
>>> The transition pack removes these restrictions, but it will be like
>>> throwing out the baby with the bathwater. It will also be very
>>> expensive. My recommendation is to fix the malfunctioning SBS
>>> server.
>>>

>> .
>>

Just to re-emphasize what Larry and Leonid have said you cannot demote the
SBS and allow it to continue operating as even the Sharepoint server. That
is both a technical and license violation. You say the other IT company
somehow got around the technical issue of the SBS having to hold all the
FSMO roles, but that doesn't make it legal. You should deal with moving the
Sharepoint site to a new server ASAP and then just say goodbye to your
mangled SBS.

"Dave" <Dave@newsgroup> wrote in message
news:4434733C-132F-4D08-A813-E3DD559CC3B4@newsgroup

> Guys, appreciate your responses.
>
> My companys user base at some stage before me working here moved up to 150
> users and an external IT company done something to allow the FSMO roles to
> be
> distributed, I honestly can not figure out what. The company is now at a
> stage of wanting to upgrade the hardware and software on a server level to
> accomodate the possibility of another 150 users (maybe more). They have
> outgrown what SBS Server offers.
>
> The SBS Server crashes because its old, not built correctly and
> experiences
> more Windows crashes rather than the known shutdowns that SBS Server has
> built in.
>
> Going forward the company wants shot of it. I am in the process of
> building
> two new Dell, Windows 2008 servers to act as dc's. So back to my question,
> can I once the new dc's are built transfer the FSMO roles and cleanly
> demote
> the SBS Server as a dc with the idea eventually it will be redundant and I
> can switch it off once and for all. I at the moment only want to use it
> for
> Sharepoint Services and that is it, no data, no dc, FSMO roles, Exchange
> sits
> on a different server, no DHCP nothing.
>
> I want to run a dcpromo on it and have it as a member server and nothing
> else, once the Sharepoint Services are transferred I will switch it off.
>
>
> "Larry Struckmeyer[SBS-MVP]" wrote:
>

>> Dave:
>>
>> I want to reinforce what Leonid has been telling you. The issues you are
>> having seem, on the basis of the limited information you have provided,
>> to
>> be the direct result of the FSMO roles being spread across multiple DCs.
>>
>> You may very well have reasons for such, but if so, then indeed, SBS is
>> the
>> wrong product for your environment. It is a wonderful solution for
>> organizations
>> that meet its design criteira, but it is what it is and you cannot make
>> it
>> something else.
>>
>> So, along with Leonid, and with a lack of information that would indicate
>> otherwise (such as exceeding the limit of 75 licenses), I suggest you at
>> least try returning the FSMO roles to the SBS, leaving the other DC's in
>> your network if you feel the need. (That is a nother discussion, most
>> here
>> would say there is no need for additional DC's in an SBS network, member
>> servers, sure, but not DCs).
>>
>> Once that is done, please let us know any issues you have and we will do
>> our best to help you with them. But for now, you are in between the
>> badlands
>> and no mans land, totally unsupported, and hanging by a thread.
>>
>> How is that for mixing the metaphors? <g>
>>
>> -
>> Larry
>> Please post the resolution to your
>> issue so others may benefit
>> -
>> Get Your SBS Health Check at
>> www.sbsbpa.com
>>
>>

>> > On 2/24/2010 4:40 AM, Dave wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi,
>> >>
>> >> The server keeps shutting down and crashing on its own and leaving it
>> >> in the pool of servers isnt an option, it has to go.
>> >>
>> >> Is it possible to run a dcpromo on it and actually demote it?
>> >>
>> >> What about using a trasition pack and trying to make it a normal
>> >> server and demoting it?
>> >>
>> >> Something I dont understand is how everybody keeps saying it has to
>> >> have all the FSMO roles but in my network it only has two, the scema
>> >> master and domain naming master, the other three are handled by a
>> >> different dc that is not an SBS Server.
>> >>
>> >> I want to get rid of it as a dc but cleanly and I want it to stay as
>> >> a member server until I can transfer the Sharepoint Services role
>> >> from it to another server.
>> >>
>> >> There must be a way around this, surely not all companies that have
>> >> used an SBS Server are restricted and can never upgrade systems or
>> >> demote it.
>> >>
>> > If it's shutting down on its own... let's say... every 100 minutes?
>> >
>> > Then you are experiencing the effect of this server telling you that
>> > it must own all FSMO roles. Please transfer the roles back to the SBS
>> > and see if the "random" shutdowns stop. It is designed to reboot
>> > itself every 100 minutes if it detects that it's not holding all the
>> > roles.
>> >
>> > If you run dcpromo on it and then later promote it back to a DC, you
>> > will create problems with IIS. I have done that and basically the
>> > impact is that you need to adjust permissions on C:\Windows\Temp to
>> > bring certain features back online.
>> >
>> > There is no harm in letting this server keep all these roles if you
>> > have additional domain controllers. There is also no harm for you to
>> > keep it alive while you have other global catalog servers available.
>> > For license compliance, among other things, in order for your SBS CALs
>> > to be valid, this server must exist on your network.
>> >
>> > The transition pack removes these restrictions, but it will be like
>> > throwing out the baby with the bathwater. It will also be very
>> > expensive. My recommendation is to fix the malfunctioning SBS server.
>> >

>>
>>
>> .
>>