Q&A from Windows Server 2008 Basic Administration using Server Manager webcast

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Below are the follow-up questions & answers from the Thursday, December 13, 2007, webcast “Windows Server 2008 Basic Administration using Server Manager” (https://www.msreadiness.com/CourseDetail.aspx?id=6739). To download the PowerPoint presentation, please visit BOB Wired at: https://oem.microsoft.com/bobwired. Look for BOB Decks: US System Builder Webcast Slide Decks to find a link to a number of BOB Team documents.

Q: If you have a Windows Server 2003 machine do you recommend do an upgrade or a clean install of Windows Server 2008?

A: Both methods are available and supported, so the choice will depend on your specific requirements. As always, backup your data completely before doing either method.

Q: What are forwarded events?

A: Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista can forward events typically viewed in the Event Viewer to one or more machines for centralized management. Please see https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/better-together.mspx, particularly in the More Efficient Management section for more info on forwarded events.

Q: Can you get events from Windows Server 2003 R2 or just from Windows Server 2008?

A: Please see https://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/f550cac0-5344-41cb-8e89-6e5c932368861033.mspx for information on new management features available with Windows Server 2003 R2.

Q: I tried to join my Windows Server 2008 RC1 box to a Windows SBS 2003 domain using the "ConnectComputer" wizard, which didn't work. I was able to join manually through Server Manager, but will the wizard be updated?

A: I am not currently aware of when an update for the Connect Computer wizard will be made available, but based on a new version being released to support Windows Vista, I believe it is possible that we will see an update for Windows Server 2008 as well.

Q: Does Windows Server 2008 include a pre-configured, Windows SBS-like "server performance report" that can be emailed to network administrators on a daily basis?

A: Because Windows Server 2008 is targeted at a more general audience, there aren’t the same types of pre-configured functionality as with Windows Small Business Server. However, there is a wealth of new monitoring and reporting functionality in the Diagnostics node of the Server Manager console.

Q: Could you get events forwarded from servers on different domains via the internet?

A: Yes, because the mechanism is WinRM, which uses firewall-friendly protocols, that would be possible. For more information, please see https://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/newswire/winrm.mspx.