Server 2003 Ent. or Windows Home Server

[CntdwnToExtn]

I've been running here at home Server 2003 Enterprise 180-Day Trial for about 3 years now. I received 2 cds/keys from my MCSE books I bought in college.
I can re-install this O/S as many times as I want and fully patch it no problem - must be MOL or something :shrugs:

However the only annoyance is every 180-days I need to take the time to re-install the O/S and whatever programs I run on it, set up the file and print, re-write permissions, etc....
It takes a good 3-4 days for it get to back up and running how I want it, or a wasted weekend.

Can I assume though Windows Home Server does not do FSMO roles?
As well are there any major features that would be lost? I havn't found any comparison charts......

Thanks

 

[KSoD]

Windows Home Server is not gonna be your solution. It does the same thing as your Server 2003 and there is a flaw with Home Server. You MUST format your ENTIRE Hard drive. If you have more then one you must format all of them.

 

[mikesgroovin]

I've been running here at home Server 2003 Enterprise 180-Day Trial for about 3 years now. I received 2 cds/keys from my MCSE books I bought in college.
I can re-install this O/S as many times as I want and fully patch it no problem - must be MOL or something :shrugs:

However the only annoyance is every 180-days I need to take the time to re-install the O/S and whatever programs I run on it, set up the file and print, re-write permissions, etc....
It takes a good 3-4 days for it get to back up and running how I want it, or a wasted weekend.

Can I assume though Windows Home Server does not do FSMO roles?
As well are there any major features that would be lost? I havn't found any comparison charts......

Thanks

I must admit that this is an odd situation that I've never been in. Do you just have to simply reactivate it? What you could do is build an image of your server and then you use a MS tool called sysprep. Basically, use a pre-existing environment like Barts PE, to load the machine every 180 days. Then use a ghost client that you can also load on your Bart CD (DVD actually because your image will probably be a few GB). So, every 180 days, you pop in the DVD and reboot. BartPE would load and then you would ghost the machine to the image that you have. Sysprep would then ask you for the activation key upon reboot. After the reboot, everything would be as it was when you captured the initial image.

 

[KSoD]

That is a idea. But i do not think those tools work on Server editions.

 

[EricB]

That is a idea. But i do not think those tools work on Server editions.

they should

 

[KSoD]

I am not talking about the sysprep. I am talking about the Ghost or Acronis apps. I dont think that they would work to make a image of a Server OS.

 

[EricB]

I am not talking about the sysprep. I am talking about the Ghost or Acronis apps. I dont think that they would work to make a image of a Server OS.

I gotcha. you need ghost server for that. right?

 

[KSoD]

Yeah. The regular Ghost wouldnt work. That is only for the desktop versions of Windows.

 

[CntdwnToExtn]

Windows Home Server is not gonna be your solution. It does the same thing as your Server 2003 and there is a flaw with Home Server. You MUST format your ENTIRE Hard drive. If you have more then one you must format all of them.

wow. that is pretty stupid.
guess i'll stick with server 03

 

[CntdwnToExtn]

i've thought about ghosting, i have access to the software needed (slightly outdated, but it works), even thought about installing linux as a host and using 03 in a VM, snapshot it and just restore the os from that to cut down on the time.
but i figured this trials using a time-bomb or something