The purpose of this guide is to help you find the Small Business Server edition and licenses appropriate to your organization's needs.
Small Business Server is an "all-in-one" server solution, bundling server operating systems with relevant applications and services. It provides organizations with application server technologies like folder and printer sharing, an email server, tools to manage Internet access, internal websites (intranets), remote access, support for mobile devices, and backup/restore tools.
As its name suggests, Small Business Server is designed for small organizations. It supports a maximum of either 25 or 75 users and would be appropriate for organizations that will not exceed this number of simultaneous user connections in the near future.
Versions and Editions
Microsoft offers both the 2011 and the 2008 versions of Small Business Server through SOCIAware in order to allow organizations to select the server operating system that will meet their needs. Small Business Server 2011 can be acquired with Standard or Premium features or as a more basic Essentials edition.
Small Business Server 2011 Essentials supports up to 25 users and includes folder and printer sharing, remote access, support for mobile devices, and backup/restore tools.
The Standard edition supports up to 75 users, includes the same features as Essentials as well as network access tools and firewall
protection, and provides installations of Windows Server 2008 R2, Exchange Server 2010, SharePoint Foundation 2010, and SQL Server 2008 R2
Express.
The Premium features of Small Business Server 2011 provide organizations with SQL Server 2008 R2 for Small Business for integrated
data management and reporting and an additional copy of Windows Server 2008 R2 to host the installation of SQL Server on an additional database
server. SQL Server allows businesses to use a centralized database for server-based applications such as accounting, business planning, and
contact management, allowing all employees to work from the same information.
To obtain the premium features of Small Business Server 2011, organizations should request both of the following:
- Small Business Server 2011 Standard Edition
- Small Business Server 2011 Premium Add-on
The 2011 premium add-on must be used with a validly licensed copy of Small Business Server 2011,
Small Business Server 2011 Essentials, or Small Business Server 2008 Standard Edition. Supports up to 25 or 75 users, depending on which edition the add-on is used with. It provides installations of:
- An additional copy of Windows Server 2008 R2
- SQL Server 2008 R2 for Small Business
Small Business Server 2008 is available through TechSoup Nederland in Standard Edition only. It includes file and printer sharing, an email server, tools to manage Internet access, internal websites (intranets), remote access, support for mobile devices, backup/restore tools, and firewall protection and allows up to 75 users.
Provides installations of:
- Windows Server 2008
- Exchange Server 2007
- SharePoint Services
- Windows Server Update Services
- Shared Fax Service
Licensing
For each server license you assign, you may run, at any one time, one instance of the server software in one physical or virtual operating system environment on the licensed server, but not both. The following licensing requirements apply to Small Business Server Standard and Premium editions only. Small Business Server 2011 Essentials does
not require any CALs or have additional licensing rules.
Client Access Licenses (CALs)
A Small Business Server Standard or Premium device or user CAL is required for each user or device accessing or using the server
software.
Premium CALs are also available for use with Small Business Server 2008 Premium Edition and the Small Business Server 2011 Premium Add-on. These CALs provide access to the premium features of Small Business Server, allowing licensed users to access the additional server running line-of-business (LOB) applications, SQL Server, and
optionally Terminal Services. When used with Small Business Server 2008, the Premium CAL also provides the same access as the standard CAL.
Each version of Small Business Server Standard or Premium comes with five CALs that can be used for either users or devices. Small
Business Server 2011 Premium Add-on includes five Premium Add-on CALs.
Microsoft offers both standard and premium user and device CALs for Small Business Server through TechSoup.
Windows Server Licenses
Small Business Server 2011 Premium Add-on includes an additional copy of Windows Server 2008 R2 to support LOB applications. You may elect to run this instance of Windows Server in a physical or virtual operating system environment that is joined to a Small Business
Server domain.
If you run it in a virtual environment, you may run another instance in the physical environment of the same licensed server that
may be used only to run hardware virtualization software, provide hardware virtualization services, or run software to manage and service
operating system environments on the licensed server. In this case, it does not need to be joined to the Small Business Server domain.
SQL Server Licenses
Small Business Server 2011 Premium Add-on includes an edition of SQL Server 2008 R2. The license for this software allows you to run,
at any one time, any number of instances of SQL Server in the same physical or virtual operating system environment as Small Business
Server.
Upgrading and Downgrading
You can use Software Assurance to upgrade and downgrade the operating system and associated licenses for two years after you obtain
the Standard edition or Premium Add-on. Using Software Assurance to upgrade directly through Microsoft means that you don't need to request
the new version through TechSoup Nederland so it won't count as an additional title toward your limit of six titles per two-year period.
If you exercise downgrade rights with Small Business Server 2011 Standard Edition, you must downgrade all component parts of the
server software.
If you exercise downgrade rights with Small Business Server 2011 Premium Add-on, you cannot downgrade to Small Business Server 2008
Premium Edition: you can downgrade to SQL Server for Small Business 2008 and Windows Server 2008 Standard.
There are no downgrade rights for Small Business Server 2011 Essentials.
With Software Assurance, CALs obtained for older versions of Small Business Server are compatible with newer versions of the software
if the new software is obtained within two years.
CALs offered through TechSoup Nederland are always for the currently offered version.
For more information, see Microsoft Software Assurance.
