User limit reached; connections denied

[stevenriz]

Hi all, we are now migrating off SBS because we have more then 75 users now. My question is, what exactly constitutes a connection? We built another Exchange Enterprise server and have begun moving mailboxes to the new server. Same with user directories. Still print jobs are being denies as are some mailbox connections of the users still on the SBS server. My guess without counting is we are still over the 75 limit. My second thought is we need to move the print queues off SBS and onto Enterprise. Any other thoughts? I hate to move mailboxes during the day because it is a strain on the SBS server... especially that SBS is running on a Virtual Machine with low resources. ugh! so I think we are in ok shape, I am just wondering if any of you have any other thoughts about this and what to move... mailboxes, user directories, print queues... what else? Thanks!
Steve

 

[ShackDaddy]

Well, as you know, three things are going to generate connections: share access (mapped drives), printing, and MAPI connections. The problem is that any of these counts as a connection (without duplication), so that to effectively "move" a user, that user will need to connect to the new server for each of these connection types. If you have a user's mailbox and printers somewhere else, but they still map a drive to the SBS server, there's still a problem.

If I were you, I would have bought the Transition Pack, which would have taken the lid off of the licensing and allowed you to install Exchange and SQL on separate servers as needed. It would have been a graceful way to back away from your virtualized SBS installation.

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[TechCarnivore]

I'm not sure if this is correct, but I though a connection was virtually anything that authenticated or needed a user name and password for server resources. Can someone confirm?

 

[stevenriz]

yes we have the Transition Pack but couldn't deal with the downtime required to install it. In additional to that, the TP only gives you Standard Edition. We require, or will require Enterprise Edition Windows and Exchange in order to do some clustering, not to mention our Exchange database is already over 50gb. Standard gives you 75gb max database.

So what I did was purchase Enterprise Edition Windows and Exchange. Connected to the Domain and started moving mailboxes over to the new exchange server. We are about halfway done now and once complete, we'll decomission the SBS server. I wonder if I can sell it since we won't be using it!!!!

Anyway thank you for your comments, they were helpful!

 

[ShackDaddy]

Just an FYI, I've found it not particularly difficult to add an Exchange 2007 server to an SBS environment. The limits on the .edb's are gone, and migration of mailboxes was very simple. In addition, the E2007 server is able to handle all the ExchangeActiveSync and OWA duties instead of the SBS. Beyond that, it has several kinds of clustering available that aren't a day's work to set up. Then run transition pack to break SQL free and load that on a separate server.

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[stevenriz]

Hi all. An update. We have moved about 65 mailboxes to the new server out of 85 and still we receive out of license errors. What gives? There are no print queues left on SBS. These 65 users personal shares have been moved to the new server. The only thing remaining on the old SBS server are about 30 users, sharepoint and a couple other "shares" that are barely used. There must be something else constituting a connection. The SBS server is also DHCP and DNS server but I wouldn't think that would constitute connections but you never know with MS... ugh... Ideas?

 

[PHV]

Obviously the 65 migrated users log on another domain than the SBS ...

 

[stevenriz]

all the same domain... is that a problem?

 

[PHV]

is that a problem?
I think so as the SBS is the DC, isn't it ?

 

[ShackDaddy]

PHV means that being logged on to the domain is, in itself, a connection?

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[PHV]

In any of the 65 "migrated" window console:
net use

Hope This Helps, PH.
FAQ219-2884
FAQ181-2886

 

[stevenriz]

So I simply need to create a new DC and take SBS off the DC role?

I just migrated myself... I show nothing...

C:\Documents and Settings\steve>net use
New connections will be remembered.

There are no entries in the list.


C:\Documents and Settings\steve>

 

[stevenriz]

I do know that if I remove FSMO role from SBS it will start shutting itself down every hour or something ridiculous like that.

 

[ShackDaddy]

When you say "migrating off of SBS," you need to mean "migrating to a non-SBS domain." If you are still using the SBS domain, even with alternate DC's, you will have to deal with the license cap.

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[stevenriz]

are you serious? Ok, how about when I have all users and information migrated OFF of SBS and the original SBS server is now shut down? Will the domain which now runs on 2k3 Enterprise still exibit SBS behaviour?

 

[netometer]

Hi,
First I would like to add to the three things which generate connections, mentioned by ShackDaddy also:
- MAC users
- Remote Access users (users who dial-in or establish a VPN tunnel to the server).
Second, authenticating to the network also requires that users have either a device or a user CAL.
The choices are:
- Applying transition pack to the SBS server
- Decomissioning the SBS server.

Dean

http://www.netometer.net/support/

 

[ShackDaddy]

You will run into problems after you shut the original SBS down. I believe the new DC running solo will give you 24 hours of uptime before it starts acting wonky. There are bombs built into the AD implementation of SBS to keep the SBS from being used as part of a full enterprise, and that will include the 75-user cap. You need to migrate to a NEW domain or use the transition pack.

I'm surprised that, with all the hassles you are running into, you don't have six hours on a Saturday night to install the Transition Pack.

ShackDaddy
Shackelford Consulting

 

[stevenriz]

It isn't the time we don't have, it was the prep work compared to purchasing new and migrating that seemed the easier step to take. The server #1 is a virtual machine and #2 is in such bad shape defrag wise that we couldn't afford to be down and have the Transition pack fail. It would have taken so much time to perform a cold VM backup (over 250GB) not to mention the upgrade.

Then it was discovered that thr TP was of the wrong version R2 not SP1 and didn't want to take the chance of it failing (we've heard if you don't have the exact version, it might not work) and didn't want to take the time because the system in effect had to be down for some amount of time according to the installation instructions. I mean have you seen these instructions? When MS gives instructions I follow them implicitely just so when something fails I can say I followed their directions..

http://download.microsoft.com/downl...43e1-ab61-17fed7f9ea40/SBSUnlimitGetStart.htm

Anyway, as my friend Dean suggests, we think that after all the mailboxes and userdata has been migrated safely, we will perform the Transision Pack on a server that has nothing but Sharepoint on it which I really don't like nor do I care about much after I get the files off it.

So Shack, point well taken. We thought we were taking the road of less evils and it still seems to be the best road. But still devilish. Once we perform the TP we should be in good shape...

I don't understand some things about why all this TP is necessary, especially when we just spent 30k+ on new licensing. All we want is to perform migrations and upgrades without downtime. Is that a lot to ask? Downtime means problems for the higher ups, and in turn means problems for me and my job.. So far so good here I must say with the migration. We'll report back how the TP goes once we get to that point...