Server 2003 with out domain

[Wang191]

Can I setup Windows Server 2003 with out a domain? I wanted to have some of the features of 2003 as well as the file sharing aspect of it but I don't need the domain or active directory for the application i need it for.

Basically just a file server with user name and password access for 5 users.

 

[xtox]

What features are you wanting?

Obviously if you install things like AD, it'll become a domain.

 

[gigabyte1024]

it'll work, but probably not dns, dhcp, or dfsr for starters.

permissions will be like a workgroup where you have to setup each user on each machine with matching passwords.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Yes it will work..it will just be running in workgroup mode..if you stop the install before getting to DCPROMO. You'll have to treat it like a Windows 2000pro or a Windows XP pro workstation..adding users to the local user group.

 

[Wang191]

The main thing is the file sharing. I will have 5 users who need access to folders on the network and I wanted to be able to limit who saw what. I had some trouble getting that to work with XP but I know that I had better luck with it in 2003 when i had it installed on my server a year ago. I just didn't want to put all the computers on a domian due to the type of users that are going to be using this.

I was also looking to setup shadow copy and have the data drive snap shots twice a days.

Those are really the two features that I'm looking for.

 

[gjvrieze]

You need Windows Server 2003 Standard, not SB, or anything like that, we were running SB at work and it would reboot itself every few hours and we reading and Microsoft left a bug in where if it is a on a Workgroup and not a Domain, it reboots.....

 

[Spartacus]

If it's SBS, just setup a domain, but you don't have to log into it. I have just that setup at one of my small customer's locations. Their workgroup server was failing so it made sense cost wise and future growth wise to go with a small Dell server with SBS 2003.

I configured the domain, and all of the user accounts match (exactly) the user accounts and passwords that each user is already using on their local workstation. Each user is still only logging into their local machine and they have full access to the server shares (because the ID's/PW's match), but they are not really logging into their domain accounts. That seems to be enough to satisfy SBS.

Straight 2003 Server doesn't care what you do. You can set it up without defining a domain if you want to.

 

[Jay_2]

If it's SBS, just setup a domain, but you don't have to log into it. I have just that setup at one of my small customer's locations. Their workgroup server was failing so it made sense cost wise and future growth wise to go with a small Dell server with SBS 2003.

I configured the domain, and all of the user accounts match (exactly) the user accounts and passwords that each user is already using on their local workstation. Each user is still only logging into their local machine and they have full access to the server shares (because the ID's/PW's match), but they are not really logging into their domain accounts. That seems to be enough to satisfy SBS.

Straight 2003 Server doesn't care what you do. You can set it up without defining a domain if you want to.

My advice as well. I have done the same at home with a couple of DL380s and Windows 2000 Server

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

You need Windows Server 2003 Standard, not SB, or anything like that, we were running SB at work and it would reboot itself every few hours and we reading and Microsoft left a bug in where if it is a on a Workgroup and not a Domain, it reboots.....

There's a workaround for that (although I'll never have a reason to do this)...one of our SG members found this trick...create a script that kills the sbscore process...

http://forums.speedguide.net/showthread.php?t=173731&highlight=small+business+server+domain

SBS runs so many cool features why wouldn't one want to use all of them. Take the extra 15 minutes and setup AD.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

The main thing is the file sharing. I will have 5 users who need access to folders on the network and I wanted to be able to limit who saw what. I had some trouble getting that to work with XP but I know that I had better luck with it in 2003 when i had it installed on my server a year ago. I just didn't want to put all the computers on a domian due to the type of users that are going to be using this.

It'll work fine...2Kpro, 2KServer, XPPro, XPHomeless, 2K3 server...doesn't matter...all the same when setup peer to peer network style. NTFS permissions will still allow you to control shares.

 

[Wang191]

if I setup xp with user accounts that match the users that are going to be logging in and then set the permissions, then the shares should be accessable to them? maybe that's where I went wrong. I tried to makeing one account and password for everone to log in as the last time I tried it.

Also, does xp offer the "previous version" of files option with some kind of add in or no?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Yes...you'd treat it just like a peer to peer network. Matching accounts on the imitation server with the workstations.

You talking about Office XP? Yes it saves office documents in backwards compatible versions.

 

[dbwillis]

I was thinking he meant the shadow copies feature....ie previous versions

 

[Wang191]

No i am talking about the OS. I forget if it's actually called shadow copy or if it just uses the shadow copy service. It basically takes a snap shot of all the files in a directory that you specify at predesignated times. Then users on the network can right click on a folder and go back to older versions of a file if they delted it or made a change they did not like. basically file recover that can be up to the user and not the admin.