# backup domain server for SBS 2011 Standard?



## des (Dec 17, 2007)

I have conflicting reports about this so hopefully someone can clear it up.

Microsoft's website seems to indicate that if your domain controller is running Small Business Server 2011 Standard and a 2nd server is running Server 08 R2, the 2nd server cannot be a backup domain server. Though, depending on how you interpret it, it may be suggesting that only another SBS *Standard* machine can't act as a backup domain controller but other OSes can.

It does specifically state though that SBS Premium Add-On _can_ act as a backup domain server.

My actual server vendor says that's not true and 08 can run as a backup domain controller just fine in that scenario.

We're considering a future software suite that requires SQL Server so the OS decision might be made up by that but I'd still like to know what the truth is as far as the domain servers go.


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

There is no such thing as a backup domain controller in Active Directory. BDCs only existed in NT.

SBS will always run as a domain controller. You can not have a 2nd SBS in that domain.

You can have another server acting as a DC though to a SBS.

This should be a good read for you
Debunking Myths About Additional Domain Controllers In SBS Domains - The Official SBS Blog - Site Home - TechNet Blogs


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## des (Dec 17, 2007)

Wow, so they even changed the name of "backup domain controllers" since my one and only server class in college lol. MS really likes to complicate things. Well, that process they outlined was pretty straightforward for our future 08 server so I'm glad users will still be able to log in when it goes down.

This was a bit out of the scope of the article (and this thread :whistling but after warning about the 7 day countdown to Shutdown-Fest 2012, they never mentioned one pretty important thing. Can SBS Premium Add-On run on the same network as SBS Standard without them shutting down after 7 days? I mean it's called "Premium Add On" which could easily mean, add it on to your network, lol. Or it could mean it's an add-on to SBS and still can't run with itself. But then it "contains" Server 08 which seems to suggest it's to run on the same network.

Even if you read the entire wikipedia article on Small Business Server, they might as well have replaced the tiny bit of info on SBS Premium Add-On with "seriously, we have no idea what the hell it is." So what's the story on it?


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## djaburg (May 15, 2008)

My strong suspicion would be no it can't.


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## Dave Atkin (Sep 4, 2009)

You can only have one SBS running on the network. If you have a second then they will detect each other and one will shutdown. The only time you would ever have two on the network would be if you are doing a migration.


Dave


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

I believe that is only half the story.

You can have multiple SBS on the same network. They can not be in the same domain or one will be shut down.


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