Best Practices

• Where possible avoid upgrading from a previous version of Windows to Windows Server 2003 because a clean Windows Server 2003 installation is less likely to have configuration and support issues.

• SQL Server 2000 Standard Edition will meet the needs of all but the largest organizations. Use SQL Server 2000 Enterprise if failover clustering is required.

• Install SQL Server 2000 before installing SharePoint Portal Server 2003 when they are being installed on the same server because SharePoint Portal Server 2003 needs to be provided with database connectivity information during installation.

• SQL Server 2000 requires that the latest service pack (currently SP4) be installed to run on Windows Server 2003, so have this available prior to starting the installation.

• Consider installing SharePoint Portal Server 2003 in Account Creation mode when the organization needs to provide access to SharePoint sites to individuals who are not part of the organization itself, but where anonymous access is not an option.

• After the server is fully configured, the Microsoft Baseline Software Analyzer (MBSA) should be run to identify other patches needed or possible issues with the configuration.

• As a starting place for troubleshooting tasks, check the Event Viewer, IIS performance, and Internet Explorer security settings after the server configuration is completed with Windows SharePoint Services or SharePoint Portal Server 2003 if problems are encountered.

• Document the Windows SharePoint Services or SharePoint Portal Server 2003 configuration after it is completed to have a record of the configuration. Also consider keeping copies of event logs as reference points for troubleshooting.