Trouble Connecting to WMS via RWW in SBS

Sometimes it is the simplest things that come back to bite us in the arse. As you know recently I have been very involved with Windows MultiPoint Server especially in how it integrates into a Small Business Server Networks. Well I was trying to configure a demo for a client who I think WMS is a good fit for and every time he would try to connect to my demo running on my SBS network he would get this strange error message I had not seen before.

Well it had me scratching my head, and I even reached out ot some of my friends at Microsoft, who sent me back a number of thing to try. Incouding connecting directly via RDP so we could get a better error message. And we did get a different error message.
After fighting with this for a bit it dawned on me to try adding the Remote Web Workplace site to the Trusted Sites Zone in IE and that did the trick. So if you find yourself in this situation the fix is pretty simple.

In IE click Tools and then Internet options

Click the Security tab
Highlight Trusted sites
Click the Sites button

And then add your RWW Site to the list by entering it in the box and clicking the add button

I hope this can save you some time and get you on your way to enjoying WMS and all it has to offer!

BTW, this is not exclusive to SBS Clients, you may find you need to do this from your standalone client as well.

The moral of this story is Occam’s razor still holds true, the simplest solution is usually the correct one :>)

New IT Pro Group Forming in South Michigan

My friend Amy Babinchak is forming a new IT Pro Group in the South Michigan area. She asked me if I would speak at their inaugural meeting, how could I refuse the most awared IT Pro in SMB :>)

 Since my new found love for Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 and how well it interacts with my Old Love SBS, I though what a perfect topic. So I will be bringing up a WMS Server with me and as many clients as I can acquire in the short time I have. I will be putting on a live demo and discussing my first production implementation of WMS into an SBS 2008 network last month as well as a new one I am working on for another client for the end of this month. If you are wondering, WMS also plays well with my new friends MAX & Vipre.

So Kathy and I are taking a road trip, I didn’t realize it but Amy is only a half hour from Kathy’s best friend from our days in Silicon Valley, so we will be staying an extra day so they can hang out and reminisce.

Amy does not have a website for the new group yet, but if you are in the area and want to attend see Matt’s blog  or E-Mail Amy directly at amy@harborcomputerservices.net  or better yet sign up for the event on the LinkedIn Event Page

I hope you can stop by and help make their first meeting a success!

Puzzled about activating Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 System?

First let’s make sure we are talking about the same thing, there are different way to purchase MultiPoint (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/multipoint/) I am talking here about the version you purchase though Open License.

When you install it you can go right past the CD Key screen without filling it in. In my case the license had not arrived yet so this is what I did. Of course it will not activate without the key so you will see a warning if you logon as an admin saying automatic activation failed you have x days to activate. It counts down from 60 days which is the demo period. When you receive your license e-mail and look through MVLS you will not see your MWS key. There seems to have been a glitch on the back end and it is listed under it’s parent program name. My friends at MS tell me they are working on correcting this, but for now look for “Windows Web/HPC Srv 2008R2-MAK A” that is the name you will find the WMS key listed under. Do not call MVLS Support they are under the mistaken idea WMS does not need a key. This is also being corrected, but save yourself some grief and just look for “Windows Web/HPC Srv 2008R2-MAK A” in the MVLS license key tab of the portal and use the key on that line.

Now just go to the properties screen of the computer (same as any current/recent windows machine) and click change product key and enter the key and click activate. Give it some time for whatever reason it took almost 2 minutes to verify when I did mine yesterday, but it finally came back with the Authentic Software screen we love to see.

As for the clients, WMS has a cool new wizard, you run it from the console by clicking add user

WMS Console

 Next select the bottom option Other Volume License

Select Other

 Finally enter your Volume License Number and the number of Cals you purchased

Enter License Info Here

It will phone home to MS and verify the info and you are done.

Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 is some really cool technology check out the SBS Blog post to see how to integrate it into SBS http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2011/02/23/windows-multipoint-server-2011-and-interaction-with-small-business-server-2011-essentials.aspx