[cwood]

I am migrating from Windows Server 2000 SP4, BES 4.0 Exchange 2000 to another Windows Server 2000 SP4, BES 4.0 Exchange 2000. I will use the same SRP and everything. I have read through many posts explaining the steps to do this and I appreciate all the information. When I first setup our BES I had no clue what I was doing but I managed to make it work. Now that I have had the BES for a little over a year I have learned a few things. I have had trouble with the BES MDS functionality such as pushing OTA applications and I get many SQL and Policy Settings related warnings in my App log. Everything, i.e. calendar synch, etc., seem to be working fine on all the handhelds and the policy’s are being applied. That being said, while I am migrating the BES I decided to double check everything I had set up the first time when I was more confused than I am now. I have noticed a few things that maybe someone can help me with.

1. I noticed in the installation directions that I need to create a service account under the Users folder in AD. Well, my BES has been running with the users in our OU Group Folder. I have not had problems with it being there but I have a few things that are confusing me about what I have had running and what I should have running.
a. Currently, my service account is a member of Administrators and Domain Users. I read on a post that if the service account is a member of the Domain Users in a clustered Exchange environment then the calendar will not synch properly. I am not in a clustered Exchange environment but this company grows everyday and I would like to prevent this from ever being an issue.
i. Dilemma: Currently BES is using the service account as it is now; I need to right a wrong, if it is wrong, by removing this user from our OU and moving it to the User folder. Question: If I delete the user from the OU and add it to the Users folder, will I have complete chaos with my current BES? And is it even necessary to do this since everything works?
ii. Dilemma2: I can’t remove Domain Users from the “Members of” for this service account because it says it is set as the primary. It will not let me change the primary to Administrator so I am stuck. Question: How do I fix this? And do I need to even be concerned if the answer to the first dilemma is to delete the account?
b. Next issue is the SQL privileges. We have a SQL server but I do not want to put the BES DB on this so I will install a local MSDE version which it has been currently running on. My first question is: The installation instructions tell me the BES will need permissions on the SQL database and the configuration database; what’s the difference? I thought I had the ldf and mdf files for the database and that was it. My second question is: The installation instructions tell me to go to the SQL Server Enterprise Manager and set permissions. I do not have that and will not even have the MSDE until I install the BES. Question: Can I issue rights when I install everything? I am assuming that the SQL permissions are for the Server running SQL server and then separate permissions for the configuration db but b/c I am using MSDE and can’t dig into SQL Server and see what it is talking about I am confused. The directions for MSDE 2000 also say to make modifications to the setup.ini file before installation. Well, I downloaded the BES installation package and I have no idea how to get into the exe file to modify anything before installation.

I know this is a long post but I feel like I will get better responses if I explain the situation as clearly as possible and much of this I know a little about but I have a difficult time figuring it all out if people assume I know more than I do about SQL and AD. Thank you in advance for your help.