Restoring Windows Server SBS 2003 to different hardware after catrastrophe

Question

We are developing / testing our disaster recovery processes and are using Acronis True Image with the Universal Restore option. However, I'm pretty clueless about MS licensing...

If our SBS 2003 domain controller dies ... we have an Acronis image that we can restore to a different piece of hardware using the Universal Restore option (bare-metal to different hardware).

How does MS licensing impact this scenario?
Will we be allowed to activate the OS on the new hardware platform since it is an OEM version?
Would this be any different if it were Windows Server 2003 instead of SBS ? (we have that scenario also)

Finally, in order to even test out our disaster recovery plan, we would need to activate Windows Server on the new (differentl) hardware platform for a short period of time to validate that everything works.

...How are other companies working through this same disaster recovery scenario with MS licensing?

Thanks in advance!

-Brian

pcmeiners · Answer

As I perceive it, OEM server software is useless if you want to be fully compliant with ease, I always purchase retail versions. SBS or Windows 2003 OEM work off the same licensing sceem or scam, depending on your view.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=885079

Which begs one to define a defective motherboard. Like in...

your honor my client believed the motherboard was slow due to a defect, or my client believed the motherboard was defective as it froze up a number of times, or my client believed it was defective as it took long to shut down.

http://oem.microsoft.com/public/sblicense/2007_sb_licenses/fy07_sb_license_english.pdf

brianadkins · Answer

Good feedback... thanks,

So is there a way to turn (i.e. upgrade...) an SBS or Windows 2003 OEM license into a full license version that might be more accomodating to a restore to different hardware?

-Brian