Microsoft Sharepoint Products and Technologies Resource Kit eBook

Chapter 3: Installing Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 55
Table 3-1 Hardware and Software Requirements for SharePoint Portal Server 2003
Item Minimum Requirement Recommended Requirement
Database Microsoft SQL Server Desktop
Engine (MSDE) or SQL Server 2000
is compatible on all versions of
Windows Server 2003 except when
using Web Edition—in this case,
SQL Server 2000 must be installed
on a remote server and the SQL
Server Desktop Engine cannot be
used.
Browser Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01
and later for Windows;
Internet Explorer 5.2 and above for
Mac OS X;
Netscape Navigator 6.2 and above
for Microsoft Windows, Mac, and
UNIX. Only Internet Explorer 5.5
and later allow management of a
portal site.
Client Requirements
Browser Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or
5.5 with Service Pack 2 and Patch
from Knowledge Base 324929;
Internet Explorer 6 with Knowledge
Base 324929;
Netscape Navigator 6.2 or later for
Mac, UNIX, or Windows;
Internet Explorer 5.2 for Macintosh
or later.
SQL Server 2000 with the most
current Service Packs and hotfixes
applied.
Internet Explorer 6.0 for Windows
with the latest service
packs and patches installed.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6
with the latest Service Pack and
hotfixes applied.
Windows Server Web Edition and SharePoint Portal Server
While it is possible to install SharePoint Portal Server 2003 on Microsoft Windows
Server 2003, Web Edition, there are many limitations that make the use of Web Edition
undesirable. For example, Windows Server 2003, Web Edition, cannot extend its
RAM beyond 2 GB, which severely limits the amount of content that the SharePoint
Portal Server 2003 installation could serve. In addition, you have a limit of only two
CPUs, which means that if you’re using application pools, you severely limit your
ability to map specific pools to different processors. Most importantly, however, is
that you are unable to join an Active Directory domain or install either MSDE or SQL
Server, making the only supported configuration a workgroup installation with a
remote installation of SQL Server. Again, installing SharePoint Portal Server 2003 on
Windows Server 2003, Web Edition, is not a recommended configuration.