Microsoft heeft na een testperiode van meer dan negen maanden Service Pack 2 van Windows Server 2003 eindelijk final verklaard en beschikbaar gesteld voor het publiek. Naast een cumulatieve update van alle updates, patches en bugfixes die uit zijn uitgebracht voor Windows Server 2003 zoals ondersteuning van WPA2 en prestatieverbeteringen voor SQL Server en Windows Virtualization, bevat Service Pack 2 ook nog enkele nieuwe features waaronder ‘Firewall Per Port’ Authentication en Windows Deployment Services. De nieuwe service pack kan op dit moment alleen gedownload worden voor onderstaande Engelse Windows-edities en installeert een waslijst aan verbeteringen:

Windows Server 2003 32bit (372MB)
Windows Server 2003 x64 (351MB)
Windows Server 2003 IA-64 (463MB)

What Is in Service Pack 2?

Service Pack 2 provides convenient, comprehensive access to the latest updates, enhancements, and new features for Windows Server 2003. Each of these components allows customers to better leverage the enhanced security, reliability, and performance of Windows Server 2003.

Updates

Update management is one of the great challenges of computer security. Despite the challenges of update management, updates will continue to play a vital role in securing enterprise IT until security technology can anticipate every attack strategy and compensate for every vulnerability. Frequent updating is key to keeping up with security problems as they are discovered. By cumulatively bundling these updates together in Service Pack 2, Microsoft provides customers with the latest protection for Windows Server 2003.

In addition to the all previously released Security Bulletin Updates, Service Pack 2 installs all individual hotfixes released since Windows Server 2003 RTM and several key customer requested features and enhancements.

New Features:

• Scalable Networking Pack (SNP)
• XMLLite

Enhancements to Existing Features

• Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
• Enabling ‘Firewall Per Port’ Authentication
• Microsoft Management Console 3.0 (MMC 3.0)
• Wireless Protected Access 2 (WPA2)
• iCACLS tool
• Expanded Windows Server 2003 Datacenter SKUs
• Release of MUI Packs to insure greater compatibility between base and MUI language
• Performance Improvements for SQL Servers
• Enhanced discoverability options in MSConfig
• Improved IPsec filter management
• Performance Improvements under Windows Virtualization
• Increased default storage for Message Queuing
• Improvements to DCDIAG Domain Name Service tests
• New Events for Cluster Service Accounts

Each of these key updates, enhancements, and new features provided with Windows Server 2003 SP2 will be covered in greater detail in the following sections.

In addition, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 supports 9 new localized languages for the Windows Server 2003 x64 SKUs