Feature packs deliver Windows server features on a separate schedule ("out-of-band") from the server OS itself. These features typically do not require separate server licenses, but they can only be installed on a properly licensed edition of Windows Server. One feature pack, Windows Rights Management Services, requires a separate Client Access License (CAL) for each client. Notable feature packs include the following:

Windows Update Services (WUS). Formerly called Software Update Services, WUS is a tool to allow organizations to host Windows Update in-house (on the organization’s side of their firewall) and automate the downloading and deployment of patches from the Windows Update site. WUS requires Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003. WUS 2.0 will provide a single patch distribution system that covers Windows, Exchange, Office, SQL Server, and Visio, and it will integrate with a new, unified Microsoft Web site for distributing patches. It is currently in closed beta testing with release planned for late 2004.

Windows SharePoint Services (WSS). WSS is a service that enables teams to create Web sites for sharing documents and data. (WSS was originally released as the Office Server Extensions with Office 2000 in 1999; a subsequent version was named SharePoint Team Services and delivered with certain versions of Office XP.) WSS requires Windows Server 2003 and also requires SQL Server 2000 for keyword search and some other features. WSS is required by SharePoint Portal Server 2003 and is used by Project Server 2003 for sharing project documents and setting up of project workspace Web sites. No future releases have been announced, but an update based on the ASP.NET 2.0 Web hosting framework is likely with the next Office release, which will follow the Windows Longhorn client.

Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) 1.0. ADAM is an instance of Active Directory (AD) that can run as a separate Windows Server 2003 service. ADAM allows an application to use AD as a service to store identity data that is relevant only to that application, without having to store it in the main AD database. ADAM requires Windows Server 2003.

Automated Deployment Services (ADS) 1.0. ADS provides new imaging tools and an infrastructure for deploying server images to bare hardware. Microsoft could decide to update this product to support the deployment of Windows client OS images. ADS can only be installed on a licensed copy of Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition.

Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) 1.0. This tool helps administrators understand how to use Active Directory and Group Policy to manage Windows clients. GPMC is free but is only licensed for use on Windows Server 2003. It's possible that Microsoft will change its licensing rules to allow GPMC's use on Windows 2000 Server as well.

Identity Integration Feature Pack. This feature pack is a subset of the Identity Integration Server interoperability product and is restricted to managing identity data across AD, ADAM, and Exchange 2000 or 2003. It is particularly useful for performing cross-forest synchronization of Exchange data. This feature pack requires Windows Server 2003.

Windows Rights Management Services (RMS). This service and its Windows client component enable users to place restrictions (such as "do not print") on documents and messages and ensure that those restrictions are enforced by applications. RMS requires Windows Server 2003. It does not require a separate server license, but requires a separate CAL for each client. This licensing model is similar to that of Terminal Services.

Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM) 1.0. The WSRM service enables organizations to allocate server resources—primarily memory and CPUs—to particular applications. The current version allows system administrators to manage workloads when more than one application is hosted on the same server and allows them to restrict applications to use only the number of CPUs for which they are licensed. It requires Windows Server 2003 Enterprise or Datacenter Edition.

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