Joint SP2 for Vista, Windows Server 2008

A second service pack (SP2) for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will contain bug fixes for problems and security vulnerabilities, and improvements for both the client and server versions of Windows. The availability of one service pack for both the client and server OS may make it easier and more efficient for customers and partners to test it to ensure it does not affect application compatibility, and that it fixes problems they may be experiencing. The beta of the SP2 for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 was released in Dec. 2008, with final release likely in the first half of 2009.

Single Serviceability Model

The first service pack for Windows Vista was released in Feb. 2008. When Windows Server 2008 became generally available in May 2008, it included the fixes and updates that were part of Vista SP1, and was therefore labeled Windows Server 2008 SP1. A common code base for both products, combined with improvements to the development and sustained engineering processes, permits Microsoft to adopt what it calls a “single serviceability” model, which allows fixes and improvements to be integrated into a single service pack. It also shows that Microsoft is putting behind it some of the development problems that delayed Windows Vista’s release.