Appendix: SP1 Enhances Windows Server Security

To further strengthen the security and reliability of Windows Server 2003, Microsoft released a security-focused service pack (SP) in Mar. 2005 that included bug and vulnerability fixes, as well as new and updated features. While this first SP for Windows Server 2003 improved the overall security, it did not cause as many application compatibility problems as Windows XP SP2. Nonetheless, customers needed to test and evaluate the new features before installing it.

Windows Server 2003 SP1 included many bug fixes. (For a list of these fixes, see the chart “What Windows Server 2003 SP1 Fixes“.) It is not only a prerequisite for Microsoft’s new consolidated software patching platform and for Windows Server 2003 R2 but also will likely be a prerequisite for future server applications. Therefore, even organizations not considering Windows Server 2003 R2 should nevertheless plan to deploy SP1.

Security Focus Continues

Windows Server 2003, which was released in Apr. 2003, was the first version of Windows to undergo a complete security review based on the Trustworthy Computing initiative, in which products are made secure by design, default (during installation and configuration), and deployment (throughout the life of the product via patches and updates). The result was to be a highly secure and reliable version of Windows, but a significant number of patches have been released for Windows Server 2003 since its release.