Updated: July 9, 2020 (April 11, 2005)

  Analyst Report

Windows Server 2003 SP1 Ready

My Atlas / Analyst Reports

442 wordsTime to read: 3 min
by
Michael Cherry

Michael analyzed and wrote about Microsoft's operating systems, including the Windows client OS, as well as compliance and governance. Michael... more

The first service pack for Windows Server 2003 should create fewer application compatibility problems than Windows XP SP2. Nonetheless, the inclusion of new and significantly updated features and more than 200 bug fixes means customers should test the Windows Server 2003 SP1 as if it were a new release of Windows before deploying it in their organization.

What’s in SP1?

New features in Windows Server 2003 SP1 will increase the security and reliability of Windows Server. They include the Security Configuration Wizard, designed to help administrators properly configure security settings for particular server roles, and the Post-Setup Security Update feature, which blocks all inbound connections to the server immediately after installation until Windows Update has delivered the latest security updates.

In addition to these new features, SP1 includes changes to Internet Explorer (IE), remote procedure calls (RPC), and the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM). These changes were initially released as part of Windows XP SP2 and caused compatibility problems with some production applications. Consequently, customers should make sure they understand the new features and changes. For example, some reported problems include the following:

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