Windows Server Feature Packs

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 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.

Even though feature packs are released separately from the Windows Server OS, Microsoft has not published support dates for individual feature packs. All will likely have the same support dates as Windows Server 2003.

Many of these feature packs will be incorporated into the Windows Server 2003 R2 release, due in late 2005. Going forward, Microsoft intends to deliver most new features in updates (like R2) and full releases of Windows Server, rather than in discrete feature packs.

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 the first half of 2005.