Windows Server 2003 R2 Service Pack 2 (SP2) delivers on the Microsoft Trustworthy Computing initiative and illustrates Microsofts commitment to continually create software products with enhanced security, increased reliability, and simplified administration. Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 is a collection of updates and security enhancements to the current Windows Server 2003 operating system. Service Pack 2 (SP2) tightens security of your Windows Server and improves its performance and reliability. is a collection of updates and security enhancements to the current Windows Server 2003 operating system. Service Pack 2 (SP2) tightens security of your Windows Server and improves its performance and reliability.
Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 directly benefits administrators (for example, in the area of the Microsoft Management Console (MMC)) and addresses the overall organizational readiness of Microsofts compatibility with Windows Vista as well as the ability to better utilized sophisticated multi-core machines.
Main Features
Simplified Branch Server Management - Windows Server 2003 R2 allows you to maintain the performance, availability, and productivity benefits of a local branch office server while avoiding issues typically associated with branch office server solutions such as connectivity limitation and management overhead.
Improved Identity and Access Management - Windows Server 2003 R2 includes Active Directory Federation Services, which is designed to help administrators address identity management challenges by making it possible for organizations to share a users identity information more securely across security boundaries. Windows Server 2003 R2 also provides UNIX password synchronization, which helps integrate servers running Windows and UNIX by simplifying the process of maintaining secure passwords.
Reduced Storage Management Costs - Windows Server 2003 R2 includes new tools designed to provide a centralized view of storage; simplified storage planning, provisioning and maintenance; and improved monitoring and reporting.
Rich Web Platform - Windows Server 2003 R2 enables businesses to extend their infrastructure over the Web while reducing development and management costs through enhancements delivered with Windows Server 2003 SP1, x64 Editions, Windows SharePoint Services, .NET Framework 2.0, and Internet Information Services 6.0.
Cost Effective Server Virtualization - Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition will allow you to run an unlimited number of virtual instances of Windows Server on processors, which simplifies licensing and lowers the cost of Windows Server for large-scale virtualization. Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition (EE) will allow you to run up to four virtual instances of Windows Server 2003 R2 EE on one licensed physical server or hardware partition, thereby decreasing the costs of server virtualization.
Seamless UNIX/Windows Interoperability - UNIX Interoperability components in Windows Server 2003 R2 allow you to reduce costs by integrating UNIX and Windows systems to deliver a complete solution. The integration of security and directory services, file and printer sharing and re-use of UNIX code and IT skills across platforms delivers a simplified infrastructure and allows UNIX or Windows IT staff to manage both systems from one place.
Administrators will like the improvements to the Microsoft Management Console. MMC 3.0 offers new and improved command-line tools.
You can take advantage of improved security, such as Wireless Protected Access 2 (WPA2), which will get you ready for the next generation of wireless access.
SP2 provides improved performance for SQL 2005, network scalability, and Windows virtualization.
Using Windows Deployment Services (WDS), SP2 will also tune-up your system and get it ready for Windows Vista and Windows Longhorn so that you can enjoy a seamless deployment of this new product.
New firewall per port; authentication secures traffic between the extranet environment and internal assets that are protected via IPsec domain isolation.
Update either Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP Professional x64.
The Scaleable Networking Pack (SNP) allows Windows Server 2003 administrators to cost-effectively scale their network-based applications while optimizing server performance and maximizing network throughput.
Microsoft Management Console 3.0 (MMC 3.0) gives you a framework that unifies and simplifies day-to-day system management tasks on Windows by providing common navigation, menus, toolbars, and workflow across diverse tools.
Windows Server 2003 and x64 has added support for the following languages: German, French, Korean, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified, Spanish, Italian, Russian and, Portuguese (Brazilian). Windows XP Professional x64 Edition will continue to be supported in only English and Japanese.
A new XmlLite library allows developers to build high-performance XML-based applications that provide a high degree of interoperability with other applications that adhere to the XML 1.0 standard.
A new improved ICACLS tool is an upgrade of the CACLS tool in Windows Server 2003 SP2. You can us ICACLS to reset the account control lists (ACL) on files from Recovery Console, and to back up ACLs.
