Vista and Server 2008 Service Pack 2 RC Available Now
Vista SP2 and Windows Server SP2 — So Happy Together
Much of the hubbub about Windows Vista has quieted down since Microsoft largely abandoned the product to refocus the court of public opinion on its re-branded Windows 7 OS instead. But, what many users, and unbiased commentators, have been noticing is that SP1 for Vista was a significant help to the various issues that were plaguing the OS.
Now, Service Pack 2 Release Candidate is available from Microsoft with a planned release in Quarter 2 of 2009.
While Windows 7 may have grabbed the spotlight in the mainstream media and the so-called Web 2.0 arena, Windows Server is still where business gets done. So, systems administrators and IT managers will be taking a serious look at SP2’s arrival on the server platform. SP2 RC for Vista and SP2 RC for Windows Server 2008 are in the same package.
Fixed or Improved?
Many experienced IT administrators and managers have developed their own software product launch time-line based on years spent in the school of hard knocks.
In this time-line, there is the playing/toy phase which the vendors call beta. Then there is the phase where the product is actually installed on a very small number of carefully controlled and contained systems to see how it fares in their everyday business world. The vendors officially call this software, which comes with a pretty box and maybe even a product launch event, version 1.0. Then, finally, comes the production ready software.
At this stage, IS departments begin to seriously look at developing and implementing plans to roll out the new software into the production world. The vendors call this Service Pack 1.
When it comes to something as complicated as the enterprise’s server operating system, IT pros are doubly cautious, especially when budgets are tight like they are now. So, SP2 represents something more of a coming out party for Server 2008 than in times past.
The question on everyone’s mind then is what exactly is in SP2 and is it going to make my life easier, or cause me trouble?
The full stand-alone service pack currently weighs in at a hefty 390 MB for x86 servers and a whopping 622 MB for x64 (largely due to all of the language packs). For systems getting the service pack via update instead will see closer to 50 MB or 90 MB.
Fixed
As always, the newest service pack contains a rollup of previously released hotfixes and security updates. Additionally, Microsoft says that SP2 will focus on providing support for new types of hardware.
Music to admins’ ears in some places, SP2 has better compatibility for old Terminal Server license keys which smashed when the key length was increased to 2,048 byes. This fix means that environments unable to migrate for fear of losing their Citrix applications can breathe a little easier.
Service Pack 2 contains a feature which is designed to detect driver problems before installation and abort the service pack install. After the unpredictable nature of previous service packs, if this works as advertised, there will be much rejoicing.
And at long last, Microsoft will FINALLY provide the means to clean up their own mess. Users and administrators who have dutifully installed each and every update that flows from Redmond have historically been forced to wade through the mess and manually reclaim the wasted disk space filled by previous updates that were no longer necessary since they were included in the service pack.
The Service Pack Clean-up tool, compcln.exe, is supposed to go through and delete the pre-service pack versions of updated files.
Improved
SP2 makes Hyper-V fully integrated as a feature in Windows Server 2008 including a free daughter OS with Server Standard, four with Enterprise, and unlimited with Datacenter.
The other area of improvement is in deployment features. Service Pack 2 includes a new installer process that theoretically should make its own deployment a little easier.
Third-Party Application Improvements
Particularly interesting is Microsoft’s mention that in addition to using the various data and feedback they get to improve their own OS, that they were also able to share certain realizations with other vendors so that their software can be made better as well.
Microsoft in particular, notes that in SP2, both Spysweeper and ZoneAlarm will work with POP3 accounts.
Vista Service Pack 2 Improvements
The primary updates in Vista SP2 are in the realm of Vista’s much maligned abilities to work within the wireless network universe.
SP2 completes the integration of Bluetooth v2.1 support and also brings the promise of better resuming from sleep mode, though the bar for that improvement is set so low you have to rent digging equipment to find it.
And, for those who somehow come to the conclusion that burning fewer Blu-Ray discs than spanning a few more way cheaper regular DVD discs is the better option, SP2 even supports recording on Blu-Ray.
And, before anyone starts, I haven’t even looked at the specs, but I will bet you donuts to dollars that burning to a Blu-Ray disc comes standard with a truckload of ill-advised, bloated, convoluted, rights-management functions that would drive the Dali Lama to the brink of a tri-state revenge spree.
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Finally, no Microsoft release would be complete without some way to combat the perceived threat from Google.
Included in SP2 is “Microsoft Google Desktop” which for copyright, trademark, and face-saving reasons is rebranded as “Windows Search 4.0″.
Gee, you guys even changed the order of one of two of the words. Looks like you missed a comma though :)
Unfortunately, unlike Google Desktop, for those of us who do just fine with the regular Find utility and would actually prefer not to have our systems bogged down with yet another process keeping track of things for us, uninstalling this one isn’t really going to fly.
Microsoft is integrating it with MS Office as fast as it can so that it can pull out the “it’s an integrated piece of the operating system that can’t be removed,” argument when Google complains to the EU, so it’s pretty much here to stay.
Otherwise, SP2 looks like a nice boost to the stability and functionality of two important products.
Check Out the SP2 RC Yourself
Here’s where you can download Vista and Server 2008 SP2 RC.
Related Posts:
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- Overview of Server 2008 R2 — The Half Version Upgrade
- Server 2008: How to Setup a Remote Desktop on Windows Vista
- Disable UAC (User Account Control) on Vista and Server 2008
- Windows Vista Small Business Assurance
- Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure Training
- Installing Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista
One Response to “Vista and Server 2008 Service Pack 2 RC Available Now”
Tyler Says:
March 19th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
when will you cover Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Interop with Linux and OS X?