SP2 for Windows Server 2003 is RTW

(RTW = Released to Web)

Yesterday while I was traveling, Microsoft released Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2003. 

Here’s the page: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsserver/sp2.mspx

(Rats… here I am on the road, and I can’t upgrade my servers ’til Friday!)

“But… what’s new in SP2?”

Check out this “What’s New in SP2” page, that lists the main updates.  There are some minor security improvements, and some tool changes and improvements.  The biggest one I see is that we’re including WDS (Windows Deployment Services) and replacing RIS (Remote Installation Services). 

“Hey!  If I install this on my RIS server, what happens?  I can’t lose my RIS support just yet!”

Don’t worry – you won’t.

Read the Windows Deployment Services Step-by-Step Guide.  In there you’ll find a section on what happens if you either install WDS fresh, or install over RIS.  You have a choice of what “server functionality mode” you’re installing WDS into: Legacy (WDS supporting RIS images only), Mixed (WDS supporting both old and new imaging tools), or Native (Pure-WDS).

Bottom Line- If you’re in Mixed functionality mode, you still benefit from new features in WDS (best of which is being able to roll out new Windows Image files (.wim disk images captured with ImageX)), and you will not lose your ability to work with and deploy your RIS images.