Choppy Waters Surround Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1
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The first reports from users installing Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 are in. And as was the case with its client counterpart—Windows XP Service Pack 2—the latest Windows Server service pack breaks several key Microsoft and third-party applications. SP1 (Service Pack 1) is primarily a security update. But as was the case with XP SP2 (Service Pack 2), Windows Server 2003 SP1 also will include some brand-new features. SP1 is the foundation for Microsoft's forthcoming 64-bit Windows Server 2003 releases. Microsoft released Windows Server 2003 SP1 to manufacturing at the end of March. Last August, when Microsoft released XP SP2, more than 50 key third-party applications, custom applications and even a number of Microsoft's own products broke when users attempted to run them on top of the XP update. As a result of app-compatibility problems, a number of enterprise customers postponed installing SP2. To date, according to Microsoft and third-party estimates alike, about one-quarter of XP enterprise users have upgraded to SP2. When SP1 went gold, Microsoft Windows Server officials said they expected 80 percent of "major server applications" to work out of the box. Of the remaining 20 percent that encountered problems, Microsoft execs expected most problems to be alleviated with small system-administrator-applied configuration tweaks, such as turning off the Windows Firewall. An article on Microsoft's online Knowledge Base detailed the results of the Windows Application Experience test teams with the service pack. The team tested 127 server applications on computers that were running Windows Server 2003 with SP1. "The goal of the test teams was to verify that the server applications maintained the same level of functionality that was verified for Windows Server 2003," according to the article. Among those tested: anti-virus, firewall, backup, database, systems management and finance server apps. The majority passed. But a pool of fairly major Microsoft and third-party apps did not. Microsoft classified the applications that failed compatibility tests as those "where a regression was found." The problem list included: Since the list was posted, some vendors (including Microsoft) have posted patches and updates that resolve some of the SP1 incompatibilities for specific products. Others have not. It looks as if there could be some server-side-compatibility problems for Windows Server 2003 SP1 on the horizon as well. Next Page: What's SP1 breaking on the server side? Some Windows Small Business Server 2003 customers have reported problems when applying SP1—and with good reason. The SP1 update is meant for the full-fledged Windows Server 2003 release only. A SP1 tailor-made specifically for Small Business Server 2003 is still more than a month from shipping, Microsoft officials have said. If users try to apply the existing SP1 on Small Business Server 2003, a number of problems ensue. But there are reports of other server-side problems cropping up in various online newsgroups as well. Dell Computer is set to begin preloading Windows Server 2003 SP1 on its PowerEdge servers as of June 2005, according to the Dell SP1 support page (PDF file). But some bleeding-edge users who have already installed SP1 on their Dell systems have run into problems. "Please be advised that Microsoft has a problem with SP1 for Windows 2003 server and Dell PowerEdge servers that are configured as domain controllers. Installing SP will (likely) blue-screen your server with a corrupted registry. The source of the problem is still unknown but is suspected to be related to an incompatibility with the Dell OpenManage software," noted one Dell SP1 customer posting in an online newsgroup. The 4.4 version of Dell Open Manage will support SP1, according to the Dell site. But that release isn't due to ship until May 2005. There are some other Dell-SP1 problems, as well, according to the Dell page. These include remote-server-management problems resulting from the installation of the Windows Firewall that is part of SP1, along with data-execution-prevention triggers closing server apps. Update: On April 20, Bob Kelly, Microsoft general manager of infrastructure server marketing, offered an update on the status of SP1 and application compatibility. Kelly said that Microsoft ended up exceeding its initial goal of 80 percent application compatibility and ended up achieving closer to 90 percent app compatibility with SP1. Regarding 14 applications Microsoft initially identified as being incompatible with Wndows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, patches have been made available for 13 of them, Kelly said. He also said that there have been 500,000 downloads of SP1 since it was released to manufacturing at the end of March.
(This is an updated version of an article which appeared in the April 11, 2005, issue of the Microsoft Watch newsletter. Want to see what other Microsoft news nuggets you might have missed? Sign up today for a free two-week trial subscription to Microsoft Watch.) |
Comments (4)
When it comes to a server enviroment security should be job one...something I am learning more of while on my way to my MCSE.
Microsofts lack of security in server products borders on the criminal. Yet Microsofts server products provide the same easy access to third party hackers as its desktop OS does. As a server op you have to draw a thin line between updating with the latest Microsoft updates and enjoying somewhat better security and breaking the apps that the company depends on. The company is not going to love its head tech if the system is secure but not working. Nor are they going to like you if everything is running fine....including access for the hackers. Until Microsoft takes a cue from Apple and requires the admin password for any and all software installs of the system they are never going to have a truly secure system. Fix it now, let the developers repair their apps just once and everyone will be happier.
Posted by Randy Smith | April 20, 2005 11:05 PM
... if these "compatibility problems" are not Fully Resolved in SP1 for SBS2k3. There Must Be No Need (on the customer end) and/or No Expectation (by MS) that a whole slew of ancillary, compatibility fixes will "still need to be applied" Before OR After installing SBS2k3 SP1. SP1 for SBS2k3 has got to roll all of this into One Unified Workflow. THIS IS A SERIOUS "MAKE OR BREAK" ISSUE WITH REGARD TO THE SUPPOSED STRATEGIC PUSH THAT MS IS STILL MAKING BEHIND SBS2k3, NO IFs ANDs or BUTs. Not nearly enough SMBs are in a postion to easily or happily suffer the incompatibilities that cropped up with W2k3S SP1. SMBs are Exactly the Wrong Customers for MS to Burn with any of the Gotchas Now Clearly Revealed with W2k3S SP1.
It is also important to mention that MS has recently released v4 of it's Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT). While ACT4 is primarily intended to be used, by capable hands, to identify and correct "correctable" application incompatibilities with WinXP SP2 (and was delivered way too late, in this regard), don't be surprised if ACT4 proves to be a useful tool on W2k3S SP1, as well.
Sadly, MS' considerable resources are strategically split between "maintenance" for the current revenue stream and "development" for the anticipated revenue stream (whatever-horn)... and it shows.
Posted by W Ichiyasu | April 21, 2005 2:08 AM
problem is :-
This system is shutting down
the shut down was initiated by NT authority/system
Message:-
this system process
c:\windows\system32\lsass.exe
terminated unexpectedly
status code 1073740972
Posted by jeevan | March 16, 2008 3:34 AM
yo
I do not agree with what you said really....
please ellaberate a bit more for me :d
thank you
Posted by zodiaclove | October 10, 2008 10:06 PM