Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 is the successor to Windows 2000 Server. According to Microsoft, Windows Server 2003 is more scalable and delivers better performance than its predecessor, Windows 2000. It's interface looks similar to Windows XP. It debuted on April 24, 2003.
Features
What's Different From Windows 2000 Server
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Look and feel of Windows XP instead unlike 2000 which looked like 2000 Professional. Incorporates the same improvements as did XP Professional.
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Made to be extremely backwards compatible. Utilizes compatibility modes that allow an organization or user to run older applications (software programs).
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A more simplified networking implementation process, this makes it easy for organizations that may still be using Windows NT 4.0 to upgrade. The process of upgrading from Windows 2000 Server is suppose to be simple.
Some Other Improvements Are:
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Improvements to Active Directory
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Improvements to Group Policy handling and administration
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Improved disk management
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Improved scripting and command line tools
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Support for a hardware-based "watchdog timer", which can restart the server if the operating system does not respond within a certain amount of time.
What's New
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Increased default security over Windows 2000 Server, due to the built-in firewall and most services being disabled by default.
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Manage Your Server (MYS) - an administrative tool used for a role management. MYS allows an administrator to choose what functionality the server should provide.
Major Releases & Service Packs
Service Pack 1
On March 30, 2005, Microsoft released Service Pack 1 for Windows Server 2003. Among the improvements are many of the same updates that were provided to Windows XP users with Service Pack 2.
Windows Server 2003 R2
An update of Windows Server 2003, officially called R2, was released to manufacturing on 6 December 2005.
It is distributed as a second CD, with the first CD being Windows Server 2003 SP1. This release adds many optionally installable features.
Windows Server 2003 including SP1.
New features installed by WS2003R2 are:
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Utilities and SDK for UNIX-Based Applications add-on, only developers will have a need for this.
Service Pack 2
Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2003, released on March 13, 2007 - Microsoft considers this Service Pack 2 as a "standard" service pack release containing previously-released security updates, hotfixes, and reliability and performance improvements.
In addition, SP2 contains Microsoft Management Console 3.0, Windows Deployment Services (which replaces Remote Installation Services), support for WPA2, and improvements to IPSec and MSConfig.
Service Pack 2 also adds Windows Server 2003 Scalable Networking Pack (SNP), which allows hardware acceleration for processing network packets, thereby enabling faster throughput.
Windows Server 2003 - Versions
Leave it up to Microsoft to capitalize on its market. Each version is targeted towards a particular size and type of business. Server 2003 comes in the following versions: