- 2003 Enteprise SP2 or 2003 Enteprise R2
- Posted by gocrm on March 23rd, 2007
Greetings,
This question is related to Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 Enterprise. But
since it is relevant to the OS, I am posting it here.
I am running Windows 2003 Enterprise SP2 on the host server. On the virtual
instances, I installed several Windows 2003 Enterprise R2 VHD. I am
thinking of upgrading my HOST server to Window 2003 Enterprise R2. I thought
this would keep my host and the more VMs syncronized. My quetions are:
1) If I don't upgrade and leave the host with the Windows 2003 , will this
cause a compatibility issue since the host is R2 and the VMs are not?
2) Will I gain any real benefit by upgrading the host to R2? Will it give
me any better performance?
I read the comparision between the R2 and the Enterprise SP2 version and it
only have the few diffences. The differences were mostly Active Directory
and File Syncronization.
I really don't want to upgrade because it's a real pain to reload 264
servers. I am just wondering if there's a real reason to upgrade or not
upgrade. Thanks for your help.
--
Regards,
Andy
- Posted by neo [mvp outlook] on March 23rd, 2007
No for compatibility/performance. Basically Windows 2003 R2 is Windows 2003
SP1 w/ a bonus pack of features (some of which you can download and some
not).
"gocrm" <gocrm@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:7E2050D6-52F2-4527-A5A1-9D3CE77494C3@microsoft.com...
- Posted by Danny Sanders on March 23rd, 2007
R2 is not an upgrade. It's a feature update. R2 is a 2 disk set, disk 1 is
Win 2k3 SP1. Disk 2 is the updated features. If you want a Win 2k3 SP 1
server just use disk 1. If you want to use the updated features (DFSR for
example) you install those update features on your Win 2k3 SP 1 servers by
running setup2 from the second disk of the R2 set. You will gain better
performance when using the R2 updated features as opposed to using the same
features in Win 2k 3 SP1. DFSR for example.
SP2 is the upgrade.
hth
DDS
"neo [mvp outlook]" <neo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:%23FU$vGVbHHA.4312@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
- Posted by gocrm on March 23rd, 2007
Thank you very much. So to understand correctly. If I update from the
current W2K3 SP1 to SP2, it would be the same as having W2K3 R2? Meaning
after the upgrade it will contain all the features as W2K3 R2?
Sorry for the newbie questions.
--
Regards,
Andy
"Danny Sanders" wrote:
- Posted by Danny Sanders on March 23rd, 2007
Nope.
It may (not sure haven't tested) be possible to have a Win 2k3 SP 1 R2
computer and Win 2k3 SP 2 R2 computer, a Win 2k3 Sp 1 and a Win 2k3 SP 2
computer, and all are different.
R2 and SP 2 are different. SP 2 is an OS upgrade that should be applied to
all your Win 2k3 servers.
R2 is a *feature* upgrade. You would install the *feature* update only on
the server you want to use that feature on.
Example. We use R2 for the updated DFSR features. We want our branch offices
to replicate data back here to our hub server. We only installed R2 on those
branch servers and the hub they are replicating to.
With SP 2 after testing we will eventually get around to installing SP 2 on
all of our Win 2k3 server.
SP 2 does not include *any* of the updated features that R 2 include.
hth
DDS
"gocrm" <gocrm@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F669D130-7E4E-4039-A16C-AD37FD5DBA4A@microsoft.com...
- Posted by gocrm on March 23rd, 2007
Thank you. I am a tiny bit confused.
You mentioned W2K3 R2 is a version with W2K3 SP1 and Feature CD (second CD).
So let say we have a bunch of servers running on W2K3 with SP1 or SP2, does
that mean I can just insert the R2 #2 CD and install the features onto these
servers and that would automatically make my W2K3 SP1 and SP2 servers becomes
R2?
---
Regards,
Andy
"Danny Sanders" wrote:
- Posted by Danny Sanders on March 23rd, 2007
That is it exactly!!! On our branch servers that were Win 2k3 SP 1 *before*
R2 ever came out, all we had to do was run setup2 from the second disk of
the R2 set and when it finished the install and rebooted it displayed
Win 2k3 R2.
I've done this with Win 2k3 SP 1 machines, we have to test SP2 before we
install it on our servers but I suspect that a Win 2k3 SP 2 computer can be
changed to a Win 2k3 SP 2 R2 computer just by running setup2 from the second
disk.
hth
DDS
"gocrm" <gocrm@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:FCB4227F-D11B-40B6-9245-8FE6C2DAE4BB@microsoft.com...
- Posted by gocrm on March 23rd, 2007
Hi Danny,
Whoa. I did that before, using disk 2 on W2K3 SP1 and it displayed R2.
However, I was worrying that's may not be the right way to do it.
How long ago did you run the disk 2 setup on your branch servers? Any known
compatibility or unusual problem since then?
When you are ready to test it on SP2, would you please be so kind as to
update the result here? I would suspect it would be the same. I am waiting
for the arrival of the new servers. Until then, I don't have an environment
to test it in. Thanks very much and have a great weekend.
--
Regards,
Andy
"Danny Sanders" wrote:
- Posted by Danny Sanders on March 26th, 2007
They have been running since August of last year.
FYI we had a MS rep come out and look over out DFSR setup and it was *their*
suggestion to just use the second disk of the R2 set to upgrade a Win 2k3 SP
1 machine to R 2. *Their* reasoning is just what I passed along to you, the
first disk is the exact installation of Win 2k3 SP 1 that you would get
*any* way you arrived any a Win 2k3 Sp1 computer. This was a MS suggestion.
This was not something I just tried and thought Hmm looks OK so it must be
OK.
They have been running for months without any problems associated with NOT
being a proper R2 installation. For one thing you can NOT set up an R2
replication group without both members being R2. I have tried this and if
the second computer is Win 2k3 SP 1, is will not succeed.
No such problem with any of the Win 2k3 SP 1 servers we updated to R2 by
just running setup 2 from the second disk. DFSR saw 2 R2 servers and set up
the replication group.
I'm waiting for a while.
I would suggest looking in these news groups to see what issues others are
having and how they recovered. Before I test I look through these news
groups to see what issues others are having and how they recovered and it
cuts down on my testing.
hth
DDS
"gocrm" <gocrm@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BFFF9527-9C71-4423-BF9B-0499A4C21EED@microsoft.com...
- Posted by gocrm on March 27th, 2007
Hi Danny,
Way cool! I am grateful for your detailed answers.
I already upgraded some of the W2K3 SP1 servers to SP2. I am wondering if I
could still run setup from disk#2 or the R2 and get the same result?
--
Regards,
Andy
"Danny Sanders" wrote:
- Posted by Danny Sanders on March 28th, 2007
If you run setup from disk 2 of the R2 set it will install this:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/win.../benefits.mspx
If you install SP 2 you are installing this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914962
and this:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/win...bulletins.mspx
If you look through those 3 links you will see the R2 stuff has nothing what
so ever to do with the SP 2 stuff.
Think of the R2 stuff as optional. You install Disk 2 only on the servers
you want to use those options *on*.
Think of the SP 2 stuff as mandatory. You are going to want to install the
SP 2 on *all* Win 2k3 servers.
hth
DDS
"gocrm" <gocrm@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:918EC4DA-00C3-4498-8033-FB5BC6EA06E2@microsoft.com...
- Posted by gocrm on March 28th, 2007
Hi Danny,
Perfect. You are truly a gentleman and a scholar <grin> Thank you so much
for taking the time to answer all of my questions.
--
Regards,
Andy
"Danny Sanders" wrote:
