Windows Server 2003 SP1 Hits RC Stage

With a final release expected early next year, Microsoft has released the first release candidate for Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1. The service pack fortifies the Microsoft's flagship Windows Server line with a bevy of new security patches, bug fixes and provides the underpinnings for the company's upcoming 64-bit Windows Server product line.

RC1 will be the first public release of Windows Server 2003 SP1, as Microsoft looks to solicit feedback from customers before a final launch. The update includes additions similar to those found in Windows XP SP2, such as the Security Configuration Wizard. Microsoft has also learned from its past mistakes by offering customers a "Post-setup Security Update Wizard," which patches any outstanding security holes before a server boots up for the first time.