Microsoft SQL Server 2000 SP4

Posted on Saturday, May 07 2005 @ 17:43 CEST by LSDsmurf

Includes a new version of MSXML version 3.0 SP6. With SP4, the OPENXML statement is updated to use a custom-built XML parsing technology designed to be backward compatible with MSXML 2.6.
Includes MDAC 2.8 SP1 except for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 platforms, where it is included with the operating system service packs for those platforms.
Adds the following platform support:
- With Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition, SP4 provides support for 32-bit SQL Server applications on 64-bit architectures using the Windows on Windows emulator (WOW64). For more information on specific 64-bit platforms supported, see the Windows Server 2003 x64 Editions Product Overview.
- With SP4, you can leverage 64-bit processor architectures using 32-bit SQL Server applications when running in WOW64.
  Note: SQL Server 32-bit applications, including SQL server client tools, are still not supported on WOW64 for IA64. Also, currently 32-bit Reporting Services is not supported to run on WOW64 on IA64 and x64 platforms running Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition.
Improves documentation; the Readme documents are reorganized into four distinct readme files for the different SP4 components:
- ReadmeSql2k32sp4: Readme for Service Pack 4 for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (32-bit)
- ReadmeSql2k32asp4: Readme for Service Pack 4 for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services
- ReadmeSql2k32desksp4: Readme for Service Pack 4 for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000)
- ReadmeSql2k64sp4: Readme for Service Pack 4 for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (64-bit)

Benefits

SQL Server 2000 SP4 improves performance on 64-bit systems with 32 or more processors.

Security

Refreshed, more secure Visual Database Tools (Table Designer, Database Diagrams, and Query Designer).
New registry entries to provide additional control over security, metadata, and memory management.

Serviceability

SQL Server 2000 SP4 introduces new serviceability functionality that enables you to remove hotfixes applied to SP4 and later versions of SQL Server 2000 running on Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
SP4 itself cannot be rolled back.
Error reporting can be enabled for selected instances during the SP4 installation.