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W2k server SP3 : test?

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by gernotlg 1 view

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i was reading though some other Q&A's and someone had trouble with SP3. Someone said keep up to date with installing SP's and Critical updates .."after you've tested them" . My Q is:

How am i s'posed to "test" them. We only have one server, it runs W2K server, I cant test it on that, if i crash it, the whole DP dept is stuffed, and i'm likely to get shot?

I checked out MS Technotes on some warnings i'm getting on the server and it advised me to installed SP3. But i cant afford to loose the server?

Catch 22 ????

Gernotlg@hotmail.com

5 replies

by null_connection

The "test first" strategy suggested by MS is corporate CYA (cover your ****). In real life, you rarely have the hardware or the time to set up a test environment.

It boils down to deciding whether you have more to fear from the security vulnerabilities and bugs covered in the SP or from buggy MS service packs.

Unless you have absolutely no choice, (like a patch or hotfix available only through the SP) give the new service packs a couple weeks to circulate in the field before deploying it. Watch boards like this one closely and try to get feedback from early SP deployers running similar hardware and software.

When implementing a SP (or even a smaller, less complicated hotfix), follow pre-deployment recommendations religously. Assume that anything that can go wrong will. Test your backup tape drives; make sure you can restore data from them. Run a full backup, including system state data. Update ERDs. Read and re-read the documentation and, if possible, select deployment options that give you the ability to uninstall the SP or patch. Then plan to do the deployment when you have time to recover if the installation goes bad.

We have 7 W2K servers and about a dozen W2KPro workstations on SP3. No hitches so far. But do take this seriously.

by sblades

Also, to add to the above answer, during installation all service packs give you a chance to "backup" existing files in case you have a problem and have to do a rollback to the previous version of service pack. I highly recommend that unless you have a severe space shortage (it'll tell you how much space it will take). Definitely choose the backup during service pack installations!

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