MCSE Window®s 2000 Professional Exam Cram™ 2 (Exam 70-210) [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Deploying SPs

Installing SPs in Windows NT is a very time-consuming process. First, you have to install the operating system, and then you must apply the SP. Windows 2000 allows you to incorporate an SP with the installation files. Combining the latest SP with the Windows 2000 installation files allows you to install them as one. In Windows NT, however, if you install a new service after applying an SP, you have to reapply the SP for the new service in order to gain any benefits the SP might have to offer. In addition, you have to reinstall some services after you apply an SP. Thankfully, you don't have to contend with these situations in Windows 2000.

Slipstreaming SPs

The process of combining the Windows 2000 installation files with an SP is called slipstreaming. You apply an SP to a distribution share of the installation files by executing update.exe /s:[path] (or update.exe s:[path]), where path must be replaced with the location of the Windows 2000 installation files that you want updated (that is, the distribution share). You should not include the I386 folder name as part of the path; the SP assumes this, and it looks for the I386 folder by default. In fact, you must place a folder named I386 that contains the installation files within the UNC or drive letter path to prevent the slipstream process from failing.

If you install Windows 2000 by using the slipstreamed distribution, the installations contain the SP. Using this method can save you a ton of time and helps you avoid having to apply an SP after each installation.

Applying SPs After Installing Windows 2000

If you didn't have the opportunity or ability to create a slipstreamed distribution share, you can apply an SP simply by running update.exe on the local machine. If you install any new services after applying the SP, Windows 2000 gets any files it needs for those services from the installation files or the SP. This process updates a service or an application without requiring you to continually reapply the SP whenever you add something new.